IF you have ever been spellbound at the sight of colourful canopies hovering amid the Lakeland fells, the chances are you were watching members of the Cumbria Soaring Club.

The network of like-minded enthusiasts meet when the conditions are right to enjoy one of the most exhilarating sports around: paragliding.

Sitting in a harness, supported only by rising thermals entering a fabric ‘wing’, their some 250 members are among those involved in a unique, life-affirming sport.

Whether simply hovering above stunning scenery or getting involved in the burgeoning competitive paragliding scene, there is simply no other sport like it.

Cumbria Soarers, whose routes date back to 1975, go paragliding “whenever the weather’s fine” said club social secretary, Lance Greenhalgh.

The club work with landowners and farmers to enable them to stage their events, which typically involves launching from a fellside in Cumbria, the Dales or The Pennines.

The sport is open to everybody, and CSC itself has members aged from 18-60.

Competitive hand gliding typically involves trying to stay airborne for the longest amount of time.

CSC’s most famous competitive event is the X Lakes, which involves a triangular course between Scafell Pike, Helvellyn and Skiddaw, taking around 10 hours to complete successfully.

To be able to paraglide, you must first go on a British Hand Gliding and Paragliding Association accredited course.

Introductory learn to fly courses cost around £400 and involve around ten days of practical and theory tests.

After that you will need to buy a glider, harness, helmet, flight suit and boots. Items like a GPS navigators and radio are also used for longer journeys.

To get fully set up with all the safety gear can cost around £3,000, but after that initial outlay, Mr Greenhalgh said newcomers to the sport could look forward to having “the time of your life” amid the clouds.

To find out more, visit www.bhpa.co.uk/bhpa/learn-to-fly or check out the Cumbria Soaring Club at www.cumbriasoaringclub.co.uk