Winter Paragliding: 4 Sites and Preparation Tips

Gone are the days of flying in shorts and a t-shirt, dreaming of endless sunset flights. Time for a snow white landscape and winter's calm.Discover with us a few sites and tips for winter flying, and how to make the most of it.

Where should you fly in winter?

Winter paragliding isn't just about weather conditions. Flying hours are often limited due to shorter days, and every minute of flight counts. It's therefore important to choose your site carefully to make the most of it.

Le Grand-Bornand:

One of the region's best spots for winter flying, Mont Lachat offers excellent opportunities to start out and progress amid the grand panorama of Le Grand Bornand and the Aravis.

The launch is at the top of Mont Lachat, at an altitude of 2,100 meters. The main orientation is SW, facing the valley breeze, the NE launch not being authorized in winter. Access is via the Rosay gondola (10min), then the Lachat chairlift (7min).

The Les Potais landing is located in the Bouchet valley. The approach is a left-hand circuit in an upslope breeze and right-hand in a downslope breeze. Downwind leg on the tree side, and watch out for the chalets on final! You can easily get 15 minutes of flight.

Return to the village and the gondola by shuttle or hitchhiking.

Link to the club's page: Le Grand Bornand

Les Saisies:

A lovely spot between the Beaufortain and Aravis ranges, with a magnificent view of the Mont Blanc massif. The Mont Bisanne launch faces south. Take the ski lift from the village, then a 100m walk at the top to reach the launch. The landing is in the valley at Beaufort sur Doron, offering 20/25 minutes of flight. It's also possible to land at the bottom of the slopes next to the ski lift, but the flight is much shorter, 5/7 minutes.Link to the club's page: Les Saisies

Chamonix:

A playground for every mountain sport, Chamonix is a free flying site much loved by beginners and acro pilots alike in winter.

The Plan Praz launch, reached via the Chamonix-Plan Praz gondola, facing south and northeast, is an interesting site since it offers 1,000m of elevation with an incredible view over the valley's high mountains. The Bois du Bouchet landing is 500m to the left past the sports center (north of downtown). Access: by car, from Chamonix. At the Mont-Blanc roundabout, head toward Argentière.Link to the site's page: Chamonix

Planfait:

Near Annecy, this free flying site at 960m altitude is set up for the greatest enjoyment of paragliding pilots.

The launch is easily accessible:– By car: follow the Col de la Forclaz road, then once you reach Vérel, turn left toward the AcroAventure park. You'll arrive at a natural site, deep in the forest, watched over by the Dents de Lanfon. A quiet car park, a snack bar, a prep area for your gear, and a set-up launch (turf, windsocks...), all that's left to do is fly!– On foot: for the sportier types, a trail from the landing zone gets you there in about 35 minutes. Come see us at the shop, we'll show you the way...Link to the site's page: PlanfaitSo we've discovered 4 sites that all allow winter flying in excellent conditions. But before taking off, let's go over an important point together: preparation!

How do you prepare?

Winter paragliding enthusiasts know that preparation is key. Thick thermal suits, insulated gloves, and face protection are all essential items for facing freezing temperatures at altitude.

Hands:

The most exposed area, the one that cools down fastest and yet one of the most important, is your link to the paraglider.Who hasn't cut a flight short because of freezing cold hands, and who hasn't known the pain that follows on landing as they warm back up?You need to gear up with warm, windproof gloves, but many pilots don't like bulky gloves. Indeed, gripping the brakes and losing sensation can be issues.There are several solutions for wearing thinner gloves (but still warm and windproof, not summer gloves) while keeping your hands warm:- Mitts that fit over the brake handles and gloves, letting you pilot from inside the mitt, help keep your hands warm and shielded from the wind. But they're not very practical, you'll need to get used to them during prep and flight.- Hand warmers go inside the gloves and release heat that counters the wind's effect and the gloves cooling down. Fairly practical and effective, but a pair of hand warmers per flight can quickly get expensive, and it's not the most eco-friendly solution.- Heated gloves are an interesting solution for pilots who aren't bothered by bulky gloves. A heating element warms the inside of the glove. Just remember to charge them before every flight.

Face:

The effect of cold on your face isn't pleasant while flying. To be as protected as possible and make the most of your flight, we recommend wearing a Buff or even a balaclava to protect your head under the helmet, and above all your neck, mouth, and nose if you feel the cold easily.[products category="111" columns="2" limit="2"]

All neck warmers

To protect your eyes, ski goggles can be a good solution. They offer good protection against the wind and sunlight. There are also helmets with a visor, or full-face helmets.

Body:

To stay warm, you need to retain and make use of your body's natural heat. To do this, you need to wear breathable clothing that still offers good insulation. Our advice is to follow the 3-layer rule.The first layer should act as a second skin, it should be breathable and wick away sweat to stay dry.The second layer provides thermal protection and should let you retain all your body heat.The third layer protects you from the outside elements, in our case the wind.You can also add a base layer under your pants ;-)To fly in winter in low temperature conditions, but also in spring when climbing to altitude, we can choose to fly in a pod harness, which offers extra comfort and protection against cold air and the relative wind. To discover this type of harness, we recommend coming to see us at the shop to discuss it together.Lastly, paragliding is a sport that can be practiced year round, offering different sensations and styles of flying. We live in a region where winter flying becomes a real pleasure. It would be a shame to deprive yourself of these suspended moments in the calm of winter. So we'll see you at a snowy launch.