PARAGLIDING An Adventure Sport of Northern Pakistan

The Hindukush, Himalayan, and Karakoram mountains are suitable and attractive destinations for paragliding—a recreational and competitive adventure sport—gaining popularity amongst the local youth in northern Pakistan. Paraglide is a governable parachute used for adventure sports-- pleasure flying, sky diving, powered paragliding, land boarding, kite surfing, cargo-ship, and kite tugging.

It is a green sport that does not use an engine nor consumes fuel to fly but stays airborne for 10 to 15 hours across the ridges, deep valleys, and lofty mountains that produce ideal thermals and have easy take-off and landing spots for paragliders.

Reputed international pilots have set consecutive world records for paragliding in northern Pakistan, which has powerful thermals to lift the pilots from the lowest valleys to the highest mountain peaks. “It’s one thing to climb a mountain and then fly off it,” said Brad Sander, “that’s what Babu Sunuwar, a Nepali paraglider did when he took off from on top of the Everest in 2011. It’s another thing to start from very low and use only the wind currents and pilot skills to fly to the summit. That is what Antoine has done” in Pakistan.

Antoine Girard, a French professional pilot, set a new world record for flying at an extreme altitude of 8,407m, beating the 8,000m mark in high-altitude cross-country paragliding. He soared the Broad Peak in the Karakoram in a seven-hour flight on Saturday, 23 July 2016.

The first pilots to introduce paragliding in the mountains of northern Pakistan were climbers or mountaineers in the mid-1980s. They used to paraglide for a quick and safe way down from the peaks. Thus, the climbers were the first paragliders to ascent and descent the greater mountain ranges of northern Pakistan.

The famous French alpinist

Jean-Marc Boivin, a pioneer in many sports, was a team member on a French expedition to K2 in 1979. He carried the hang glide while climbing up to 7,600m on the southwest ridge on K2 from where he took off, taking 13 minutes to float back down 2,600m.

In 2004, a trio of French pilots made a groundbreaking multi-day flying expedition in the region. They flew during the day, camped at night, and flew again by the next day through Shimshal (Upper Hunza valley), soaring up and over the 5,090m Boesam Pass. Inspired by this expedition, John flew around Nanga Parbat in 2005, taking a multi-day flight and trek, which he completed in one bright afternoon. Successful completion of this expedition was no less than a feat. Amidst the flight, he witnessed massive avalanches raking the Diamir Face, pushing turbulent air out in front of them. John flew in closer, both for a better look and to take advantage of any spiraling thermal caused by the avalanche.

By the subsequent year, the French pilots again visited the region. This time, Philippe Nodet and Julien Wirtz repeated John’s circumnavigation of Nanga Parbat, before carrying on a 500km flying and camping expedition through “the most intense mountain terrain on the planet”. As their flight progressed, they explored the largest alpine glacier system in the world, crossing the Baltoro Glacier before gliding over the 49 km long Hispar Glacier to the Hispar valley of district Nagar in the Gilgit division. They flew above 7,000m, over the Trango Towers, and eventually made the first crossing from Skardu to Hunza. The flight was immediately heralded as “the greatest hike and flight in the world.”

Leroy Westerkamp, a professional pilot from the Netherlands, set the world’s third highest-flying record at 7,685m. Brad Sander, who called Pakistan home for several years now, holds the record for the second-highest flight at 7,750m. It is worth noting that the top four heights in big mountain paragliding were all achieved in Pakistan.

Foreign and national pilots, who frequently visit the region, say with ideal launching and landing spots, Chitral and Gilgit Baltistan is a paradise for paragliders. With the steady wind, soaring thermals, and gentle slopes in remote and isolated locations, it is the place to ensure the safety of the pilot and wing, making the flight enjoyable simultaneously. But on occasions, the pilots encounter turbulent thermals as they fly over the deep valleys, yawning gorges, and towering peaks of the mountain landscape.

When they find themselves soaring high and high amidst the fresh mountain air, they look down on lush green fields and sweep past icy slopes, longest alpine glaciers, and towering snow-capped peaks. The topography is so suitable for paragliding that many renowned international pilots have lost their hearts to the region. They are also the ones who made the sport popular with the locals from 2005 onwards.

Brad Sander, an American expert pilot, is one of such frequent foreign visitors to enjoy flying in northern Pakistan. He has broken several records and set new ones to his credit, including the 224km longest distance (flying) record for paragliding on the Asian continent from Booni, district Upper Chitral to Karimabad of district Hunza. “It wasn’t until I came to Pakistan in May of 2007,” he wrote on his blog, “that I felt the overwhelming urge to combine my love of travel and flight commercially and share the pleasure of the adventure with others.” He also introduced tandem flight on a commercial basis. He motivated the local, national, and international pilots to come paragliding at Shandur in 2014, where it has now become a regular feature at the polo festival since then.

Currently, local youth have shown much interest in learning paragliding. They have established numerous associations to institutionalize and promote free-style paragliding in Lower and Upper Chitral like free-style polo to attract tourists and adventure sports lovers to the region. The local pilots also participate in the national paragliding events and win trophies and cash prizes. The youth from Gilgit-Baltistan have also shown interest in learning the sport from Chitrali paragliders, which indicates the sport is becoming popular in the region.

Those who received training(s) from foreign pilots impart regular need-based training to the new learners or aspirant paragliders on a payment basis. Paragliding is a highly technical sports equivalent to mountaineering. Safe takeoff, mid-air control of the wing, and smooth landing require effective skills and practical knowledge about thermals, wind conditions and direction, and the formation of clouds in the sky to ensure the safe flights of amateur pilots. Only with the required skills and knowledge can a pilot overcome difficulties during flight and conveniently kite over the thermal updrafts or vertical columns of rising air to enjoy the flight.

Birmothlasht (2743m) and the Zani Pass (3840m) are famous launching points in district lower and upper Chitral. From Chitral town, it takes one hour to drive to Birmoghlasht, whereas it takes around two hours to drive from Booni, the headquarters of district Upper Chitral, to Zani pass, in the Mulkhow valley to the west. Paragliders prefer to keep their accommodation in the mentioned towns and drive to the referred launching points. Both places have beautiful and unobstructed landing spots to the appreciation of paragliders.

The government of Pakistan has taken an interest in promoting paragliding as an adventure sport in northern Pakistan by organizing mega-events. The 1st Ever HighAltitude National Paragliding Championship 2021 was organized at Qaqlasht, Upper Chitral last year. Over 70 national paragliders from across the country participated. The first trophy of paragliding went to Mr. Zaheer Uddin Baber of Booni, Teklasht, whereas Mr. Mubarak Shah of Charun Owir stood second in the competition. The victory of the Chitral paragliders shows that the youth here have paragliding skills and they can successfully compete at the national and international levels.

Events like this are considered the major tourism products to attract national and international tourists to northern Pakistan. The efforts of the district administration of Upper Chitral are appreciable for organizing the mega paragliding event at short notice.

About the Writer

Mr. Shams Uddin operates tours of both national and foreign tourists across Pakistan, particularly in the north. He has rich experience and knowledge in the field coupled with extensive linkages in northern Pakistan.

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