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First Indian Paragliding expedition to Babadag Mountain |
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Paragliding At Babadag
The site
 From time immemorial these mountains have been regarded as sacred. Today Babadag (literally Father Mountain) is known for its prime paragliding and ancient cedar forests
Good wind conditions, thermals reaching up to 4000 meters ASL, fantastic views and proximity to the sea, make Oludeniz one of the safest scenic places to fly in the world, even several times a day, staying in the air for over an hour, and doing SIV courses and XC flights.
 With perfect launch areas near the 1960 m summit of Babadag and two main take-offs, one at 1900 meters, and the other at 1700 meters. A 27 km. drive up through the cedar forests takes you right up to takeoff. On takeoff from Babadag the flight path takes you soaring over ridges, beaches, lagoons and the Mediterranean sea. A straight top to bottom takes anywhere from 30 to 45minutes. Landing is not visible from takeoff. Flying over the sea at 4500 feet above sea level makes it perfect for practicing maneuvers over the sea. Once you have optimum height you glide towards the mile of golden sand for a soft landing.
Our Daily Flight(s)
Each day we made the trip up to takeoff in a 4 wheel drive hired from one of the companies at the beach. Being a forest reserve one had to pay a fee for the use of the road to takeoff. (6.5 million lira approximately 7 pounds covers the forestry tax and transport) The  steep road winds uphill to takeoff and then you wait for the right wind. A sharp eye on the windsocks all over and suddenly its time to spread your glider and run like mad over rubble. A thermal gust later you are airborne and rising. Gliding over the forests with the clouds below, you head for the sea .
High above the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean at the height of 4000 feet is a likely place to practice maneuvers such as B line stalls, 360 degree turns, full stalls, wing overs, spiral dives, assymetric tucks, collapses, spins ... the works then you land. If you are in a hurry to head for a dip in the blue lagoon or indulge in a long cool drink, trained packers will pack your glider for a pound.
3 awesome weeks of paragliding off Babadag never tiring, never getting enough of "the father mountain"; the spectacular scenery, flying through the clouds and over the ancient cedar forests that enshroud this sacred range.
XC to Butterfly Valley (7 Km Away)
Took off from Babadag's (1700 takeoff) knowing that once you get past the 1/2 way mark there is no turning back. After a 45 - minute flight we reached the valley at 2500ft above sea level. Butterfly valley is a gorge  surrounded by high cliffs with a beautiful strip of virgin beach in the middle. The plan was to loose height over the sea, sneak in along the ridge into the valley and land on the beach. However we encountered strong convergence at the entrance of the valley which made us regain the height as quickly as we lost it. Had to use rapid decent maneuvers such as B line stalls, big ears with speed bars and the more adventurous doing full stalls. 5 gliders set out for the valley: Rob and Debbs on the tandem; Pendurkar, Rao, Jerry (an English pilot) and Pankaj on solo paragliders.
Pankaj missed the valley and landed beyond on the cliff amidst power lines, rocks, trees and rotors. Fortunately he found a small shop by the road selling beer and after quenching his thirst took a cab back to Oludinez.
Jerry encountered turbulence and since he had enough height headed back for landing at Oludeniz but made it half way to Paradise Valley. The rest of us landed safely in Butterfly Valley. A beautiful virgin beach, the home of the unique Jersey Tiger Butterfly. We headed for the tree- house to relax and soak in the beauty of the valley and later that evening made the return journey by boat. The sea was rough with boats pitching ten feet and one had to calculate the timing and make a committed grab for the ladder. Luckily the fishermen helped us with the gliders. A choppy 45 minute ride back to the blue lagoon and Oludeniz
(Acrobatics Shows, SIV Course, Places to see...)
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