Even just accompanying a friend for her first paragliding flight can be an engaging experience. That’s how my Saturday afternoon started. We met the two-man paraglider flight instructor at the Travesio airstrip and then we set off on mountain roads full of bends through the woods to get to the top of Mount Valinis, a launching point with a breathtaking view that is well-known to enthusiasts of this sport.

The launch point is approximately 980 metres above sea level and offers plenty and constant ascending currents that attract both newbies and experts who want to perfect their skills.

At the top, ready to launch or engrossed in spying out paragliders and hang gliders, we see people from Austria, England, Poland, Slovenia, all with a shared passion for flying.

What did I like the most?

Seeing swarms of coloured sails in the sky, some just “hanging” in the air currents, motionless, together filling the horizon. Throughout the afternoon and even when we left at 8 o’clock in the evening, at sunset, I never saw less than 30 silhouettes standing out against the sky.

A splendid and convivial atmosphere and an afternoon spent watching people of all ages rising up into the sky are more than enough to make me want to join them and try the experience of flying.