All it takes is a bit of snow and wind to practice this sport. What is needed is the ability to ski, mastery of wing control technique and physical condition. It’s basically a sport for everyone. It seems like an ideal way to spend free time, recommended mainly for those who are bored with “lift” skiing and do not want to practice extreme sports. It can also be a way to move around in wide open spaces, or even to move around in the mountains.

– Paragliding is a combination of two passions: paragliding and skiing. 70% paragliding, 30% skiing. The best pleasure is when the wind reaches a speed of 10-15 m/sec.

– says spiritus movens of this discipline Wacław Kuzło.

Where to start your snowgliding adventure? According to the master, the perfect places are in the Bieszczady Mountains, Ukraine, as well as on the largest plateau in Norway. The first lessons must be prepared with the instructor. It is not enough to know how to fly a paraglider, any more than it is enough to be a good downhill skier. The role of the instructor is to combine these two skills and provide the necessary knowledge of driving technique.

Wacław Kuzło started his adventure in 1996 in the Bieszczady Mountains. And this is how he tells his friend Mariusz Janik, founder of the famous and respected travel agency BIESZCZADER, the birth of paragliding;

– When I was flying a paraglider in the winter, a strong gust of wind knocked me down with the wing and started dragging me on the snow. I went home, found an old paraglider wing, cut a few yards either side, reducing the wing area, and climbed back up the hill. It turned out that thanks to this wing you can not only fly, but also be pulled by the wind caught in the wing chambers – ride not only flat, but also uphill in strong winds!

His discovery infected Mariusz Janik, a ski instructor, who immediately set about discovering the Bieszczady Mountains for a new sport.

– I was infected by it. Almost every day started with checking the weather, wind direction and picking the right hills. I soon discovered that the slopes of Bezmiechowa, on the Rzepedka mountain (708 m.), above Wysoczany and on the vast meadows of Osławica are favorable for the south wind. Biała Góra (597 m.) in Kulaszne turned out to be ideal for east and west winds, for north wind – Stary Łupków, Osławica behind the tracks. We discovered wonderful spaces between Dołżyca and Czystogarb for south and north winds

With each season the practice of paragliding gave him more and more pleasure. – In 2019, on the northern slope of Stary Łupków, I covered a distance of 45 kilometers in 3 hours and 9 minutes. The maximum speed I reached was 71 km/h. And what is interesting, during this test, I climbed faster than I descended – recount. Fascinated by progress, he begins to measure the results obtained. In March 2019, he crossed the magic barrier of 100 kilometers in 5 hours and 54 minutes.

That spring, he decided to discover Ukraine to go paragliding. For the first time, he chooses Mount Stoh (1681 m), the highest peak of Połonina Borżawa (150 km from the Krościenko border to Wołowiec).

– I put on my back the drive used for paragliding and went to Wielki Wierch (1598 m.). I was heading towards Stoh only with the help of a 12 meter wing. I was in love. I have never seen such beautiful winter views even while trekking around Annapurna in the Himalayas

– reports Mariusz Janik.

“It turned out to be the perfect group for any wind direction

Less than a month later (April 1), he returned to Ukrainian Borżawa, this time with Wacław Kuzła. It was then that W. Kuzło broke his previous record by covering the 155 kilometer course in 6 hours and 19 minutes.

The next action, which they called “Snowgliding Expedition Borzhava 2019”, was a great experiment, performed in the composition of: Wacław Kuzło, Mariusz Janik and Paweł Murawski.

– The wind blew at a speed of 15 m/sec. It was possible to ride over the ridges, with a short return flight to the summit. Uphill speed was up to 50 km/h, downhill over 80 km/h. Over time, the wind speed began to increase and driving became dangerous. We had to keep the track about 300 meters below the ridge

– Mr. Janik remembers this extremely successful expedition.

The result of the “Borzhava 2019” expedition was record-breaking. Wacław Kuzło covered a distance of 155 kilometers in 6 hours and 19 minutes, achieving a total of 4,250 meters of elevation gain. Mariusz Janik covered 111 kilometers in 6 hours and 22 minutes, with a length of uphill sections of 2,960 meters. Mariusz Kuzła’s result (155 km) would be a Polish and world record. There were more reports. The other three were directed by Mariusz Janik. These are: covering a distance of 100 kilometers in 3 hours and 13 minutes, the sum of the elevations over a distance of 100 km. – 4,154 m., covering 161 km in 5.10 hours and the sum of ascents over this distance – 6,250 m.

Two Polish records of Podkarpackie champions have been approved by the Records Office. These are: the record for the longest distance traveled – 161 km. in 5h19 and the record for the fastest 100 km (3h15). Will they become world records? It’s hard to say, because it costs over 8,000 to approve a world record. zlotys. If Mariusz Janik, who has four discs, wanted to submit them, he would need about 40,000 zlotys. Hope to companies who would like to finance such an expense for promotional purposes.

Did you like the new winter sport called SNOWGLIDING? Did you know that she is of Polish origin, Bieszczady? Or maybe this post will encourage you to try your hand at space on skis, with the wing above you, where wind power is the driving force? If so, I encourage you to contact the BIESZCZADER travel agency. There you will hear Mariusz Janik: “Paragliding is currently the number one sport I have had the opportunity to encounter in my life…” on the glider in Bezmiechowa and you will see colorful paraglider wings with attached skiers , sliding up and down in the snow, performing spectacular jumps and other stunts, it will be something that can be infected for life. try it!