For most adventure seekers it is a leap of faith. Throwing yourself off a mountain and flying through the skies takes guts… This thrilling and nerve wracking sport of paragliding is gaining popularity in Karachi.

It looks scary, but trainers claim it is the safest air sport played in the world with only a 0.2 per cent chance of accident.

For Muhammad Talal, founder of the Karachi Gliding Club (KGC), flying is a passion. "When a person is airborne the only safety net is a parachute. Let’s say in case of an airplane mishap; to save him, he will jump with a parachute at his back. Paragliding is all about maneuvering a parachute to perfection," he says.

First of its kind in the city, the club began operating in 2013. Since then it claims to have trained 500 paragliders in the sport.

For Talal paragliding came as a hobby. He received training in 2003 from abroad, and it took him 10 years to start a commercial venture. "Initially, I felt quite discouraged. There were no mountains in Karachi which is a requirement for the sport," he says.

A group of paragliders began going to Mubarak village, a fishing settlement outside Karachi, which has a few relatively high hilltops. But the land in the area was apportioned for a nuclear power plant and their secrecy became an issue. So, they had to think of other locations.

Now the club takes small groups to Ranikot, a heritage site in rural Sindh, and Gaddani, which is famous for shipbreaking.

There are three main kinds of paragliding being offered in Karachi. The first involves jumping off a mountain cliff with the help of a parachute. The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing. Through the controls in his hand, he can steer the parachute in whichever direction he wants. Despite having no motor on the parachute, a single paragliding trip can last many hours.

The second kind is called para-motoring. It involves a motor attached to the pilot which assists his flying. Pilots using motors do not need to jump off heights. "But para-motoring takes expertise and practice. A simple para-motoring device can weigh up to 30 kilogrammes. It needs skill to lift yourself up with the weight," says Talal.

The third kind is a small two-seater plane attached to a parachute. A trained pilot flies the plane, while a passenger takes a ride. Such rides are being offered by the KGC for Rs1,200 a trip.

The kind of investment which goes in this sport is tremendous. A simple paragliding wing and harness costs about Rs300,000. The one with motor costs Rs700,000 to Rs800,000. As a result, the prices for this sport are high.

A one-day course costs Rs6,500. An advanced course for 10 days costs Rs50,000. At the end of the training, sportsmen are given a certificate.

Most people are scared when they start off. "Some are scared of heights," explains Talal. "But we start off from lower heights."

Once a person overcomes the initial fear of paragliding, it becomes a life changing experience. "It’s relaxing… flying in the air, being able to breathe free," says Salman Khan, a paraglider.

Sarwat Nasim, a mother of two children, not only took the paramotoring course, but also enrolled her children. She believes in raising children who can appreciate nature.

"It’s a good way to promote tourism. Through the KGC one can explore places like the Ranikot Fort and Thar desert, where no one otherwise goes to," says Tooba Fatima.