From Noisy Mumbai to Open Skies

If you’re an adrenaline junkie and love a bit of adventure, paragliding is perfect for you. With this exciting sport, you can literally spread your wings, soar around the sky, and watch the world flash by under your feet. Sachin Pathare, the hero of the following video, which was shot in the mountains near Mumbai, was one of those smitten by it.

Sachin Pathare is a 33-year-old professional paragliding coach, having fallen in love with this adrenaline-fuelled discipline several years ago. In fact, he abandoned a successful software engineering career for the sport. His favourite paragliding spots are Bir, part of the Kangra district in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, and Kamshet. It was here that Sachin came in a ŠKODA KAROQ to make the video.

“Life in Mumbai can be tough. Traffic, pollution and endless crowds of people. Sometimes you need to get away from it all and have a break. When I am in the mountains, I am at peace – I like climbing to the best launch site, and enjoying feeling the wind wash over me,” says Sachin as he explains his passion for paragliding. “I decided to follow my dream and devoted more and more time to paragliding, practically squeezing out all other activities. There came a point where I realised that I would be able to make a living as an instructor.

Leaving my job and stereotypical life was not a hard choice,” he notes, describing the change of direction in his life. “I can no longer imagine what it must be like to get up in the morning and head off to an office. But I love getting up early to go flying,” he adds with a smile.

The videos were filmed by director Jan Pavlacký and cameraman Petr Soukup as they were returning from their Catching Breath project, which was shot in the Himalayas. Travelling in a ŠKODA KODIAQ and ŠKODA KAROQ, the film-making duo beautifully captured the poetry of negotiating one of the world’s most extreme roads, the Leh-Manali Highway.

Paragliding is a very popular tourist activity in India’s mountains, and Kamshet, in the state of Maharashtra, is one of the most famous places. Fans of flying looking for a spot of paragliding between Pune and Mumbai choose this picturesque mountain station as it is well-known for its paragliding and high-quality aviation schools.

The mountain station is accessible by road and rail from both Pune and Mumbai. There is also good road access to most major cities in Maharashtra. Kamshet’s location in the Western Ghats is an advantage as its medium-high hills serve are excellent paragliding launch sites, and there are also plenty of flat landing sites, particularly useful for beginners.

Paragliding in Kamshet is extremely popular and is also a great place for complete novices. Training is available at local paragliding schools operated by professional pilots from abroad.

Paragliding in Kamshet also benefits from the weather, which is enduringly stable, making conditions for flying excellent. The best times for paragliding in Kamshet are from October to February and from March to June.