My First Paragliding and Snow Experience at Bir Billing

Don’t you dream of flying high in the sky like the birds, carefree and light? Seeing this big big world shrink right before your eyes? Well, I did and it was a dream come true when I went to Bir Billing , saw Snow for the first time and FINALLY did Paragliding , ticking off two goals from my BucketList.

We started off our journey by taking an overnight bus from Majnu ka Tila in Delhi to Bir, Himachal Pradesh. Luckily, our hotel was just 2 mins away from the Bus Stop and the Bir Market. We were welcomed by this stunning view from our hotel’s terrace with breakfast and some kadak chai. It was very cold as it was February and he locals said that the weather is fickle around that time so there are high chances of rain and that’s exactly what happened.

Talking about Bir, it’s a small village situated in the valleys of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, is Bir and situated at a distance of 14 km is another hamlet, Billing. However, you would find that both these villages are often referred together because of a simple reason. They form India’s best paragliding site and Asia’s second-best paragliding site. Apart from this, Bir is also known for its Tibetan roots and is a great way to experience the Tibetan culture.

Despite being so popular, it’s still untouched and in the natural form of mountain beauty.

After the rain stopped, taking up almost the whole day, we heard traditional Tibetan music playing nearby and saw young girls all dolled up heading to the Tsering Jong Monastery. We got curious to know what’s going on so we headed the same way.

Upon reaching, we saw most people dressed in traditional Tibetan clothes and dancing in circles. It was a happy sight. Everyone was dressed in vibrant colours, singing, dancing, laughing, looking beautiful and so many adorable babies curled up in their mothers’ arms. The special occasion was a wedding and the dance is called ‘Gua-Zhuang’. People send their best wishes and blessings to the couple through their traditional dance and songs.

They said that dancing is an important part of the Tibetan culture. They express gratitude and happiness for the good things in life.

SNOWWWWW!

Bir billing gave me two of my firsts – Paragliding and Seeing Snow. And I fell in love with the snow the moment I saw it. The winds were chilly and the weather cold but my level of excitement and happiness was beyond words. It was as if I’m a kid again – Playing with snow, making snowballs, poking my fingers and making holes (regretted that later when I caught cold ), making snowman and enjoying maggi and chai.

We were lucky enough to experience this twice because it rained the first day we went to billing so we had to go again the next day. Even the second day our car stopped in between when we were just about to reach at the Paragliding spot. We trekked over snow for the rest of the track. But it was such an adventure for us!

AND FINALLY IT’S PARAGLIDING TIME!

Paragliding was an experience of a lifetime which gave us chills with breathtaking views and mixed reactions. We were so excited yet nervous the whole time. We were on two different para gliders, both scared in the beginning but got comfortable very soon and enjoyed the 30 min journey of flying in the air among the clouds, all relaxed and just enjoying the fish eye view of the world below. As it was snow around, at one point we were only surrounded by fog. The pilots were so humble and kept us calm throughout. But they were playing by tilting the glider and turning it all around.

The prices ranges from company to company offering adventure sports. They’re usually priced around Rs. 2000 to Rs. 2500 if you choose to shoot your experience by a GoPro. After the documentation, they tell you the options of reaching Billing, which is a short ride or trek from Bir and the time. The experience is totally WORTH IT!

As it was a short trip of only 3 days, we didn’t even realize the next day that its the last one now. We went to the market first, ate some local cuisine like Thupka and Momos and went for a stroll down the clean road, enjoying the scenic beauty.

We came across this place on the outskirts of Bir after walking for a few minutes. Thousands of bright and colourful flags were tied to trees like this. We asked a local about the significance of these flags and he said that these are called Lung ta and are traditionally hung in high places to catch the wind and believed to spread goodwill and positive energy wherever they go. They don’t carry any mantras to God – which is a common misconception.

Imagine wandering in the woods, among these prayer flags on a sunny day , with monastery on one end and mountains on the other, cattle gazing, dogs playing, away from all the hustle and bustle of city life. All you can hear is the chanting from the monastery and birds chirping. It was one of those happy, beautiful days.

Our last day in Bir, after all the adventure, rain and -4°C in Billing. Everything so fresh and clean with greenery all around. I love peace and silence because there’s a lot of chaos inside me otherwise. And I hardly get time for working on myself back at home. So such things make me happy, feels like a second home, just more serene.

What more you can explore here :

Paragliding isn’t the only adventurous sport Bir has to offer, there’s a lot more to do at this beautiful place. It’s a whole package in itself – Sports, Treks, Camping, visiting the Monasteries, Tea Factor and Garden or just taste the local cuisine. Here’s a list for you:

• Trek to Raj Gundha village – semi-tribal living of the villagers is must-see.
• Camping
• Travel By Toy Train
• Handgliding
• Hanumangarh day hike to the top of valley (11500 feet)
• Check out the Bir Tea Factor
• Palpung Sherabling Monastery, Baijnath
• Tatani hot water spring (28 km of drive and 6 km of trek from Bir)
• Shroll on the Chowgan Tea Gardens
• Tribal Bara Bhangal valley trek (8 Days to Chamba valley from Bir)
• Mountain biking
• Trout fishing, trekking, and a leisure stay at Barot Valley
• Enjoying the Sunset at Landing Site
• Palampur, for the tea estates gardens (29 km from Bir)

Best Time To Visit:

March-May and September-October.

​Paragliding is closed during the rains and and snowfall in winters.

How to Reach :

Traveling to Bir can involve four options: planes, trains, buses or taxis.

Planes: The closest airport to Bir is the Dharamshala airport, which itself is 35–40 kilometers away from Dharamshala. There are flights connecting Delhi to Dharamshala airport from where you can make your onward journey by bus or taxi.

Trains: Take a train to Pathankot and from there take a taxi (5 hours) or bus (8 hours) to Bir. You can also take a toy train from Pathankot (after reaching there by train), which leaves one hour after the train to Pathankot arrives in the morning. It takes about 8 hours, is really slow, but offers stunning views of the Himalayas.

By Bus:  The best option (which we preferred too) would be to take an overnight bus from Kashmiri Gate ISBT to Bir, which is a 12 hour journey.

By Taxi: Taxi is the easiest and the fastest way of getting to Bir, but also the most expensive. The prices vary.

Different types of accommodations are available – Camps, Hostels, Homestays and Hotels , choose whatever suits you. Do carry cash as finding ATM can be a problem here. Network Connectivity is fine.