Tips for hike and fly in winter

Unless a route for snowshoers or winter hikers is explicitly signposted, you should not ascend the pistes outside of operating hours, as they are groomed both in the evening and in the morning. Not only is there a risk of being overlooked by a snow groomer, but in steep terrain there is a particular risk from the winch to whose steel cable the snow groomer is attached.

If the glider starts to slide in the snow, small pins like those used by golfers for their tee shot can help - or even simple branches or, if necessary, long shashlik skewers. Many modern gliders (Bantam, Pi3...) have eyelets on the leading edge so that the glider can be fixed in the snow.

Soaring flights should be avoided, especially in less frequented areas, as a paraglider triggers the flight instinct in wild animals. The animals lose valuable reserves that are vital for the winter.

After longer periods of good weather, we recommend using grödel so that you can also climb up icy tracks and toboggan runs in a relaxed manner. If you're worried about frozen fingers when flying, take a look at heated gloves - they are powered by small battery packs and heat each finger individually - they're worth their weight in gold!

An unproblematic ascent via the toboggan run awaits you here. The first starting point is halfway to the summit at the middle station and faces east. If you still have motivation, you can hike to the summit of the Weiherkopf (summit station of the chairlift) - the south-west starting point is also open in winter. It is located at the start of the variant descent and requires consideration for skiers. The north launch site at the summit of the Weiherkopf and the "Knobel" launch site (slightly below the summit next to the chairlift) are closed in winter! You can land at the minigolf course (at the end of the village to the north-east), where there is also a car park from which you can easily set off.

The ascent is normally from the village of "Ettensberg". A car park (for a voluntary donation) is located directly at the landing site at the former "Tanne" inn. The ascent via the Bildkapelle chapel is usually groomed and, after a few days of good weather, well trodden. There are launch sites to the south, north-east and west, although the west launch site is not used very often, so you may have difficulties launching due to the snow. The south launch site is partially levelled, while the north-east launch site is located directly on the gravel terrace of the runway or slightly below it if the snow conditions allow.

The classic! Of course, there are also ascent routes to the main spots in Bassano - but it gets more lonely in the neighbourhood! A wonderfully varied ascent, for example, is the one near Rubbio, which leads to a large launch site (south). It's similarly tranquil (at least on the ascent) in Meduno, where the ascent routes lead directly from the landing site to the various launch sites and are particularly scenic. In winter, Feltre is even more secluded than Meduno - the ascent from the landing site first leads through the sleepy village and then up the slope on sensationally beautiful paths.

If you are longing for a T-shirt and Rioja, you should check the flight connections to Malaga! In 1.5 hours by hire car from there you can be in the small flying village of "Algodonales", which is completely geared towards the needs of paraglider pilots. The local mountain "Levante" can be hiked directly from the village (launch sites to the south, north and north-west) and all the other surrounding launch sites can usually be reached via surprisingly beautiful hiking trails. If you don't want to hire a car, you can make use of the infrastructure provided by the German Gerhard Ganter - he offers a pick-up service from the airport to Algodonales, accommodation and shuttles to the launch sites.