One With The Elements – Paragliding at NOAH, Ilocos Sur

March 31, 2020July 28, 2021 Rex Lim Lim BLOG, EXTREME ACTIVITIES, ITINERARY, narvacan, noah, TOURIST SPOTS, TRANSIT PINAS, TRAVEL

Reading Time: 9 minutes

Established in 2005, NOAH in Ilocos Sur was a small circle of thrill-seeking explorers would gather here to paraglide on top of Bantay Abot Hill.

“Don’t look to your left or right, just look and walk straight out of this cliff.” – those were the last words Sir Titoy said before we were airborne. “We’re good! Good!” he then added while carefully tugging the network of suspension lines attached to the canopy.

We flew above the imposing Bantay Abot Hill. From that moment, in the hands of a master flyer from Sarangani, I just defied gravity.

Earth – Flirt With Heights

Table of Contents

Coming from Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur, I took another provincial bus bound for Narvacan. It is a neighboring municipality that is just a few kilometers away.

Upon arrival, I first visited the St. Lucy Parish Church then had a quick lunch at a nearby fastfood. Then called in a tricycle to take me to Brgy. Bantay Abot.

Narvacan Outdoor Adventure Hub or NOAH, a unique adventure camp is nestled between the mountain and the sea. Making the place ideal to get close and interact with the four elements and all the terrains Ilocos Sur has to offer.

Established in 2005, NOAH in Ilocos Sur was a small circle of thrill-seeking explorers would gather here to paraglide on top of Bantay Abot Hill. From that moment on, they decided to extend this group to a larger community of adventurers and outdoor junkies alike. Because what would you do when you’ve got a mountain that overlooks a long stretch of beach?

Upon arrival, they handed over a waiver to sign, then they briefed me with the basics of paragliding. From afar, the first full-scale Via Ferrata or the “Iron Path” lays prominently on the 100-meter vertical rock face of the hill.

This is the only kind in the Philippines where adventurers will climb a steep escarpment laid with iron rungs. From the top, one can choose to take the zipline route down. A popular Via Ferrata route is on Mt. Kinabalu in Malaysia.

After a few preparations, Sir Rommel Rea immediately drove the off-road 4×4 vehicle with me sitting on front to the top of Bantay Abot Hill.

The vehicle with the five of us inside took the trails with ease. After some ten minutes of what I call an extreme drive beside the cliff, we were then welcomed by the take-off point. What a way to reach the top!

From there the vast plains of Ilocos Sur was then cut by the shores of Sulvec Beach.

From that point, everything in sight is already exhilarating. Standing at the rocky masses by the cliff, one will already experience the joys of flirting with heights, thus, Earth.

Wind – Has Wings, Will Fly

But flirting with heights does not stop with reaching mountains or any steep inclines and doing some death defying poses. I had been climbing mountains for three years now. In addition, with the paragliding package that I availed from NOAH, this will be the first time that I will be jumping out of the cliff.

Team Taclobo, headed by Sir Titoy Romano and two other Paragliders from Sarangani, arranged the canopy and laid out the suspension lines. They carefully attached everything with the pilot’s harness. On the other hand, they secured my helmet and had me wear another set of harness which will be attached to the master flyer.

Sir Titoy said that wind conditions from the past two days was not suitable for flying. I was very lucky to have experienced quite a decent weather during that afternoon.

Then the expected happened, the wings were spread out as we were about to do the forward launch. He told me to run forward with the wing behind so that the air pressure generated by the forward movement inflates the wing.

(I was just told to run out of the cliff!)

“Don’t look to your left or right, just look and walk straight out of this cliff.” – those were the last words Sir Titoy said that got stuck in my head. I felt the drag of the canopy as it caught wind under its fabric. Instantly, I just knew that we were now airborne after what seemed to be the longest ten seconds of my life.

“We’re good! Good!” he then added while carefully tugging the network of suspension lines attached to the canopy.

However paragliding is also jokingly tagged as “para-waiting” since wind conditions are unpredictable. This air sport relies heavily on the wind conditions of an area.

From that moment on, everything was just pure bliss. My foot left off the ground as we gathered trim speeds, while we were comfortably buckled onto the loose harness. We hovered on top of the hill for several minutes doing some simple maneuvers while enjoying the breathtaking view from the top.

If the view from the top of the mountain is already a feat, wait until you experience the view from above. What has wings, will fly, thus, Wind.

Water – Insatiable Thirst for the Outdoors

The joy of flying off a cliff over Ilocos Sur’s glorious landscape is an experience one should not miss. From the top of the hill, Sir Titoy veered towards the open sea where we again flew for quite a while.

He did some crazy maneuvers in the forms of eight or infinity that I did enjoyed the most. It is like riding the Star Flyer ride in Star City but in an even more extreme way.

Above water, the waves crashed relentlessly along the shores of Bulanos and Bantay Abot. From afar, the small grotto in Sulvec stood out across the Narvacan Port.

But all good things must come to an end, we then prepared for the landing. Sir Titoy told me to jump out of my seat and have my feet ready for the final approach. Our flight path flew on a specific traffic pattern as we steadily lose altitude. We eventually touched the sandy shores of Sulvec Beach.

NOAH, with its location between the mountain and the sea, a wraparound side shore breeze will give rise to water activities such as parasailing, kitesurfing, sailing, cruising on a hobie cat. Insatiable Thirst for the Outdoors, thus, Water.

Fire – Keep it Burning

The 4×4 vehicle circled around the sand making unique patterns as we landed successfully. I could never forget the sound of the engine revving up as they welcomed us after a good flight. From a distance, ATV’s were rented by certain individuals as they zoomed across the sloped sand dunes of Sulvec Beach.

After tidying up, and having some snack at the Arko Restaurant, the whole area came alive as the sun was about to set. Most locals spend their afternoon at the almost barren shores of Narvacan.

The sun was about to set at any moment as I was seated along the sandy shores enjoying the art of doing nothing, alone. Aside from the joys of driving off-road vehicles that makes you one with the elements of Fire, one can also keep that fire burning in their hearts to never stop chasing adventures.

A laidback afternoon filled with one of the most exciting adventure to date. Being one with the elements even for quite a while, is definitely one for the books. The sun blazed across the horizon, drawing bright warm hues, casting streaks of light on its dying breath. The never ending quest for adventure: Keep it burning, thus, Fire.

Surely, Ilocos Sur is starting to become a place known for conserving the past, but also for exploring the thrill of extreme adventures through its natural attractions. Come and visit NOAH!

Continue reading: Vigan City

How To Get There

From Manila, take a bus bound for Vigan, Laoag or Pagudpud. Dominion, Farinas, Partas and RCJ bus plies this routes, hop off at Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, landmark is the Jollibee Store. Fare is around 450php-500php, travel time is 6-7 hours.
If coming from Vigan City, take any provincial bus bound for Candon, La Union or Manila and drop off at Narvacan, fare is around 50-60php per trip, travel time is 30 minutes.
If coming from La Union, take any provincial bus bound for Vigan City or Laoag. Fare starts more or less at 180php from Sto. Tomas or Agoo, and 100php from San Fernando City or San Juan. Travel time is 3-4 hours.

From Jollibee Narvacan, hail any tricycle to take you to Brgy. Bantay Abot, they know where NOAH is. Fare starts at 50php, travel time 10 minutes.

Rates and How to Reserve

You can book their paragliding services through this link: Tandem Paragliding Booking (3000php fixed rate for the Ilocos Sur flysite)
- One can also enjoy paragliding at other Philippine spots managed by the ASAP Group: Carmona in Cavite; Maasim in Saranggani; and Daet in Camarines Norte.

Windsurfing plus lessons (6 hours), P800 for the hobie cat with a pilot and introduction to sailing, P800 for windsurf board rental per hour
Off-road driving (2500php/car/5 persons)
Via Ferrata Trail including the Tyrolean traverse and zipline going back to camp. 800php/person, 300php for zipline only (520 meters)
Accommodation:
- Camping – they have a camping ground at the back of the restaurant and charges 150php for the use of their facilities and toilets.
- Airconditioned Rooms starts at 1500php per night for two persons
Food is served in Arko Restaurant and varies from the Ilocano staples up to pizza and pasta.

Update: Paragliding season ends during monsoon season (May-September) since wind conditions are even more unpredictable. Contact NOAH first before booking a trial flight