No, I don't speak French. Nevertheless, on a bright Sunday morning, I got onto a bus and found my way to Chamonix. The ride from Geneva was not too bad. I slept through most of it. But when I opened my eyes, I saw the stunning Swiss/French Alps. I remember myself loudly gasping in total awe.
The bus driver was kind enough to use some gestures and explain the direction to the L'Aiguille du Midi cable car station. Below is the spot where I had to meet my paragliding instructor.
I walked around and then finally sat there (at the cable car entrance) waiting for my paragliding instructor. He was running late, but since I didn't have any mobile or internet connection, I had to guess around.
I didn't know what Sean looked like. My anxiety was shooting through the roof, and I hadn't even jumped off the Alps' cliff yet. I kept thinking "I came all the way to Chamonix to jump off a cliff, and now I lost my instructor. Maybe he already took the cable car and is waiting for me up there?!".
After sitting around for some time and raising my head at every person who walked by, Sean finally appeared! He began apologising from afar. He obviously ran a little late. At that moment, it didn't matter. I was about to feel what it is like to fly!
Sean from https://www.fly-chamonix.com/ was absolutely amazing. He managed to make the experience seem flawless. His instructions were clear and he made me feel comfortable throughout the whole flight.
Once we landed, I had time for a quick bite. Since it was a Sunday, most restaurants were closed. I walked into the tiny village for some time and stumbled across a great restaurant with a splendid view of the Alps.
I had to gulp down my pizza and head over to the bus stop. However, being in a rush to catch my bus back to Geneva didn't stop me from taking a pause and taking some pictures of the beautiful Chamonix.
It is also important to note that I really wanted to go to the The Aiguille du Midi Skywalk, "Step into the Void". However, the cable car that reached that point was closed. I was really disappointed, but I remember Sean's words, "you are going to step into the void, quite literally!". Things happen for a reason. For sure, flying over Chamonix was much more exciting than looking down at it from a glass box. Nevertheless, I look forward to experiencing the Skywalk some day!
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