How to Prepare for Your Skyout Paragliding Tour - Preparation the key for a paragliding trip to Colombia

Written By Jeff Sinason

Hey there—if you’re gearing up for your first Skyout paragliding tour or still in the process of signing up with us, congratulations! I’m so excited for you. Let me walk you through everything you need to know so you arrive feeling confident, safe, and ready to soak up every moment of flying over Piedechinche, Colombia’s top cross-country paragliding spot.

1. Welcome Aboard

I am just as stoked about paragliding in Piedechinche Colombia as you are. I’m here to help you nail your fitness, gear, travel, and mental prep—so when you finally take off over those Colombian mountain ridges, your only worry is enjoying the ride.

2. What a Skyout Guided Tour Looks Like

Our guided tours in Piedechinche run 7–10 days. Each morning, we gather for a relaxed briefing—checking wind-altitude charts and thermal forecasts. Then we take our own private vehicles with our dedicated drivers to launch.  We work hard to make sure that the time is as relaxed as possible, so that you’ll be able to experience maximum success for the day. Then we launch and you’ll be in the air 3–5 hours, with live coaching via radio or soaring with the coaches alongside you. Evenings are all about debriefs: we pull up your IGC track over dinner, chat about decision points, and set simple goals for tomorrow. You learn fast, but there’s plenty of time to laugh, compare stories, and watch an epic sunset over the valley.

3. Getting Your Body Ready

XC paragliding is a full-body workout. I recommend a four-week prep:

  • Cardio Boost: Three sessions a week of running, cycling, or rowing for 30–45 minutes.

  • Core & Mobility: Daily planks, side-planks, hip openers, and lunges—these keep you comfy in the harness and steady in turbulence.

  • Altitude Warm-Up: If you live below 1 000 m, plan a weekend hike of at least 30 - 45 minutes at 1000m so your lungs know what’s coming.

4. Must-Have Gear (and a Couple Nice Extras)

Packing right means you’re safe, comfortable, and not lugging extra weight:

Essentials

  • Certified harness (with reserve-chute pocket)

  • FAI-approved reserve parachute

  • EN-rated helmet

  • Dedicated vario-GPS or stand-alone variometer. Almost all phones have the capability for filling this role.  

  • Dedicate GPS location device.  Highly recommended is the Garmin InReach.  There are several other options, but my personal experience has proven for this to be the best.

Nice Extras

  • Compact action camera on a chest harness (helmet cams are discouraged)

Clothing: Ground temps often hit 25–35 °C under intense sun, while cloud base climbs to 2 500–3 000 m where it’s noticeably cooler. A light, moisture-wicking shirt plus a wind-block shell are your best bets.

5. Refreshing Key Skills

Before you head to Colombia, run through:

  • Emergency Drills: Practice reserve-deployment until it’s instinct. One important habit to develop is to touch your reserve handle after you’ve hooked in to help develop the muscle memory of where the handle is. 

  • Wing-Control Moves: Big ears, asymmetric-collapse recovery, wing-overs—so you feel centered in every thermal. Make sure you do these maneuvers in a SIV with a skilled instructor.

  • Nav Basics: Enter waypoints, plan legs, and read glide ratios on your vario-GPS.

6. Travel & Logistics in Colombia

🚩 Fly into Cali (CLO): The easiest international gateway for Piedechinche tours.

🚩 Transfers Included: We pick you up from Cali and bring you right to base—no extra booking needed.

🚩 Stay Connected: Grab a local SIM or enable WhatsApp roaming to coordinate ground pickups and weather updates.

Passport & Entry: Fill out Colombia’s Check-Mig e-form before you leave and confirm your insurance covers backcountry rescue and insure you have all required visas

7. Getting Your Head in the Game

Your mindset is half the flight:

  1. Own Your Nerves: Butterflies mean you care—use box breathing (4-4-4-4) during prep to calm your heart rate.

  2. Set Two Goals: One “stretch” goal (like staying in a thermal for 15 minutes) and one “baseline” goal (like nailing a textbook landing).

  3. Visualize It: Spend five minutes each day picturing a good safe day.  Picture a good clean launch with good wing control. Climbs that are controlled and smooth maximizing every climb. And finally a good safe landing with a well planned approach and plenty of margin for whatever may arise..

8. Fueling Your Flight

When you’re chasing thermals, you need steady energy:

  • Breakfast: Oatmeal with nuts or whole-grain toast with egg. Since breakfast is always included with our tours, this is marked off the list very easily.

  • Air Snacks: Energy gels or bite-sized bars in your harness pocket.

  • Hydration: 2–3 L of water per day, plus electrolytes as needed. Stay hydrated at all times.

9. Insider Tips on Piedechinche

Piedechinche is famous for its reliable thermals:

  • Thermal Timing: By 11 AM, ridges kick off lift; valleys funnel afternoon breezes. And the flats in the valley are lined with clouds showing you the way to go.

  • Microclimate Hacks: Watch cloud shadows and sun-lit slopes for the strongest lift. Sometimes the sources of lift can be extremely surprising having the local knowledge of the locations can make the difference between a good day and epic day.

  • Local Wisdom: Chat with Colombian pilots and ground crew for secret spots that have the most potential to expand your day.  Smoother landings, understand the intricacies of landing in the area.  It’ll make your day so much more enjoyable. .

10. After the Landing

Learning continues on the ground:

  1. Stretch & Recover: Ten minutes on hamstrings, hips, and lower back.

  2. Debrief & Improve: Review your IGC track with a coach—celebrate wins and spot tweaks.

  3. Stay Connected: Join Skyout’s virtual calls, challenges, and newsletters to keep growing.

Useful Links on Skyout Insights

Ready to fly smarter, higher, and farther?

✅ Fitness ✔ Gear ✔ Skills ✔ Logistics ✔ Mindset ✔

🔗 Book your guided paragliding tour over Piedechinche at skyoutpg.com/tours

📸 Follow Skyout Insights for more on Colombia paragliding, guided tours, and pilot stories.

See you in the skies!

Jeff


Jeff Sinason
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Skyout Quick Snap: Mental Rehearsal for Peak Performance