Paragliding a hit as Hong Kongers seek escapade

On a mountain slope overlooking Hong Kong, Giovanni Lam waits for the right gust of wind to send him soaring skywards, one of a growing number of paragliders using flight to escape the dense urban sprawl below.f Patience is rewarded in paragliding, explained Mr. Lam, a university lecturer and youth counsellor who brought three novices and heavy equipment on a 40-minute mountain trail hike last month, with the group waiting two hours in the winter chill for the weather to turn. Once the clouds dispersed, revealing a rolling tapestry of parkland below, Mr. Lam ordered his tandem protege Keith Yung to walk against the wind as he pulled on lines attached to the canopy behind them. Within seconds, the glider caught the breeze and the duo took off.

Cramped spaces “Hong Kong is very crowded and there are always many people wherever you go… but once you are off in the sky, you are free,” Mr. Lam said. “It feels like there are no chains or constraints.” With most young Hong Kongers priced out of the city’s eye-watering property market — often living with parents in cramped flats well into their thirties — paragliding is one of a number of outdoor sports that offer release from the stress of the concrete jungle below. Mr. Lam hopes the sport will help his students gain a different perspective on the city they live in. With his feet firmly back on solid ground, 22-year-old first-timer Mr. Yung was exhilarated.

“The view is very different from what we see on the ground, or even from hiking up a peak,” he beamed. “It’s like leaping into a new world.”

Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/paragliding-a-hit-as-hong-kongers-seek-escapade/article25936363.ece

About ChinmayaIAS Academy - Current Affairs

Check Also

Houthi militants and Red Sea Attack

In News The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Sunday (24th Dec 2023) …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Free Updates to Crack the Exam!
Subscribe to our Newsletter for free daily updates