Parahawking sky safari: paraglide with birds of prey in the Himalayas
Join Scott Mason and his parahawking team for this once in a lifetime experience - and a first in aviation history - as you learn about birds of prey and share the sky with a trained bird of prey that will guide you to the best thermals.
We now offer a popular, one-day Parahawking Sky Safari for complete beginners or experienced paragliders.
Eagles, kites and vultures are naturally soaring birds that use thermals – as paragliders do - to fly long distances, a technique that allows the birds to conserve their energy. Our trained birds are no different, using the thermals and guiding us to them. They make the ultimate flying companions for paragliders!
All of the birds we use for parahawking are rescue birds, unable to be returned to the wild and so part of our Himalayan Raptor Rescue project.
During our sky safari you’ll experience 3 very different parahawking tandem flights with 3 of our birds...
The morning flight will be with Brad, our energetic little male Black Kite. He will tie us up in knots as we chase him around the sky while the sun rises over the Himalayas.
The second flight will be with Kevin, our cross country hero. Kevin will guide us to the best thermals and take us on an unforgettable parahawking adventure.
Last but not least, the third and final flight of the day will be with Bob, our young Egyptian vulture. We will soar together over the calm waters of Lake Fewa as the sun drops behind the mountains. Then we land right outside the village and adventure centre of Maya Devi, the home and birth place of parahawking....
As if flying with our own trained birds of prey wasn't enough, Pokhara is one of the world’s premier destinations for paragliding and is home to some of the world’s largest raptors. There is every possibility that we will also share the sky with Himalayan Griffon Vultures, White Backed Vultures, Red Headed Vultures, Cinerious Vultures, Egyptian Vultures plus Steppe Eagles, Bonellis Eagles, Black Eagles and even Peregrine falcons.
This will be a unique and unforgettable experience across a truly breathtaking landscape.
Our sky safari is available for a maximum of 2 people per day and the Parahawking season runs from November to April
The day costs 340 Euros per person and includes lunch and a free Parahawking t-shirt.
We Donate 20 Euros to Vulture conservation projects in Nepal
Qualifications
Background: Scott is the pioneer of Parahawking and has dedicated the last 10 years to promoting this new sport and perfecting the techniques. Scott grew up in East London and has been training birds of prey since he was 12 years of age. He made the transition from traditional falconry to parahawking in 2001 after he fell in love with Nepal and paragliding whilst on his travels. As well as parahawking, Scott runs the Himalayan Raptor Rescue project at his home in Nepal where he cares for sick, injured and orphaned birds. He is able to use Parahawking and the publicity it receives to provide support for Vulture conservation in Nepal.
Name: Claudio Mota
Background: I am delighted to confirm that Claudio Mota is joining the team this year. You may know Claudio from the amazing Paragliding film by Sean White "Never Ending Thermal" especially the closing scenes from the breathtaking flight he did from Victoria Falls in his home country of Venezuela. Claudio's flying career began way back in 1991. Since then he has won several major competitions and held a number of records, and is still winning races even as we speak. Claudio first came to Nepal in 2003 during the filming of Never Ending Thermal and has been a regular and one of Pokhara's characters ever since. His first Parahawking flight was two years ago, and quite frankly, he looked like he'd been doing it for years, he loves nature and the birds, and they love him.
Name: Anita Hjertas
Background: Anita joined the team at the beginning of the 2008 season with a limited amount of experience of training birds of prey. However, she quickly embraced the project and Nepal's lifestyle and has made herself indispensable. Having grown up on a farm in Norway and spent much of her life in Tanzania and South Africa, Anita is a true natural with all animals, showing the level of compassion needed when dealing with sick or injured birds. As well as being a fantastic cook, she has brought Maya Devi to life with her happy go lucky nature.
Name: Brad Sander
Background: Brad's love and skills of flying were born and have developed in the Himalayas, and so has his interest and enthusiasm for Parahawking. Brad spends his winters here in Pokhara flying with our birds, taking tandems and pushing the boundaries of Parahawking to new limits. When he's not in Nepal, you'll find him in Pakistan where he runs specially guided Paragliding tours deep into the high mountains. So high in fact that Brad completed the first ever circumnavigation of Tirich Mir, which is the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush range where he reached an altitude of 7300 m, just 300 m off the world record.
Maya Devi Village is the home of Parahawking and Himalayan Raptor Rescue in Nepal. It's also a guest house, a popular restaurant and bar and an adventure center.
Over the years, our Parahawking adventures have attracted a great deal of attention from media all over the world.
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