A number of holidaymakers at the weekend witnessed a spectacular display of paragliding over the Kwahu Ridge at Atibie.
The event, christened “Ferdinand Ayim/Pepsi Hang and Paragliding Festival”, which has become an annual Easter event, had 19 pilots from countries such as Britain, South Africa, France, Canada, the West Indies and the United States under the leadership of Walter Nasser. Some of them had flown for more than 13 years.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations with sponsorship from Pepsi Cola.
The site for the paragliding exercise has also been named after the sector Minister, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, after consultation with the Kwahu Traditional Council and the Kwahu South District Assembly.
Most of the pilots took off smoothly at the Odwen Anoma Mountain and circled the Kwahu Ridge and Nkawkaw town for about 45 minutes before landing at the Nkawkaw Stadium.
Fee for the aerial cruise was ˘500,000.
All the flights went on smoothly to the delight of holiday-makers except on one occasion when a pilot lost control of the left wing of the apparatus after taking off and fell into the deep valley. He was immediately rescued.
Although the exercise looked scary considering the light nature of the flight equipment, Ms Asi Dzietror, a 23-year-old national service person, mustered courage and flew with Walter Nasser amidst thunderous applause from the holidaymakers.
She later told the Daily Graphic that “It is enjoyable, because I viewed nature properly while in the air.”
Miss Dzietror, who asked people to disabuse their minds of superstition and fear of death from a fall during the flight, said one was safe if one obeyed the instructions of the pilot.
Addressing a mini durbar before the exercise began, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the ministry was doing its best to transform towns on the Kwahu Ridge to be among the best tourist destinations in the country.
The minister paid tribute to the late Ferdinand Ayim, his Special Assistant who died last year in a motor accident, for initiating the festival.
He also commended the former and present district chief executives for Kwahu South, Messrs Raymond Osafo Djan and Nana Onwoana Asante respectively for their support.
Nana Asante pledged the assembly’s support to sustain the festival while Mr Charles Nimako, Managing Director of Pepsi Cola, expressed the company’s happiness to be associated with the festival.
The Abetifihene, Nana Asiedu Agyeman III, who deputised for the Kwahumanhene, Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng, thanked the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations for putting the area on the tourism map.
Earlier, the Editor of the Statesman, Mr Gabby Otchere-Darko, a cousin of the late Ferdinand Ayim, paid tribute to the late Ayim for helping to promote paragliding in the country, although he did not live long to witness the fruits of his labour.
He expressed the hope that entrepreneurs would explore the tourism potential of the Kwahu area to make the ridge the tourism hub of the country because of the green vegetation, cool weather and its beautiful sites.
Story by A Kofoya-Tetteh
& Nana Konadu Agyeman
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