I was born and grew up in Valchiavenna. And as far back as I can remember I&´ve always had a passion for flight. In 2015 on holiday in Nepal, at Pokhara one of the most beautiful places to fly, I was able to check out paragliding. And I was immediately and completely struck and said to myself, "wouldn&´t it be fantastic to do this back home in Valchiavenna". So on my return I was keen to discover an establishment where I could engage in procuring the VDS licence, as in sporting leisure flying. I enrolled on the course at Chicco Patuzzi&´s Flylibell paragliding school in Valsassina, based in Taceno. During the course, which lasted for around a year, I became ever more passionate about flying, but above all about the environmental aspects involved in this particular discipline. And once I had qualified I resolved to fly regularly in order to improve and to take on further training. After a fair number of flights and following an SIV course (in flight safety) I began to trek around Valchiavenna looking for places where I might take off in order to appreciate the valley from a different perspective; later on I would repeat the walks but this time armed with my flying "tackle".
 

One of the joys of living in Chiavenna is getting up early in the morning, in complete silence, enjoying a hearty breakfast then preparing for take-off. There are any number of departure points. But not all are practical all year round due to variants like wind, exposure and indeed snow. But once you do arrive at the take-off point it&´s time to prepare, unpack

your rucksack and lay the glider flat on the ground. Standard practice but nevertheless always requiring maximum attention. You check all the ropes, put on the harness, plus helmet then tie yourself to the sail through the snap-hooks. All that lies ahead is the slope that will project you, alone, towards the valley bottom. But first the final checks.

Then comes that quintessential moment; the deepest of breaths to clear the mind and off you go: start by walking briskly and then once the sail has inflated overhead - we run as fast as possible. Et voilà: your feet leave the ground with the finesse and artistry of a feather and away you go! And only now can you really appreciate the flight, latching onto thermals in order to climb, whilst curious birdlife approaches and we can take in a quite extraordinary vista of our very own valley. I&´m delighted to be able to share my experiences of flights and photos that I&´ve taken during them, both with friends and family, but also with people who - on seeing you land - come and ask how it all works. And of course an article in ValchiavennaVacanze, a privilege in itself, might enable other people whether enthusiasts of flying or not, to discover our magnificent valley in all its shapes, forms and seasons. Many thanks to Chicco and Franco and their Flylibell paragliding academy for teaching me and helping to appreciate fully this fantastic sport!