Flying the Saleve

My sister got married last weekend, so I decided to come early and do some paragliding.

The Saleve is a nice flying spot outside of Swiss Geneva, on the french side. There are four starting areas, and at least three landing areas.

Access to the Saleve is povided by a cable car service, for paragliders it will cost you around 5 bucks.

Right at the top, where the cable car ends, theres take off area #1. A short and sweet take off, with a crop of rocks off to the left. The problem here is mostly the wind direction, as soon as you leave the immidiate start area, there can be side winds...a second wind flag shows wind speed and direction a bit further out from the cropping.

For this starting area, there are two possible landing sites, #1 landing is pretty advanced,located in france, off to the left of the lower cable-car station there is about a 100 m long strip faceing N-S, no wind flag available, however closest to the cable car for reruns.

Landing area #2, on the swiss side, belongs to a local flight school. Very nice landing, two wind flags, and area to support landing from N-E-S-W. The field is divided into two sections for andvanced and beginner pilots. The down side to this landing area = a 10chf landing fee. It is however the closest to public transport to get you back to Geneva.

Starting area #2 is a 15-20 min hike up the ridge. With a short static start you should be in the air, be carefull of this area, it has the most soaring accidents and tree landings due to the irregular shapes of the rock face below and a large indent in rock croppings off to the left (creates a twister like thermic). Landing areas as depicted above.

Starting area #3 can be accesed either by a shuttle service driving up or by taking a @ hour and 1/2 hike. but the conditions here are beautiful. With a wide starting area, a really stable nce updrafts, many a pilot will use the starting area as a soar point. The slowly curving face below acts as a stabiliser for updrafts.

Landing area for #3 is directly below it, on the french side, it allows for a W-E landing, again, no wind flag with high trees blocking your aproche. Also a very dangerous aspect about this landing area is that it is right under a an updraft which creates bad turbulences. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS LANDING AREA, and is possible (with >800m asl) land at the school landing area. You will not be able to see it from the area above and have to go furthur out into the open (away from the updrafts(loose hight)) to be able to spot it. Its on the far right of starting area #3

I learned the hard way, and almost broke some bones on that landing, when the wind just gave out and I droped about 5 m. I survived with a few bruises ;)...painful never the less.

I recomend the Saleve for pretty much beginner pilots such as myself as it has a very stable updraft with no real thermic turbulences. But be carefull about where you land.

Cheers