Chamonix
Ski in the morning and fly in the afternoon! Chamonix is the alpine sports capital of Europe and its surrounding areas offer some of the best thermal and cross country flying in the World.
Our accommodation is situated twenty minutes from Chamonix town center and only forty five minutes' drive from Geneva airport. Just five minutes away is one of the take- offs which landed people on Mont Blanc in 2003. Our host, Dennis Trott has been living and flying in the Chamonix Valley for more than 14 years and his flying experience and local knowledge in these high Alpine regions is second to none. Dennis acts as our guide providing extensive alpine and weather expertise helping to maximise your flying potential as well as transportation to and from the sites.
Our flying sites of choice for reliability are Plaine Joux and Planpraz. Plaine Joux is located at the southern end of the Chamonix valley, below the spectacular south facing rock face of 'Le Chaine de Fiz' and in the shadow of Mont Blanc to the south. The valley is flat and vast with mountains all around and the sun shines into it nearly all day, leading to extensive thermal production. As a result, Plaine Joux provides ideal conditions both for new pilots to first tackle thermal flying and for experienced pilots to hone their cross- country skills. In the evening the valley tends to fill with warm buoyant air created by the hot daytime sun, leading to very smooth flying with good height gains until the sun sets.
Planpraz is located on the south side of the Brevent, overlooking Chamonix town. This pure thermal site works well when the sun is in the valley, and on good days it is possible to climb 2000m above take-off although 1000m is more usual. For the more experienced pilot, the cross-country potential here is excellent, and all pilots will enjoy the spectacular views of Chamonix town and skiers below you, whilst practicing thermalling and transition skills.
For the less faint of heart is the magnificent Aiguille du Midi. This site is for the more experienced pilots only. It offers an 18km and 2740m top-to-bottom with amazing views over the Mer de Glace and Vallee Blanche.
As a special treat you may get to fly at tranquil Lake Annecy where the surrounding mountains provide magical flights with breathtaking views.
Evenings find pilots reliving the days flying in the comfort of one of the many choice restaurants in and around Chamonix. Energy permitting there are also skiing and paragliding bars where the alcohol flows freely. Chamonix's shops also stay open until late evening.