The heart pounds within the tight-fitting harness. “Start free,” says flight instructor Sepp Rebernig over the radio. The paraglider takes strong steps forward, his hands pulling the lines toshoulder height. “Run, run, run,” says Sepp. The paraglider runs, and then, with a controlled pull on the brake lines, his feet lift off the ground. The wind whistles by as the paraglider gets an eagle eye view of the mountains of Austria’s Salzburg province. Whoever takes off from the 1,834-metres high Bischling summit, above the small mountain village of Werfenweng, has already practised the procedure dozens of times on the training slope below. Within just four days of training, athletic beginners can graduate to a high altitude flight. Werfenweng is a paradise for paragliding enthusiasts. But this cosy ski resort also offers plenty to do on the ground. The valley, in Austria’s Pongau region, offers not only beautiful scenery but also also houses some very relaxed people. A dozen curves lead up from the Tauern motorway into the Tennen Mountains. Guesthouses, a ski museum, small supermarkets and a church are all set close together in the 900 peoples’ village.
On the practice slope of the Austriafly flight school, brothers Sepp and Stefan Rebernig train
beginners and returning paragliders. Around the slope, cows graze and the hill is covered with paragliding equipment. ‘Prepare the chute, sort the lines, run like mad and rise a few metres’ -
the start-up routine requires hard concentration and co-ordination. Sepp promises that within a week the trainees will be able to fly from the Bischling and also gain the internationally recognised basic license. To achieve this, five high-altitude flights and a theory test have to be successfully completed. Non-fliers can enjoy the colourful spectacle from the sun terrace of Karin Huber. Her Alpine guesthouse, Bischlinghoehe, is situated at the exit of the Icarus cable car, which transports paragliders and their equipment to the take-off site. The most suitable time for beginners is autumn, as there’s little turbulence then, says Sepp.
The Rebernig brothers have been running the flight school since 1996. They were attracted to Pongau, the region where Werfenweng is located, in the mid 1980s. At that time it was the kite-type hang-gliders that were primarily flown, but since the ‘90s the easier-to-manage paraglider chutes have become the fashion. The brothers teach for both types. They have just built a new log-house on the training slope, where the students can hang from a kind of paragliding flight simulator and practise some of the more difficult manoeuvres in a safe environment. Austriafly has a good record of not having had any serious accidents and Sepp is convinced that certified education, modern and well-maintained equipment, meticulous routines and careful observation of the weather conditions can make paragliding a very safe activity. If fog threatens the visibility or warm Alpine winds threaten turbulence, then nobody goes up.
For travelling around, Werfenweng offers a ‘smart mobility’ option: if tourists arrive by train or leave their car keys with Birgit Hafner at the tourist office, they can get a Samo card for eight euros (11 dollars).
The card allows tourists to choose from a variety of eco-friendly electric runabouts - cars, off-road buggies, scooters, Segways and mountain bikes with auxiliary motors - at the village’s rental station. Mini motorbikes for children also enliven the village. For longer trips, biogas vehicles are available – at 10 cents per kilometer.
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