Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012/13 Preview

VOLUME 2

IDE TRAVEL GU2012/13

The Perfect PLACE

25 brilliant flying sites around the world EUROPE - NORTH AMERICA - SOUTH AMERICA - AFRICA - ASIA - AUSTRALASIA

art

the of knowing where to go

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GO FURTHER.

elcome to the second issue of the Cross Country International Travel Guide – your inside track to some of the best free flight sites around the world. From Mexico to Morocco and from Italy to India we’ve talked to the people on the ground, flown most of them ourselves, and worked hard to make this a guide that you can count on.

Some of the sites you’ll know, others might be new. One thing connects them all, and that’s their promise of beautiful flying in stunning locations. Some offer shuttle buses or cable cars to launch, others dusty tracks and a step into the unknown – but they all serve up an awesome day’s flying.

Wherever you might be heading, from a long weekend to a trip around the world, enjoy the guide. Send us a postcard or post a photo on our Facebook page – we’d love to hear what you’ve been up to.

See you in the air!

The Cross Country Team www.xcmag.com Thanks To Martin Romero Garayzabal (Argentina), Gavin Zahner (Australia), Flor Martínez Villada (Spain), Basilio Silva (Spain), Sabine Duvivier (China), Heniu Dyduch (China), Shi Yuming (China), Gudrun Öchsl (Italy), Kelly Farina (Italy & Slovenia), Charlie Piccolo (France), Davis Straub (USA), Ricker Goldsborough (USA), Mirjam Hampel (Germany), Burkhard Martens (Germany), Astrid Rao (India), Roger P. Frey (Spain), Till Gottbrath (Germany), Pierre Verrier (Morocco), Ali ES (Turkey), Mark Hardman (New Zealand), Bryan Moore (New Zealand), Kat West (New Zealand), Orlin Dimov (Bulgaria), Petar Gavrilov (Bulgaria), Frode Fester (Norway), Josh Morell (USA), Norm Young (USA), Sam Crocker (USA), Donato Fitch (USA), Nick Greece (USA), Jonathan Dietrich (USA) , Salvador Lara (Mexico) The Travel Guide Team On the captain’s bridge: Ed Ewing At the wheel: Anthony Green In the engine room: Marcus King Selling the tickets: Verity Sowden Looking for icebergs: Charlie King

The SMALL PRINT Cross Country Travel Guide is published by Cross Country International and distributed in the US by DSW, 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA. 17318-0437.

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COVER PHOTO - Col de Rodello. Photo: Gudrun Öschl THIS PAGE Photos: Marcus King & Fredrik Gustafsson Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

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CONTENTS 3

Editorial

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Contents

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Kamshet, India

10 Wanaka, New Zealand 14 Zaachila and Fortin de las Flores, Mexico 18 Bright, Australia 22 Marshall, USA 26 Dune de Pyla, France 30 Garmisch, Austria 34 Flight parks, Florida 38 Lake Garda, Italy 42 Tolmin, Slovenia 46 El Yelmo, Spain 50 Mayrhofen, Austria 54 Woodrat, USA 58 Voss, Norway 62 Sopot, Bulgaria 66 Cervinia, Italy 70 Castejon de Sos, Spain 74 Pamukkale, Turkey 78 Gréolières, France 82 Col Rodella, Italy 86 Nid d’Aigle, Morocco 90 Taining, China 94 Traslasierra, Argentina 98 La Palma, Canary Islands 102 Travel Guide Directory

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Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

Somewhere, someone is flying. Photo: J茅r么me Maupoint.

Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

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JANUARY

INDIA

KAMSHET

High over Shelar. Photo: David Obura

THE LURE Escape the northern winter and migrate to southwest India for a magical experience, both in the air and on the ground. Fly in T-shirts and shorts on easy soaring days or buckle up and go exploring on XC when the thermals kick in.

The flying scene is vibrant and welcoming and offers a slice of colourful, unpackaged village India far from any tourist trail.

THE SET UP The Western Ghats is a mountain range that runs along the western side of India. Kamshet is a small town in the Sayhadris, as the Ghats are called here, about 100km east of Mumbai. It’s a rural landscape dotted with lakes, sweeping hills and black cliffs.

Sanjay and Astrid Rao pioneered paragliding here in the 1990s and now run Nirvana Adventures. It’s now a training capital of India: lots of people from Mumbai or Pune come here to learn. For qualified pilots the flying is smooth and easy, with afternoon winds picking up to offer hours of soaring. XC pilots can pick their way around the hills, or head off on an adventure.

There are two main sites, 10km apart. Tower Hill faces east and works in winter (November to February) while Shelar faces

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west and works from January to May. June to September is monsoon.

Most pilots hook up with one of the handful of established paragliding guesthouses. They offer more than just a pilot package of food, transport and guiding – you will be embraced into the local scene and become very much part of the Kamshet flying world for a little while.

FLYING CONDITIONS In winter the east wind builds during the morning and drops towards dusk. Pilots typically fly Tower Hill at 10am and then later in the afternoon, top landing easily to wait out the stronger winds of midday. Later in the season there is more thermic flying and the wind turns west: pilots walk across the flat, grass-topped Tower Hill and fly the west face.

In summer, mornings are too strong so most flying happens later in mellower conditions.

Restitution kicks in most days and there is lift everywhere – flying continues until sunset. It’s a perfect place for pilots keen to clock up airtime and develop their skills.

For pilots keen to break the mould you can take off in the morning and go XC across an agricultural landscape dotted with lakes, hillsides and black cliffs. A day’s journey away and 100km as the crow flies is Panchgani, which offers greater XC potential. Taken together the two sites make a perfect twoweek trip.

Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

THE DETAILS WHEN TO GO Tower Hill: November to February Shelar: March to May ALTITUDE Tower Hill: 857m / 617m landing Shelar: 720m / 640m Cloudbase: 1,800m, 3,000m possible HANG GLIDER ACCESS Possible. Manpower can be arranged to carry the glider to take off.

MUST BE FLOWN Magic hour on Tower Hill at sunset is beautiful.

Small classic routes exist: 10km from Tower Hill back to Nirvana’s guesthouse Native Place, or the 4km glide from Shelar to the same.

More adventurous XCs are possible: pilots have flown across the Ghats to Karjat and elsewhere.

Landing out is no problem and there is always a bus or rickshaw to jump on for retrieve.

WATCH OUT FOR The sites are below the Mumbai to Pune flightpath and planes pass at 1,800m.

Watch for rotor if flying the west face of Tower Hill in a southwest wind.

Street life.

Photos: Fredrik Gustafsson

In strong winds there is venturi to the left of takeoff on Shelar – a classic trap for unsuspecting pilots.

ACCOMMODATION You can stay in the hill stations of Lonavala and Khandala 30km away but most pilots stay closer to Kamshet. Native Place Guesthouse run by Astrid and Sanjay Rao is a friendly guesthouse with a tropical garden – pick your own papaya for breakfast – views over the lake, excellent food, a great ambience and good company. Choose from private rooms, the bunkhouse or tents.

Fred Gustafsson soars Tower Hill. Photo: Jonna Sture

Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

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May

INDIA

T HE MS KA France

Chamonix TAKE THE FAMILY AND RAINY DAYS Chill in a hammock, swim in the lake, birdwatch, walk in the hills, visit 2,000-year-old Buddhist caves or sharpen your bargaining skills in the market. Pune is an hour away if you want to explore ashrams or go shopping.

WEATHER INFO Locals boast an average of 10 non-flyable days in an eight-month season. Weather at meteoblue.com (search Kamshet) or www.imd.gov.in.

GETTING THERE If staying at Native Place or similar fly to Mumbai and arrange an airport pick-up in advance to whisk you the three hours to Kamshet. If taking the bus from Mumbai head for Pune, but ask to be dropped off at the Rangoli restaurant on the highway near Kamshet. This is the pilot meeting place; you will need to arrange pick-up from there. Kamshet also has a train station.

USEFUL CONTACTS Nirvana Adventures: www.flynirvana.com Native Place Guesthouse: www.nativeplace.com Temple Pilots: www.templepilots.com Indus Paragliding: www.indusparagliding.com Paragliding Mantra: www.paraglidingmantra.com

Local flora. Photo: Fredrik Gustafsson

Sunset on Tower Hill. Photo: Fredrik Gustafsson

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Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

January days are 26째C and blue skies. Photo: Fredrik Gustafsson

THAT WAS JUST A PREVIEW MARCH

MAY

OCTOBER

MAY

AUGUST

ITALY

Col Rodella

SLOVENIA

Tolmin ITALY T IGH BR LAKE GARDA

AUSTRALIA THE LURE

Known as a town for all seasons and with tree-lined streets that provide summer shade and brilliant colours every day, Bright is the site to banish SAD syndrome and give your year the perfect kickstart. It’s one of Australia’s best and most easily accessible flying sites: the house thermals Marcus and Emily will almost always send you off on any number of interesting XC routes.

THE SET UP

In the heart of the Australian alpine region only three hours north of Melbourne Bright is a small resort town. Fifteen minutes away is the launch of Mystic, probably Australia’s most accessible launch. Mystic faces north (remember you are in the southern hemisphere) in a north/south valley, so the valley wind is always up the face. After climbing out on one of the house thermals you

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THE LURE

Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

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well maintained with good windsocks, clear noticeboards and local club members often on hand. To help keep everything nice, site fees of €3 or €4 are applied on some sites, with weekly and seasonal passes available. In case of emergency, mountain rescue is free in Slovenia.

THE LURE

Flying the huge vertical cliffs of the 3,343m Marmolada, better known as the Queen of the Dolomites.

Bulgaria

Sopot

FLYING CONDITIONS starts in late March or early April season TheTHE LURE and when

winterofsnowfall ontown depending Sopot nestles at the foot The small goes through season open. The tracks the of Planina, the of Stara slopes the southern can The June sometimes to September, Balkans. in the rangelater. longest mountain but it becomes stable,crossing be quite sometimes Bulgaria from for 560km, range runs this is Sea. August late Julyalland again border unstable to the– Black way the in its western have been records world of the majority when is in the middle. Apart from the main Sopot set.ridge the surroundings are flatlands so there or to never air in Slovenia The air traffic littlerough andthat offer, flying on is is varied most byout enjoyed and pleasant rowdy and 100km days, goodare with. Onflights contend pilot. of levels returns and triangles are regularly flown.

Forty minutes further south pilots can enjoy thermalling all year round at a site called Lijak. regularly a 35km part of It is THE UP ridge where pilots SET the of month every flights OLC 100km up clock capital Sopot is 140km east of Bulgaria’s getaways.

March or of February for 60km Greatand year! the country’s Plovdiv, north Sofia, second city and its cultural heart. Both cities have international airports and Sopot can be

Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

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Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

Take off at Langkofel, a quiet alternative close to Col Rodella.

All photos: Gudrun Öchsl / profly-images.org

Green valleys and forested hills are typical of Slovenia.

Photo: Marko Wramen

This is the Julian Alps: smaller than the and still very French Alps but still mountainous Garda is perfect for SIV training.

Climbing out above Mount Buffalo. Photo: Bill Oates Gudrun Öchsl beautiful. Flying XC is easy and reliable Photos:here, but don’t be fooled into thinking it is only for can fly any way you wish, or wherever the wind beginners. Slovenia holds a major share of the blows you. Landing fields and roads in every records on offer, particularly in out and world line between thin200km on the sittingpilots retrieves and hitching easy and the townwhen make small valley flying into Italy cover LURE THE return the of one is difficult.

This very never mountains. is Bright vertical to and back water journey both Pull your A’s, grab that stabilo line, put and back. by maintained andand is leased road access major gateways into the Alps and is famous The hold, hold, you butt under brakes your flying–pass a Mystic sobeen clubhas flying for its wind. The super consistent Belair and the local inspiring and must terrifying Garda hold... site. Pilots can been blowing windsurfers and haveUP windsSET Ora THE be purchased years. using this – pilots forbefore for lake the across and forth back boats sailing get one at www.nevhgc.net. famous most the is The Tolmin/Kobarid valley many pilots attempting to Unfortunately, ages. arena in Slovenia and encompasses a THE SET UP flying postage-stamp landing man-made on the of landsection FLYING at 1,700m above one of Italy’s great the world record route. The launches SittingCONDITIONS by near the lake into and pushed thermic conditions been alsoStol, have andis summer zoneare Spring seemingly Kobala, mountainare Kobarid, near a giant, grass-top called lakes cloudbase with manageable very winds. but these strong – valley. pilots east/west paraglider the for of end Nature other Mother the by at built Tolmin, west winds Narrow 2,500m. offtoworks above take ‘south’ high, usually The relatively the Italians.

Baldo by in season.

Monte launchwith named run buses and cleverly Shuttle the from and footscenic for beginner minutes easy even 10one than is transitions lessvalley makeair, and isThe valleys of a lake, the security most of the by 1,200m above In calm windsock is aitsbig suited to big There is well The region of the cableincar. top memorable XC pilots. that have flowing gently manoeuvres with all the Europe pilots practise to use flying.atWith but feel the zone, competition and indicating triangles this site. It is retrieve road a good to sweat and free palms task the centre caused always river down The issues sites airspace training for launching. noacrobatic and grassy wholeside. the either no coastal the Dolomites to the and can see Youridge the best SIV one of influences the and isis at a first XC place east is for is the Bright ‘north’ nearby boat dominated a relaxing forfor the region butwinds also great butperfect day, world, on aoffclear in the westtake comps, ridge. It is a little to many thenorth. endtoofthe been also northern and has extreme flightaround and truly options landing tophome easy Triglav with by 3,000m quality golf course to the Paragliding World Cup. but still local events bit steeper fromstunning and are grassy landings andhas views.

Launches grass. To get back to the lake make a quick The landing zone and cable car depart is left after take off. halfway up Lago di Garda at Malcesine, a

THE SET UP

The town of Campitello di Fassa sits at the northern end of the Val di Fassa in the heart of the Dolomites. From here four ideal grassy launches is aCol Take offsite, either.obvious train from orreach. by bus reached The most easy are within grassy slope with a chairlift from and south-facing, Rodella, has launches to the north, southeast and carbypark, landing area thesouthwest. than 10 lessabout car inare cablewhich Reached of Sopot. kilometres twominutes di Fassa, Col Rodella is Campitello fromoutside the starting point for some of the most scenic flying in the Alps.

FLYING CONDITIONS Big XCs are possible from here, April for that. in come strong verymost Flying conditions arebut don’t m/s thermals.

5-6pilots and May, with more than flock here for Instead are thunderstorms Overdevelopment and sightseeing, knowing aerial are milder and common in May. Conditions sharp skills are required to to in the from June good safely. smoother but still very Buses navigate ridge entire August, and with south easy. retrieve make the valleywinds be works very well. LateInautumn car closes cable can thewinter Octoberand the rightand on but common, stable with inversions Lokomotive and pilots head to and cold air of sunshine days the combination Pass. the Sella unleashes the area’s potential for some great flying. winter cross country

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FLYING CONDITIONS

The site is normally above the inversions that plague other alpine areas in the autumn. Its elevation also leads to its strong convection, producing anything from mellow to thermonuclear thermals. In spring and summer it can be pretty violent and is only for the brave and very experienced alpine pilots. September and October offer more relaxed and less intense flying with 2-6+m/s climbs.

The general Fassa valley flow runs from south to north and can be intuitively used to get out from nowhere low down. Pilots who understand valley winds and the Alps will revel in the flying here. On the other side of the coin pilots relying on the passive safety of their gliders may feel uncomfortable at the strongest time of day. So choose your launch time carefully and be honest about your skill level.

On stable days thermals will be close in to the steep, impressive rock walls. But on classic unstable days triggers lower down work, meaning you can fly here without getting too up close and personal with the cliffs.

Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

Cross Country Magazine Travel Guide 2012 / www.xcmag.com

“It’s a must-have for every pilot.”

The full 100 page 2012/13 Travel Guide from Cross Country magazine features in-depth guides to 24 of the best flying sites around the world including the Alps, the USA, South America, Mexico, Australasia and Asia.

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