Parapente... 

By: Rudolf Karner 

I had my parapente with me and wanted to fly down from Citlaltépetl. We were skeptical because the weather looked pretty bad. But this morning, when we got up, we had optimal conditions.  The sky was clear, the moon shined brightly and there wasn't any wind --- the optimal conditions for a good flight. 

We started heading for the peak at 2:30 am, arrived at the peak around 8:30, enjoyed the view, took pictures, and prepared for the flight. My friends helped me with the take- off preparations. It was an optimal experience. We took off right from the top and landed about two kilometers from Tlachichuca. It was a great experience. 

It is actually unusual to not have any wind at this altitude. Usually, you encounter strong winds and you have to be lucky to be able to take off. We were lucky today. It was optimal. There wasn't any wind at all, no turbulences, no upcurrents, a great feeling to fly. 

The hardest part was the ascent to the saddles. It was very icy, and we had problems making it to the top. It was still very dark, and we feared that it would be icy all the way to the peak. Fortunately, beyond the saddles, it was easier to walk, the snow had a good grip, and it was easy to walk. 

At the peak we enjoyed the view. It was fantastic and beautiful. It was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had. 

Parapenting is easy to learn, but you need a lot of experience to fly from peaks like this. You need also skills and be able to judge the wind conditions. This requires good training.