The interest of the tea-vendor at Theekoyi at the foot of the scenic Vagamon Hills was genuine as we ordered tea at the roadside `Hotel’. Regarded as one of the finest paragliding sites in Asia, the meadows of Kolahalamedu in Vagamon are poised to become the number one adventure sports destination in God’s Own Country.
With the state’s Tourism and Sports departments joining hands with the Kochi-based Adventure Sports and Sustainable Tourism Academy (ASSTA) to tap the immense potential of the rolling hills, the site, located in Elappara panchayat bordering Idukki and Kottayam districts, recently hosted the Kerala Paragliding Grand Prix - the fourth edition of the international paragliding festival.
And Vagamon, at 1100 metres above sea level, is not without the backing of numbers. The officials at the Idukki Collectorate estimate that around 175,000 people visited Vagamon during the fiveday event with 50,000 people in attendance on the last day alone to witness the spectacular acrobatics display by world class pilots like New Zealand’s world champion duo of Michael Verhagen and Shane Tims and former world champion David Arrufat of Switzerland.
The credit, though, for placing it on the international paragliding map and transforming the beautiful landscape into a much sought after spot goes to ASSTA, established in 2005. “ASSTA looks at adventure sports as a supplementary tourism product,” says ASSTA chairman Gopa Varma, a licensed pilot from the United States Hang Gliding Association. “Kerala needs to offer activity- based tourism - a tourism event - to grow as a destination.
Primarily, we have only the backwaters and Ayurveda to rave about. But the foreign tourists always look for something to do at the place they are visiting.” Varma feels adventure sport is the ideal tool to bring tourists to rural areas without damaging the serenity of the surroundings.
“Adventure sports blends nicely with the concepts of ecotourism and sustainable tourism,” he says.
With the Union Government having identified adventure tourism as one of its key areas of focus in the sector, the potent combination of Vagamon and paragliding is expected to give a boost to Kerala tourism, positioning the state as an ideal destination for adventure tourism.
The initiative won the Most Innovative Adventure Activity honour for 2008 as the state bagged 11 National Tourism Awards instituted by the Centre.
The first flights at the site were initiated by Gopa Varma and British flying instructor Paul James on May 1 in 2005. “This is one of the best sites I have seen in Asia,” Paul James famously declared after his original sortie down the Vagamon slopes. The ten-kilometre ridge at the picturesque locale is a paragliding pilot’s paradise.
The following year, in March, the first international Fly-In was organised with pilots from eight countries participating. After the second event in 2007, the authorities took note. The third International Challenge took off with a seminar on ‘Adventure Tourism: Challenges and Possibilities’ - the first ever of its kind organised in the state.
In his inaugural address, Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the championship would become the mascot of Kerala’s adventure tourism.
This season, the festival was rechristened the Kerala Paragliding Grand Prix with tandem joy rides offered to those with the adrenaline to run down the slopes and take wing.
The international pilots at the Grand Prix were impressed by the quality of flying possibilities. “Perfect,” says New Zealander Bruce Mills, one of the pioneering pilots in the sport in India, on the setting and the wind. “I have done everything that I came out to do.” During his visit to the Grand Prix, the Tourism Minister promised all efforts on the part of the government to bring the adventure festival on par with the world famous Nehru Trophy Boat Race held annually at the Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha attracting thousands of visitors from around the globe.
“The potential for development is huge,” says Idukki Collector Ashok Kumar Sinha. “The primary task is to build proper roads to the hills. The government has set apart Rs 4 crore for the purpose and another 2 crore for infrastructure development.” Against the backdrop of green hills overlooking the valley, the exhilarating experience of being mesmerised by some amazing paragliding pyrotechnics is attracting crowds, including enthusiasts from across the country, in increasing numbers each year.
With the locals too taking to the thrilling sight of gliders soaring in the sky and swerving with the winds, paragliding in Vagamon presents an opportunity to enhance the quality and image of brand Kerala tourism.
A comment by one of the enthusiastic spectators, Ratheesh, sums up the spirit of the local population and their expectations of an initiative that promises much. “How bad it would be to miss such a wonderful event happening in our backyard!”
kochi@epmltd.com