The O. Zone

Bird's eye view of the Vail Valley

By David O. Williams
Real AspenAugust 12, 2011

I've done some very cool things in my 20 years in the Vail Valley – from snowcat skiing Blue Sky Basin before they ever put chairlifts in to river boarding Shoshone rapids in the Colorado River to solo climbing Mount of the Holy Cross – but by far one of the coolest things I've ever done happened 1,000 feet above the valley floor.

Greg Kelley of Vail Valley Paragliding soars over the Vail Valley

When I paraglided off Bellyache Ridge near Wolcott, all of my fears associated with flying (I get nervous feet and sweaty palms even on a commercial airliner) seemed to evaporate into the cool, crisp Colorado sky.

Paragliding is a sport a lot like hang gliding except that you're not locked into a fixed-wing glider; you're actually attached by Kevlar lines to a nylon paraglider that's a lot more like a shaped parachute. In my case – and the case of most rookie paragliders – I was flying in tandem with a pro.

The anticipation is the worst part, but once all the lines were sorted out, the glider was properly spread out behind us and I started running with veteran paraglider Greg Kelley of Vail Valley Paragliding (VVP), I suddenly realized all my fears were misplaced.

Greg Kelley of Vail Valley Paragliding.

We literally ran off the side of the ridge and gently floated for about 15 blissful minutes above the valley floor, with the Eagle River glistening far below us and still snow-capped peaks jutting up in the distance. Then we came in for a running landing and I instantly wanted to do it again.

VVP offers year-round tandem flights off Bellyache for $175 and longer tandem flights in the summer months only for $225. Call (970) 845-7321 or go to their website.

Editor's note: This blog originally appeared on www.inspirato.com.


comments: 13 Comments on "Bird's eye view of the Vail Valley"

Reid – Aug. 14, 2011, at 8:07 a.m.

Sounds cool, my brother-in-law is a nationally ranked hang glider. He just returned from Italy competing in the world championships. You had better be careful as flying is a lot like making powder turns, and its another expensive little hobby. Glad you got to "dance the razors edge" above the mountains.

Reid

sian8754 – April 24, 2021, at 4:36 a.m.

스포츠토토 안전놀이터 슬롯사이트 토토사이트 주소 토토 뱃사공 bebe40.com 스포츠중계 류호정 일장기 논란 노마스크 스가총리 임대차보호법 안전사설사이트 올벳 축구승옵 사설토토놀이터 해외축구중계
안전놀이터 모음
안전놀이터
바카라사이트
토토사이트 추천
안전놀이터 모음



ledranamle – Feb. 15, 2022, at 6:18 a.m.

คาสิโนออนไลน์ เว็บไซต์ คาสิโน ไม่มีโกง เล่น คาสิโนสด เว็บตรง 100% UFA88s ฝาก ถอน ด้วยระบบ AUTO ใน 3 นาที ไม่มีขั้นต่ำ แอดไลน์ @ufa88v3 คาสิโนสด

ayoubkhatri – April 24, 2022, at 8:48 p.m.

What a really awesome post this is. Truly, one of the best posts I've ever witnessed to see in my whole life. Wow, just keep it up. kingemarket

ayoubkhatri – April 25, 2022, at 10:56 a.m.

I’ve been searching for some decent stuff on the subject and haven't had any luck up until this point, You just got a new biggest fan!.. Hair Restoration

ayoubkhatri – April 25, 2022, at 8:35 p.m.

This is really a nice and informative, containing all information and also has a great impact on the new technology. Thanks for sharing it, Thai Massage

ayoubkhatri – April 26, 2022, at 3:40 p.m.

I’m excited to uncover this page. I need to to thank you for ones time for this particularly fantastic read!! I definitely really liked every part of it and i also have you saved to fav to look at new information in your site. https://zdravotnidesign.cz

ayoubkhatri – April 26, 2022, at 5:11 p.m.

If your looking for Online Illinois license plate sticker renewals then you have need to come to the right place.We offer the fastest Illinois license plate sticker renewals in the state. mobile cleaners

ayoubkhatri – April 26, 2022, at 7:56 p.m.

Really appreciate this wonderful post that you have provided for us.Great site and a great topic as well i really get amazed to read this. Its really good. interesting facts about seo to know in 2022

johnde – Aug. 30, 2022, at 4:08 a.m.

As you drive up and down the Vail Valley, you’ll notice that the mountains and their views are constantly wordle nyt changing. From the top of Vail Mountain, you can see a variety of different mountain peaks. Whether it’s the jagged rocks of Beaver Creek or the snow-capped peaks of Breckenridge, there is something for everyone to see. At the bottom of the valley, you can see Flatiron, with its iconic red rock formation, and historic downtown Vail. From these vantage points, you have a bird’s-eye view of all that Vail has to offer.

SEO Backlinks1 – June 05, 2023, at 2:09 a.m.

We hope you enjoyed the tutorial, below are the key points to use as reference when plating on plastic. doratura galvanica

SEO Backlinks1 – June 05, 2023, at 5:53 a.m.

Experience we provide the best technical flocking support and range of flocking supplies. We manufacture our flocking equipment in the Italy. floccatura su plastica

SEO Backlinks1 – June 06, 2023, at 10:02 a.m.

Electroplating Treatments and what are they used for? Applications pros and cons of electroplating electroplating treatments

COMMENT
Comment Form Info  Comment Information
Real Aspen encourages you to post comments on our articles and blogs. Logged in email is required for monitoring purposes. Your email will not be published and will not be distributed to any third-party. Abusive, obscene, profane, threatening, libelous or defamatory comments are prohibited. By posting a comment, you agree to this policy and our terms of use. To report an abusive posting, please contact us.

To make a comment, please log in or create an account. This helps us prevent spam and other malicious attacks.

Please log in to comment

 

Create a user account to comment

Snow Report

  24hr snow mid dpth snow cond.
A-Basin n/a n/a
Aspen n/a n/a closed
BC n/a n/a closed
Breckenridge n/a n/a closed
Buttermilk n/a n/a closed
Copper n/a n/a closed
Crest. Butte n/a n/a closed
Eldora n/a n/a closed
Heavenly n/a n/a closed
Highlands n/a n/a
Howelsen n/a n/a closed
Keystone n/a n/a closed
Kirkwood n/a n/a closed
Loveland n/a n/a
Monarch n/a n/a closed
Northstar n/a n/a closed
Powderhorn n/a n/a closed
Purgatory n/a n/a closed
Silverton n/a n/a closed
Ski Cooper n/a n/a closed
Ski Granby n/a n/a closed
Snowmass n/a n/a closed
Steamboat n/a n/a closed
Sunlight n/a n/a closed
Telluride n/a n/a closed
Vail n/a n/a closed
WinterPark n/a n/a closed
Wolf Creek n/a n/a closed
More Weather Reports
VIDEO GALLERY
Vail powder day snow snake
Airing it out at Crested Butte
Feb. 17, 2011 Surprise 14 inches of Fresh Powder