THE Skirrid was taken over by hordes of thrill-seekers looking to get a little high and fly away into the big blue yonder on Saturday. 

The same pitch-perfect conditions that created an ideal opportunity to look in wonder through an iPhone at the aurora borealis on Friday night, conspired to manufacture the sort of thermals that a person who likes to strap a big kite to their back and hope for the best, simply cannot refuse. 

Like a swarm of neon-coloured wasps, the paragliders swooped and soared all over the ‘holy mountain.’ 

Although one rambler compared them rather unfavourable to “psychedelic pterodactyls who should stick to the Blorenge for their adrenaline-fueled kicks!” The majority of hikers, foragers, fell runners, dog-walkers, Instagram junkies, drone users, and other lost souls who can be found haunting the Skirrid most weekends, were happy to watch the paragliders live out their Icarus fantasies. 

Pete from Hereford told the Chronicle, “Where I come from it’s a flat as a pancake, so I like to visit Aber and get up the mountains whenever the missus lets me. The Skirrid has always been my fave, but I don’t remember seeing paragliders up here before. They’re no bother and it was fun to watch. I’ve never fancied flying myself, but each to their own. I know people joke about shooting them out of the sky like pheasants but to me that’s just spiteful and ignorant. I’ve got no problem with them. Drones on the other hand are a pet hate of mine and whenever I see one I’ll chuck rocks at it.”