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Perched at 1,280 m altitude,
the La Forclaz site is world renowned for its beauty and how easy it makes paragliding. Due to its popularity, it's a very busy site. Regulations have been put in place so everyone can enjoy paragliding in the best possible conditions. In summer, during peak attendance, a launch marshal is present to look after the safety of all pilots.
Paragliding conditions
Just like at Planfait, flying conditions are often very good at Col de la Forclaz.
- In a strong northeast or north wind: the Planfait site becomes very turbulent, while flying may still be possible at Col de la Forclaz.
- In a south wind, it's the opposite: the launch's northwest orientation and its higher altitude compared to Planfait make Col de la Forclaz's launch more sensitive to a south wind than the Planfait site.
Thermals are often generous, but the valley breeze is significant. Searching for lift therefore needs to properly account for the terrain's shape and orientation. Favor the west and northwest faces to stay in the breeze's flow. The southeast faces can be generous but are often much more turbulent!
Access to the La Forclaz paragliding launch
From Col de la Forclaz, there are countless flight plans... From a short acro run to a long cross country flight, the possibilities vary depending on conditions.
Direct access has been restricted for a few years now by the Talloires-Montmin town hall to ensure safety and manage access to the site. Since the access road is narrow and winding, a barrier now limits access at the pass. Fellow pilots, you then have 2 options:
- Walking up: about twenty minutes, ideal for a gentle warm up.
- The Doussard taxi-bus, which connects the launch and the landing.
Note: all car parks are now paid from May to November...
The Col de la Forclaz site is also a preferred starting point for the SIV courses we offer (Piloting and Simulated Incidents in Flight courses), as well as for the superb tandem flights we also offer! See for example our Prestige flights, which start from Col de la Forclaz and generally fly over the peaks all the way to Annecy when the weather allows.
