We stayed in world-class paragliding destination Valle de Bravo, known for it’s consistent and adventurous flying conditions. We waited in Valle for a weather window to fly off Orizaba, which was tough given that a “100-year storm” was buffeting the volcano with 80 mph winds and copious snow. But towards the end of our month in Mexico, winds subsided and Matt and I, along with our paragliding instructor, Matt Henzi, climbed up and flew off of Pico de Orizaba. Not bad for less than a year of paragliding! “Better lucky than good,” as I like to say!
I directed a short film of the adventure called The Fledglings, which was sponsored by the North Face. A longer, uncut version will hit film festivals this summer.
Photo: In training for Pico de Orizaba, Segal and I enter a “gaggle” of 30 paragliders all circling up in one thermal. A thermal is a mass, bubble, or column of rising air traveling upward from the ground.