Sharing the skies

What do you get if you cross paragliding with falconry?

By combining paragliding with the ancient art of falconry, the revolutionary adventure sport known as ‘parahawking’ is taking the skies of Nepal by storm.

Like surfing, paragliding is a sport that relies upon waves; only the latter is dependent upon waves of heat - also known as thermal pockets - to stay aloft. Therein lies the problem. Even for a skilled pilot, seeking out these heat pockets has more to do with luck than deftness.

One man, however, has found an ingenious solution to tackling this problem. A falconer since the age of 11, Scott Mason, who pioneered Parahawking eight years ago, has trained birds of prey to fly alongside his glider, leading the him to the hot air thereby enabling a maximal flight-time and creating an unlikely, yet effective symbiotic relationship between man and bird.

Thermal air pockets are currents of warm air that are created by the sun heating the ground. Birds can gain height and travel for miles without exercising their wings by using these thermals.

Paragliders often use birds to guide them to where thermals are, though this is an unreliable practice that is dependent on the birds being there, which often they are not due to their low numbers. Back in 2001, Mason realized that he could train birds to do fly with him by using raw buffalo meat as a reward, harnessing their ability to conserve energy whilst in the air.

As well as acting as a guide, the bird can also wow its fellow flyers with its impressive aerobatic maneuvers. The flight, costing $147, offers adventurers a unique opportunity to view the Nepalese landscape from a vantage point thousands of feet in the air; to view a horizon punctuated by eight of the world’s highest mountains (including Everest) and to share the experience with an endangered species.

Since the early 1990s, there has been an estimated 98% decline in three species of vulture across India, Pakistan and Nepal. The culprit: Diclofenac – an anti-inflammatory drug commonly given to cattle. Birds feasting on cattle carcasses ingest the drug and consequently die of kidney failure. Aeronautic-avian pioneers like Mason make a conscious effort to highlight the plight of these birds.

The good news is that an increase in interest to parahawking will inevitably mean an increase in awareness of the dwindling number of the birds.

For more information, contact Scott Mason on: +977 98066 47917 or visit: www.parahawking.com & www.vulturerescue.com. All flights are done in the mountain ranges that surround the town of Pokhara between the months of November and April.