Gliders have landed
Looking for a holiday packed with thrills?
Sri Lanka's first adventure park at Karandagolla Ella promises just that
By Udena R. Attygalle
 Go
to a cliff's edge and jump. The words of a madman: that is, if he is not
a para-gliding enthusiast!
Para-gliding has landed in Sri Lanka at Karandagolla Ella.
Opened a few weeks ago, the island's first adventure park promises to
be an exciting venture. If gliding through the heavens is not for you,
a host of other action packed activities await you. Canoeing on the Kirindi
Oya near-by, mountain climbing, rappelling (walking down the rock face
with a rope) and abseiling (different to rappelling because you come down
the rock in a few leaps) are a few of the options.
If that's not enough, you could spend some time listening to the soothing
sounds of nature along the bird watching trails, or go trekking through
jungle paths .
Run by former paratroopers Major Vijtha Welikala and Col. Jayavi Fernando,
the park includes hotel facilities with 10 cabanas. Most of the employees
are from the local village
The 50 acres of park land adjoining the Ravana-Ella sanctuary is a privately
owned nature reserve recognised by the World Wildlife Fund. Says Major
Vijitha, "Harming the wildlife within the park is not allowed."
They hope both officials and holiday makers will treat this part of our
natural heritage with care.
Inspiration for the park began with Vijitha's father Tudor; a man fond
of the ascetic way of life . He lived in a hut in the jungles off Ella
and this prompted his son to arrange more comfortable accomodation for
him. But in vain, for after a few days Tudor went back to his cottage life.
And so the hotel concept was conceived for the vacant land.
Para-gliding came from the paratrooper background of the two. With ideal
terrain all around and training in India, the idea became a reality. At
present there are three trained para-gliders at the park.
Para-gliding does not fit the normal perception of gliding that most
have, that of gliding with a mini wing structure, (hang gliding).
The 12kg pack , of which the park has four, costs Rs 150,000 each .This
is a very much more mobile device than the cumbersome hang glider . The
longish canopy (the length of which depends on the weight of the pilot)
is made out of strong nylon and has two layers, with space for air between.
The glider also includes a harness for sitting, and rigging ropes for manoeuvring.
Ankle boots are worn so that ankles are not twisted on landing .
The device unlike a parachute can be kept in the air for hours through
deft manoeuvring. As Sugath, one of the pilots said, "It is only at
take off and landing that you even have to sweat. The rest is plain gliding!"
The sport requires a lot of patience as we found out . On Sunday, Col.
Jayavi was unable to take off from the Makaldeniya mountain. The wind was
above the maximum safety limit of 25 knots. The previous day the clouds
got in the way. To many, clouds mean danger to the life of the glider.
Being sucked up along the powerful thermals that they create would be disastrous.
The search for a headwind too didn't prove successful. Being blown along
with a tailwind creates grave difficulty when landing. If the landing site
is overshot then getting ripped apart by the thick forest cover is possible.
But if the necessary precautions are taken gliding becomes the safest
of sports, Major Vijtha said adding: " It's only when you get too
cocky that you fall into trouble."
The treks lead through thick jungle. The trails were marked by former
Wildlife Trust guide Saman Upanandana. On Saturday he led the way as we
trekked through to the Kirindi Oya. Hard as it was for us, for local guide
Kumarasinghe it was simply "the pathway to his house."
Although para-gliding for beginners, and many of the other activities
are yet not available, this park holds much promise for the adventurous
holidaymaker, as well as the discerning nature lover.
You can contact:
*The park: 057- 87263 or 057- 87263
*Adventure Resorts (Pvt) Ltd,
26/3 Hill street,
Dehiwala.
Tel: 732671, 739243
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