In the Air over Ketchum, Idaho

Paragliding is similar to parachuting, without a plane. I did this a few years before parachuting, off a mountain top in Ketchum, Idaho (Sun Valley).

The first step is to ride a snow ski chair lift to the top of the mountain, then I was strapped into a tandem harness with a paraglide expert.

Next we 'ran' down the mountain, while strapped together, until the updraft winds caught the parachute. Then we slowly floated down to the bottom of the mountain which took about 15 - 20 minutes.

The landing was not as soft as the parachute landing in Hawaii, proving that the Navy Seal Jumpmaster I was with there had many more skills than the guy in Idaho! We hit rough, landing on our butts, but did not get hurt. It was about as hard as falling from a standing position. To be fair, both the take-off and landing with the mountain probably would have gone smoother had I been physically stronger.