Hang gliding
We've been in the Gaspé for a week and a single day doesn't go by without our calling hang gliding instructor Patrick Golliot. We talk about weather conditions: temperature, cloud covers and wind speed. All of our attention is turned toward the ups and downs of Mother Nature. I quickly learn why the hang glider's first virtue is patience.
After a few days, we finally head toward Mont Saint-Pierre, the hang-gliding and paragliding paradise. Everyone who has, even once, leaped into the unknown knows this mountain, part of the Chics-Chocs chain. From a height of 450 metres, its sides seem to plunge into the St. Lawrence River. An ideal jumping-off point, it allows beginners not to see what's below their feet. When we reach the top, I stick my neck out, realizing that the beginning hang-glider's biggest handicap is fear of this huge void beyond the edge of the mountain.
Not to brag, but I'm a veteran of approximately 100 parachute jumps, yet I' ve never felt this fear that I feel at the top of Mont Saint-Pierre. Unlike parachuting, hang gliding relies on ascending air currents to stay up, so as soon as you leave the cliff, you start going up. Beginners are always surprised the first time, because they expect to fall! I then realize that the hang gliders, second virtue is trust, trust in her equipment and in her instructor.
Patrick Golliot is a pioneer of hang gliding. «Back when I began, gliders weren't as sophisticated as they are today. Those who dared to fly with only a piece of fabric above their heads were very courageous. When I think of my first jumps, I wonder how I even landed; I should still be stuck in the air today! Born in France, Patrick quickly fell in love with the small village of Mont Saint-Pierre, where almost everyone has tried hang-gliding at least once. Nowadays, it's accessible to anyone. I've even done a tandem jump with a 70-year-old man last year!» says Patrick.
As our discussion goes on, I start to get my courage back. The winds are still too strong for us to jump, so we re imagining our jump. «I think hang-gliding is the closest thing to flying like a bird, because you're hanging horizontally from the harness, instead of being in a sitting position, like when paragliding or parachuting.» Explains Patrick. «For me, it's like a childhood dream come true. In my dreams, there was no sail, but I was gliding and observing the world from that angle. It's completely different to be able to see the Earth from up there.»
Sitting comfortably on the launch area, we listen to Patrick as he describes his best hang-gliding experiences: «I get a lot of satisfaction out of taking people on flights, because they make me feel like every jump is my first. When the winds allow, I take them to the bottom of the mountains so they can see the Chic-Chocs from the best possible angle.»
While Patrick tells us about his adopted land, the sun gradually disappears behind him and the wind continues to howl. I come to the conclusion that the hang-glider's ultimate virtue is his capacity to dream. Because days with good hang-gliding conditions are few and far between during the summer, most hang-gliding enthusiasts spend their days dreaming of their next jump or reliving the last one. «Words cannot describe the experience of flight. You're reduced to words like "Unbelievable!" or "Wow!" That's why, even though I could tell you about it for hours, it's nothing compared with actually doing it and youll have to come back to truly understand!»
We leave Mont Saint-Pierre and head back to Montreal, with nothing but a «rain check.» This missed opportunity is the last of the 52 VIA Adventure Expeditions web-reports throughout the province of Quebec. On the train ride back, a certain sadness overtakes the members of the team, but once again, words fail to describe the feeling. So we ride in silence as we gaze at the Gaspé scenery speeding by our window.
