Paragliding in Vagamon, Kerala 2009 Photogallery

BEFORE THE SUNSET

Bruce Mills, world champion parglider, enjoys the last views of western ghats before sunset. Bruce Mills is from New Zealand and he is the first Non-Indian to enjoy flying at this nascent paragliding spot. He felt in so much love to this place that he comes regularly to fly at Vagamon. The south west winds blowing up the cliff gives a good thrust for take off and top land at this cliff popularly known as Suicide Point, at Kolahalamedu, Vagamon.

THE RIGHT TURN

Brad Sander, a world champion paraglider, performs low soars over the beautiful barren hills at Kolahalamedu,Vagamon, Kerala. The vast spread of low barren hills provide very good opportunity to low bumpy flights just above the ground. These vast barren hills are wrapped with short grasses and no single tree an be spotted for a span of several kilometers. A part of western ghats, the top soil above these hills is very thin, which doesn t allow the growth of tall trees.

SPECTACLES IN THE SKY

Paragliding Pilots fly together,sharing their wonderful experience of flying together at the new paragliding site at Vagamon. The moments they find wireless sets inefficient to communicate emotions of Joy and Surprise during flight.

 

 

LEVITATION EXPIRENCE

Mrs Lakshmi from Trivandrum, experience her first Tandem Paragliding Flight with Bruce from New Zealand. During Tandem pargliding flights, the paragliding pilot takes one passenger with him. Special heavy duty, big wings(paraglider) and harness (the seat) are used for tandem paragliding flights. The passengers need not know anything about paragliding to do a tandem. It is an opportunity for anyone to enjoy the joy ride.

.Tandem paragliding is very popular in aerial photography for advertising and land pattern studies.

AGAINST ALL ODDS

Paragliders wait for the sky to clear up. The climate change has brought monsoons:the rainy season a month before the expected period, over the western ghats. The western ghats, the South Indian hill range parallel to Arabian sea, spans from Maharashtra in the North to Sri Lanka in the South.

This ridge at Kolahalamedu starts from Vagamon to Pullumedu inside Periyar Tiger Reserve, slightly longer than 30 Kilometers,slices the Western Ghats from West to East.The average height of this ridge is about 200 to 400 meters. The geological reason for the formation of this ridge is not Known. At most places the ridge is as steep as 80 degree.

The widest gap Palakkad Gap, which is about 25 kilometers wide: virtually separates western ghats in two separate parts. Another gorge,nearby slicing the western ghats is the Moyar Gorge, separating ooty and Masinagudy plateau at Satyamangalam. Bhavani river, lifeline of Tamil Nadu originates from this gorge.

 

UP UP ABOVE

Paragliders enjoy the beautiful views of western Ghats,each of them competing to go higher and higher, during the free flying at Vagamon.

 

AGAINST THE WINDS

Paraglider Bruce Mills sets off from Kolahalamedu, Vagamon during the cross Country competition. Heat of the sun has pulled up the morning inversion mist into Cumulus clouds.