In late October and early November 2008, Paragliding Queensland is running two flying tours to the Himachal Pradesh area of the Indian Himalayas
My name is Phil Hystek. I, along with Craig Papworth, our highly experienced paragliding tour guide, look forward to showing you the sites, and let you enjoy amazing flying, tastes and culture of an fascinating part of the world.
I know that you will find the Bir flying experience one of the most rewarding, enjoyable and spectacular flying trips you will have ever undertaken.
Trip details:
Tour cost $1850 AUD All inclusive.
The cost of the trip is listed as “all inclusive” which actually only refers to the landed cost ex Delhi airport. Because some pilots will be coming from interstate and even overseas, airfares to Delhi will vary greatly. Others will be using “Frequent flier” bonus points to purchase their airfare. For this reason, it was impractical to quote an tour cost inclusive of airfares from your home airport to Delhi airport.
The trip does include basically everything from Delhi airport back to Delhi Airport.
The list is as follows.
Bus transfers from Delhi international airport to the domestic.
Airfares from Delhi to Dharamsala and return.
Taxi from Dharamsala to Bir and return.
Accommodation for 9 nights at the Colonel’s retreat in Bir.
9 breakfasts with a mixture of Indian and western food.
7 dinners which will mostly be Indian food.
One trip daily from the Colonel’s retreat to Billing launch.
Your Bir flying permit. (required for all visiting pilots)
One night fully catered Vol Biv camp high on the range (weather dependant)
One day thermalling and XC coaching (on the tour #2)
Guiding information on flying in the area.
Morning cultural walks in the Bir area including Tibetan monasteries and authentic villages.
What we are leaving up to the individual are the following.
Any further rides up to launch per day (in the rare case of bombouts)
Two dinners, giving you the chance to sample some of the culinary delights of the Tibetan area of northern India.
Day trip to Dharamsala which is the home of the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, his holiness the Dali Lama.
The tours are aimed at pilots who are either:
Experienced pilots looking for a new adventure and to sample Vol Biv flying.
Intermediate pilots who are looking to hone their thermal skills in consistent conditions but a challenging environment.
Any pilot wanting to fly the mighty and visually stunning Himalayas
All pilots who love flying with birds of prey.
Newer pilots looking to develop their thermal flying skills in an area where you are almost guaranteed to stay up.
Pilots and partners are most welcome (see notes below)
Tour #1 starts at Delhi International airport on Saturday October 25th at 10:00 am Indian time.
We will then transfer to the domestic terminal for our connection flight to DHARMSALA where we will take a taxi to the Colonel’s Retreat in Bir.
The next morning will be spent acclimatizing and orientating our selves before going up the mountain for an afternoon soaring flight.
The standard days structure will include:
06:30Coffee or Tea and biscuits.
07:00Early morning cultural walk (for anyone interested)
08:00Sumptuous Indian breakfast (we will have some western style breakfast options available for those wanting something like home)
09:30 Drive to launch.
11:00 – 15:00 Fly the amazing Himalayas
16:00 Clean up and the free time to walk into town for a visit to the internet café etc.
19:00 Dinner and then sit around the open fire to discuss today’s adventure and to plan tomorrow’s.
If there is enough interest, we will be able to organize a day trip to DHARMSALA however you will be free to stay in Bir and fly if you wish.
We have planned a one night fully catered Vol Biv trip to a location high on the range. This trip will be totally weather dependant and the date of this trip will be decided on once we arrive in Bir.
Tour #1 will conclude on November 3rd with a 12:00 taxi to DHARMSALA to connect with our flight to Delhi.
Connecting flights from Delhi at the end of the tour to your next destination should not be scheduled for any earlier than 20:00 on November 3rd.
Tour #2.
This tour will depart Delhi International airport at 10:00 on November 4th 2008 where we will transfer to the domestic terminal for our flight to DHARMSALA.
The daily schedule for this tour will be basically the same as for tour #1 but the Vol Biv night will depend on the assessed ability of the majority of pilots in the tour to make the flight to the Vol Biv site.
Tour #2 will conclude with our departure from Bir at 12:00 on November 13th. Your connecting flight home from Delhi should not leave prior to 20:00 on November 13th.
Notes
Pilots bringing non flying partners; partners are welcome but please keep in mind that the daily activities for non flyers may be somewhat limited. Adventurous partners may wish to take day hikes to the surrounding villages, or a day trips to one of the many local monasteries.
There is also the possibility of tandem flights for partners as I plan to have my tandem glider in Bir for this tour.
For the Vol Biv night, partners are welcome but they will have to travel to the camping site by “taxi” which can be relatively exciting.
The cost for partners will be $30 less than for pilots which reflects the non requirement a Bir flying permit. As many partners like to travel up to launch in the morning, we have allowed for rides up the mountain in partners fee.
For anyone wishing to book, please take the time to read the attached terms and conditions and return the booking form ASAP to Paragliding Queensland at info@pgqld.com.au
