Cross Country (XC) Paragliding Tours in Kenya
Paragliding in Kenya has a long history, but there are still many flying sites to be discovered and new cross country lines to be drawn.
Kerio Valley, on the west bank of Rift Valley, is the most popular place with its out and return World Records. There, you start soaring at sunrise then switch to thermalling and then come back in the evening by soaring. Kerio might be turbulent when strong easterlies are compressed onto the 1000 m high slope. Flying is much smoother when you go to a rounded hill like Kijabe, between Nairobi and Naivasha. There are wonderful convergences which allow you to cross Rift Valley via Mt Longonot volcano crater, up to Narok and the magical Masai Mara. Other classic cross country paragliding routes are circumnavigation of Naivasha lake or out and return to Nakuru. Another good flying playground is Machakos area where you can get lost in the labyrinth of high hills, but don’t worry – there are roads and motorbikes everywhere. A good safari/paragliding combo is Chyulu hills – a beautiful range of grassy volcano hills with craters and the view of mighty Kilimanjaro, just 50 km downwind.