Paragliding at Point of the Mountain

If you haven’t tried paragliding yet, I would definitely suggest giving it a try. My best friends Kelsi, Emily, and I found some great deals on Groupon.com (which I would also suggest taking a look at) with Cloud 9 Paragliding. Many people come from all over to take advantage of the perfect wind conditions at the Point of the Mountain in Draper, Utah. The spot was even mentioned in a National Geographic magazine as a popular spot for air sports such as paragliding, parachuting, and hang gliding due to the fantastic morning winds. Since none of us had done something like this before, we weren’t sure what to expect. The only advice we were given was to take some motion-sickness pills if we were prone to that. Luckily none of us got sick.

The rendezvous point was at an easy-to-find location just off the Interstate. You drive up a gravel road to the top of a flat hill where many cars are parked. Even though it would become a hot August day, we were glad for our light jackets because of the constant wind. We quickly found our guides who helped attach us to the right equipment. Starting off can be a bit of a free-fall for you, with your guide controlling everything. We basically leaned completely forward off the hill, feeling totally ridiculous while doing so, and all of sudden your feet are off the ground.

 

It is such a fantastic feeling, soaring over the area between Draper and Lehi. The wind blows in your face as you pass many other hang gliders and paragliders.

Landing can be a bit awkward, especially with the wind blowing you over and you’re attached to another person who is paying attention to the chute.

We were done by noon, having successfully checked something off our bucket lists.