We arrived at the Living Hotel Max at Zell am See, Austria.  It was a lovely hotel with great ambiance.  And its location was superb in terms of accessing all the shops, restaurants, and the famous Zell am See Lake.  Since there was a rush on the elevators, I browsed the many leaflets in the reception area.  I was attracted to one – Eagle Eye Paragliding with Daniel Chytra.  I thought I must do this!

I asked the receptionist to arrange for my booking with Daniel.  There was one available spot on 20 July 2016 at 10:00.  And the total cost was around €150 for the paragliding and the photo shooting.  I told her to go ahead.  Then, I began to communicate with Daniel on WhatsApp for the details of the trip.  He was so professional.  He confirmed the appointment date and time subject to the conducive conditions of the weather.

In the early morning of the day of the trip, Danial confirmed that the weather was perfect for paragliding, and his partner will pick me up from the hotel at 9:00.  She arrived sharp on time.  And off we went.  We drove to the landing point of the paragliding trip.  On the way, she briefed me about the safety instructions and what to expect during this experience.  She was meticulous in her explanation.

As we neared the landing point, she pointed to Daniel in the sky.  She told me he should land in a few minutes.  And he did.  He waved at me from a distance. Started removing the chute from his client.  Folded it and packed it in his big bag.  Walked towards us.  Greeted me.  And got into the van.  We dropped his client first.  And then headed to Schmittenhöhe, a mountain part of the Alps. 

Daniel asked me to buy a one-way ticket for the cable car ride up to the mountain.  It costs around €23.  We took the trip and arrived in minutes.  Schmittenhöhe is a great attraction to visit, whether in the summer or winter.  Since we were in July, it was lush green.  It has marvelous panoramic views.  This was not the first time I visit it.  I will write more about it in the future.  Let’s focus on the jump for now.

I must admit.  This was one of the few times I wished I had my hair back.  The breeze was so beautiful.  It could have played with my hair.  But this wish is long gone.  We walked to the backside of Schmittenhöhe to the location of the jump.  Other people were getting ready for the jump.  Daniel asked me to hand him all my belongings to keep them in his bag.  Then, he started putting the harnesses on me.  He tightened them.  And he gave me the helmet to wear.

Next, he started unpacking the chute.  Untangled its strings.  He tested the strings by lifting the chute briefly in the air to make sure all is set for our paragliding journey.  He gave me his final briefing.  And the last part of it was music to my ears: “On the count of three, I want you to run with me.”  I thought, yes.  Show me the three!  But it seems the lady on our right was not excited as I am.  On her count to three, she froze there like a rock.  She back off from the jump. 

For this kind of adventure, do not think so much.  Just jump!

Daniel started the count – 1, 2, 3.  We ran a few steps, and before I knew it, we took off, I was flying in the sky with the Eagle.  And what an experience it was flying at 2,000 meters!