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RAKKH PATRIKA

9th April 2021

 5 MINUTES

BR O UG HT TO Y O U BY R A KKH R ESO R T HIMACHA L PR A DESH

A 2021 Guide to paragliding and
parasailing in Bir Billing.

Parasailing in Bir Billing is an ex tremely fun and adventurous
activity for tourists and adventure junkies alike. Bir Billing is
proudly known as the 'Paragliding capital of India'. T his small
town in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh is considered to
be the best location in the country to enjoy the sport of
paragliding or parasailing. It has been ranked as the second-
highest takeoff location in the world for paragliding and
parasailing. A typical tour of paragliding or parasailing in Bir
Billing takes you to a camping and paragliding adventure, with
world-class services at your disposal , so you get to enjoy that
lifelong dream of soaring above the beautiful and pristine
Himalayan landscapes. In a short yet highly adventurous flight of
about 15 to 30 minutes depending on the weather conditions,
you will be seeing some of the most brilliant sights of the valley
without having to worry about steering the parachute as you will
be accompanied by a trained pilot on the flight . A typical tour
also includes camping in Bir Billing in clean and comfortable
conditions with all the necessary amenities. Our resort in
Himachal Pradesh also has camping and adventure sports. Take
the road less travelled and visit our resort in Himachal Pradesh,
where you can experience the best of Himachal Pradesh, its
cult ure, t he people and t he advent ure at Rakkh Resort Palam pur.

Paragliding or Parasailing guide 2 02 1 -
T he paragliding session consists of 15 to 30 minutes and the cost
per flight is 2 000 INR per person. T he paragliding landing area
which is Bir to Billing which is the paragliding takeoff point is at
a distance of 18 kilometers from each other and this 18 kilometer
flight is aided by an experienced pilot .

Exclusions to paragliding or parasailing flight 2 02 1 -

T he weight limit for paragliding or parasailing at Bir Billing is
between 15 kg to 9 0 kg between the months of October to
February and between 30 kg to 9 0 kg in the months of April to
June. But , if a tourist’s weight is between 9 0 kg and 115 kg, the
paragliding team charges an ex tra fee of 5 00 INR per person,
and also they decide to fly depending upon the fitness of that
particular person. 
Travel insurance is not included on the paragliding or parasailing
flight , which covers medical evacuation, hospitalization, trip
cancellation and baggage insurance. Any additional videography
or photography expenses for the parasailing or paragliding trip
are 5 00 INR for a GoPro video of the trip which does not include
disturbances in the footage caused by natural weather
condit ions, sickness, bad weat her, st orm s e t c.
T here is no insurance provided for loss of goods, life, injury or
accident s.

History of Paragliding or Parasailing in Bir Billing - 
In t he 19 80’s som e French Pilot s recognized “Bir Billing” as t he
best favorable condition for flying and introduced Hang Gliding
in Bir Billing. Hang gliding was very difficult at that time as pilots
needed to carry heavy metal frames and canopy to the
Paragliding take-off point which was 14 km uphill and was a
really strenuous task. T he road to Billing did not exist at all at
that time, so a tourist or hang glider needed porters and mules
to carry the heavy metal frames and canopy, which was not
possible for all the pilots.
 
Paragliding or parasailing in Bir Billing was introduced in the
early years of the 19 9 0’s by ‘Bruce Mills’ who was a pilot from
New Zealand and very well known in the Bir Billing valley which
started attracting many pilots to try their hands at paragliding
here. Later it became popular among locals of Bir and they
started learning paragliding or parasailing. Now af ter the year
2000, Bir Billing started tandem paragliding which meant a
paragliding flight of two people in which one person is the pilot
and the other is a tourist which introduced commercial activity
and employment to the local inhabitants of Bir Billing.
 
Now Bir Billing has more than 2 00 trained paragliding pilots, out
of which nearly a hundred pilots are licensed officially by the
Himachal Pradesh Tourism. Bir Billing hosted the paragliding
world cup in 2 015 in which pilots of over 130 countries from
across the globe participated. T he paragliding world cup made
the sport ex tremely popular in India and commercial flying
increased significantly and Bir Billing became a favorite
paragliding destination in India and across the globe for many
paragliders and parasailers looking for adventure.

When to visit Bir Billing for paragliding or parasailing - 
T he best time to visit Bir Billing for parasailing or paragliding is
throughout the year except for the monsoon season. T he
monsoon season or the rainy season here which is from early July
to late September comes with very heavy rain from July to
Sept em ber, which is t he t im e when paragliding is com ple t ely
closed in Bir Billing. Bir Billing is located in the foothills of the
Dhauladhar mountain range of the Himalayan mountains in
Himachal Pradesh, which provide amazing weather conditions
throughout the year apart from the rainy season. Our resort in
Himachal Pradesh is also located in the Dhauladhar mountain
range of Himachal Pradesh and our resort in Himachal Pradesh
which is the Rakkh Resort in Palampur also has many adventure
sports and activities that take place at our resort in Himachal
Pradesh.
 
But the best period for paragliding or parasailing in Bir Billing is
divided into two parts and they are firstly from October to June
which is the main season for paragliding and October to
November and March to June are also the best time for longer
f light s.
 
T he paragliding or parasailing experience during the months of
December and January is different as all the mountains around
Bir Billing are covered with snow, and even Billing experiences a
lot of snowfall during this period. Most of the travelers still
choose this period for camping and paragliding in Bir Billing
valley for the thrill and solemn adventure of parasailing and
paragliding under tougher conditions.

Itinerary for paragliding or parasailing in Bir Billing - 

Paragliding 

T he starting point or the meeting point for the paragliding flight
is Chougan Chowk which is located 2 kilometres away from the
national highway and the paragliding landing area diversion
point . Here, you would have to fill up the registration form and
procedures. T hen you will meet the paragliding team along with
the other guests and tourists and you will also be introduced to
your pilot . All your luggage, or unnecessary baggage must be lef t
in your car or at t he recept ion of your hot el in Bir. T he guest s or
tourists are only allowed to carry their wallets and their mobile
phones which they must keep in zipped pockets or give them to
the pilot to keep in his bag of essentials.
T he clothing or attire must be full pants and a jacket . Gloves and
a cap are essential in the winter season and sun screen is
essential during the summer season. Laced shoes are also highly
essential and don’t forget to tie your shoe laces or they may fall
off during the parasailing flight .
It would then take about forty five minutes of driving to reach
Billing which is at the top of a mountain cliff and is at a distance
of 16 kilometres from the starting point . At Billing, the pilot of
your flight checks the wind direction and other weather
measures which might affect the parasailing flight , and af ter
some thinking and consideration he or she would decide the
launch point or takeoff point as the wind is sometimes East side
or som e t im es West side depending upon t he weat her condit ions.
At Billing, when you are all geared up and ready to go, with your
helm e t , harness and connect glider wit h carabiner, your
paragliding or parasailing flight starts at an incredible height of
802 0 feet above sea level which would give you a spectacular
bird’s eye view of the stunning Bir Billing valley below. A pilot
briefing also takes place before takeoff where you can ask the
pilot to connect your GoPro camera if videography or filming the
paragliding or parasailing flight is required.
Enjoy flying like an eagle through the winds of time in the
im m ensely spect acular air of t he Bir Billing Valley. T he t ourist s’
hands are hand free during the flight and they can sit on their
chair with a harness and calmly enjoy the views, scream and
enjoy the vivid joy of this thrilling adventure. Once the fif teen to
thirty minute parasailing flight is nearing an end, listen to the
pilot ’s inst ruct ions for a safe and secure landing at Bir. T he
paragliding or parasailing landing area is at Chougan Chowk at
open ground in Bir. T he landing area is also at an incredible
height of 4 65 0 feet above sea level and once you land safely,
you can open your safety helmet and gears and GoPro camera.
You can collect your video foot age t oo from t he GoPro cam era of
the beautiful flight that you just experienced.

Paragliding 

T he landing area is technically about one and a half kilometers
away from Chougan Chowk and is a T ibetan Colony Area and has
a lot of eateries and cafes where you can chill and relax af ter
your thrilling adventure and just let the experience sink in while
you splurge your taste buds to an sumptuous plate of T ibetan
momos. T here are also many handloom shops, monasteries,
dhabas and local shops where you can spend some time
exploring the culture of T ibetans living in Himachal Pradesh.  
You can t hen head on t o Chougan Chowk and head on t o your
hotel in Bir with your friends, loved ones and family. Our resort
in Himachal Pradesh is the Rakkh Resort in Palampur which is an
abode of local Himachal Pradesh treasures where you can enjoy
the local culture of Himachal Pradesh in its very roots and also
relax in a very safe weekend getaway with your friends, family
and loved ones. Our resort in Himachal Pradesh offers adventure
sports, thrilling treks, rejuvenating yoga and spiritual retreats
and much more that will make your vacation all the more
thrilling yet safe from the crowd and the rush of the cities.

How to drive and reach Bir Billing -

T he various routes to Bir Billing from various cities and towns in
Northern India are given below.
Route 1 - Delhi – Chandigarh – Kiratpur – Una – Mubarakpur/
Paragpur – Dehra – Kangra – Palampur – Bir Billing is 530
kilometers long.
Route 2 - Delhi – Chandigarh – Kiratpur – Bilaspur – Mandi –
Jogindernagar – Bir Billing is 5 2 0 kilometers long.
Route 3 - Manali – Mandi – Jogindernagar – Bir Billing is 180
kilometers long.
Route 4 - Dharamshala – Palampur – Bir Billing is 70 kilometers
long.
Route 5 - Pathankot – Palampur – Bir Billing is 14 0 kilometers
long.
T hese are the various routes to reach the paragliding heaven
town of Bir Billing. If you are driving your car then the best route
to reach Bir Billing is the first route although this is a bit long
but is safe and smooth. Other routes can be used if you are
driving from nearby destinations like Manali and Dharamshala
however the route from Pathankot can be followed if you are
t raveling by Train t ill Pat hankot or visit ing t he Vaishno Devi
temple and then planning to visit Bir Billing.
Buses to reach the incredible parasailing and paragliding
destination of Bir Billing -
T he nearest bus stand is at Baijnath which is 12 kilometers from
t he t own of Bir. Baijnat h is well connect ed wit h daily buses going
up and down from New Delhi and Chandigarh. T here are Volvo
buses traveling daily to Baijnath which also commence at 2 1:4 5
hrs. and 2 2 :4 5 hrs. From t he IS B T Kashm iri gat e New Delhi Bus
Stand respectively. One can book buses from Delhi to Baijnath
from HRT C online portal by clicking directly on the link at the
website. Other deluxe, semi-deluxe and ordinary buses also
provide their travel services to Baijnath. If you want more
options, you can also take a bus to Dharamshala, where many
Red bus operators run their buses daily and then get aboard a
local bus to Baijnath which is a two hour journey from there.
Another option to travel by bus is taking a bus to Chandigarh
from New Delhi, and then hiring a cab to Bir from Chandigarh as
it would definitely make your travel easy, safe, comfortable and
convenient , but is a slightly more expensive traveling option to
Bir Billing.
Writ t en by Sayam Raj Sagar

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