Page 16 of Alluring Adventure

Oliver finishes setting up the paraglider and checks everything over one more time. Then he turns his attention back to me.

“Time to get you kitted up,” he says with a smile.

He helps me put on the harness and helmet while giving me a running commentary on what he’s doing. There is no cheeky swipe over my crotch this time. He is in his paraglider pilot zone and safety is everything.

“This is our emergency parachute,” he says, pointing to a small red textile handle sticking out from what he called the “seat” earlier. “I can deploy this in an instant if there are any issues with the canopy. It won’t stop us from going down, but it will slow the descent.” I nod as knots form in my tummy.

"We probably won't need it," he adds hastily when he sees the look on my face.

“On take off, I will have to face this way,” he points away from the drop in front of us, “but I need you to face forward. I will pull the canopy up. The winds are moderately strong today so we might be pulled backwards a few steps and that’s okay. Once I turn back around to you, I need you to walk. You don’t need to run, just a fast walk. The slope is steep and the wind will carry us away pretty quickly. But whatever you do, don’t sit down.”

I nod. “Stand, wait, walk and don’t sit. Got it.” I try to sound like this is all so easy.

“You’ll love it. Trust me. But in case you get scared or there are issues, see this rock?” He points to a large boulder sticking out from the ground a few metres from us.

“Yes.”

“This will be our abort point. I can stop take off before that point.”

I nod again. After what feels like an eternity of preparation and a final check of all our straps and carabiners, we’re finally ready for take-off. The wind is blowing steadily up the hill and Oliver reminds me that we might get blown back a few steps initially.

“Are you ready?” Oliver asks me.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He gives me a reassuring smile and suddenly all my nerves are swept away. I feel a surge of excitement as he clips me into the paraglider.

“Here we go!” he announces. He turns so he’s standing next to me but facing away from the drop in front of me and then there’s a sudden pull back. I move my legs, desperately trying not to fall over. Then we stop and Oliver takes his position so he’s behind me facing downwards into the valley.

“Right, Keeley. Let’s go.”

I walk as fast as I can in a harness strapped to another person. The ground falls away beneath our feet, and suddenly we’relifted up into the sky. It’s an incredible feeling; like floating on a cloud.

“I’m going to turn left now,” Oliver shouts in my ear as we soar higher and higher. The world spreads out below us in all its glory; green fields, sparkling lakes, and the beautiful mountains of Cumbria. I can’t help but let out a whoop of joy.

“This is amazing!” I shout over the rush of wind in my ears.

Oliver just laughs. “I told you. But tell me if you get any motion sickness. I’ll try to warn you of any turns and that should help.”

We climb higher until it feels like we’re level with the clouds. I never imagined that flying could be so peaceful. All my worries and fears have melted away, replaced by a deep sense of calm.

I close my eyes for a moment and just let myself be carried by the wind.

“I’m so glad you agreed to do this,” Oliver whispers softly in my ear and a new herd of butterflies fill my tummy.

Do butterflies come in herds? Flock? Well, mine come as a herd.

“Sunshine, I’m going to take us over there.” He points with a hand in the distance, “You can see Fellside from there.” We turn and I feel a tiny bit of motion sickness. I suck in the cool air and the nausea disappears.

We glide around a peak and are hit in the face by a much stronger wind, but the view is amazing. My phone is danglingfrom my harness fixed to a selfie stick, and I grab it and turn to camera mode. I take a photo of myself with Oliver peeking over my shoulder and then one of the view before dropping it back down. I just want to enjoy this and not view it through the lens of my camera.

Chapter 10

Oliver

I’ve seen this viewa thousand times but it never ceases to amaze me. I briefly glimpsed Keeley’s face when she took the selfie, and she looked so happy. Seeing her joy made me feel even more ecstatic to have her here with me.

“You’re doing great,” I shout over the rush of the wind as we soar higher. “Just keep your body relaxed.”

---