High Desert Hang Gliding

With some effort, this company could definitely be five-​star worthy. The knowledge base and experience level of instruction is stellar, but they could put a little more work into the venue. More on that in a moment.
Hang gliding has always held a powerful allure for me, I started feeling the itch as a kid. I figured the sport must come as close to the act of actual soaring as human kind could ever come, and I wanted to feel it. Thanks to an awesome online coupon offer, I got a chance to taste the Albuquerque summer sky with High Desert Hang Gliding, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Understand that this art/​sport/​hobby isn’t something you can learn overnight and on your first outing you’ll be getting maybe 15 feet of air from a sandy hill in the south valley; you won’t be leaving with camera-​phone footage of your first conversation with a goose. It isn’t glamorous, it’s not easy and skill is going to take commitment mentally, physically and fiscally. But hey, you’re FREAKING HANG GLIDING, eh? Check that puppy off your bucket list.
The instructors at High Desert meet in a vacant field with a somewhat tall bluff. For the better part of four hours – as long as the wind stays calm – you’ll be running, jumping and bounding from the bluff, gaining speed and height with each boogie down the runway. Your equipment is a 52 pound glider about 30 feet in length, a harness, the bike helmet you brought from home and some trusty sneakers. They request you wear jeans should you ever trip and fall, as the scrub brush and fire ants aren’t kind on bare skin. You’re given a pep talk which includes a little trivia and an introduction to the science of air currents, you’ll help assemble the craft, and then you’re off. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll never want to come down.
This company provides a great beginner’s lesson. Should you wish to pursue further, you can simply set up another group session or do a private lesson where you can fly tandem with a pro and learn first-​hand what it takes to be in the big leagues. Albuquerque is an absolutely wonderful locale to be a hang glide enthusiast: the Sandia Mountain crest is a world famous launching spot where people have been known to travel in some instances hundreds of miles east. Mountain ranges throughout the state offer endless possibilities.
Finally, a few tips for the uninitiated. Bring sunscreen, obviously, because it’s hot out there. Bring a ton of cold water and plenty of snack bars, as these giant kites will zap your body and you’ll need to continually revive. The company could really improve the experience by doing a couple of simple things along these lines. If they simply assembled a couple of temporary sun shade tents – one near the parking area, another atop the bluff – they could offer cooling/​resting stations for people who burn out. Two of the people in our group actually had to quit mid-​way through because they couldn’t handle the combination of activity and heat. This company should provide some creature comforts.
Overall, I had a great time and I’m seriously considering taking to the skies again, and soon.