Want to try
something new, tired of having your feet firmly on the ground,
want to see things from higher up........ discover the Courchevel
valley in its three dimensional geometry. For the ultimate
exhilaration, soar above the ski runs in another dimension,
experience the silence, taste the freedom of flying in
perfect safety.
Flights available
daily - weather
permitting and if the conditions allow
0930hrs -
1630hrs
.
Paragliding is
a daytime mountain activity this means it can
only operate when the weather conditions are right for
flying and during ski lift opening and closing times. The
first flight is around 0930hrs allowing time to catch the
first lift in order to get to the departure site on time.
With the last flight around 1630hrs allowing enough time to
get back to Courchevel after the flight has finished or even
later if the flight ends in Courchevel itself.
courchevel > saulire - courchevel >col de la loze
- Courchevel > vizelle
.
Paragliding is
a very popular activity with many different companies
operating not only within Courchevel but also the Three Valleys
as a whole. There are many different takeoff sites that in
turn also have many different landing sites all of which are
very accessible from Courchevel. It is one of the only
activities that Whitetracks cover which is entirely down to
your personal preference that should be based not only on
what you wish to see whilst in the air but ultimately how
long you wish to stay up in the air for!
.
how to get
there FROM MERIBEL
.
Saulire
.
From the Main
Lift area in Courchevel 1850 you will need to travel up
Verdons bubble lift, when at the top you will need to
collect your skis and walk across the snow to the Saulire
Cable car (the large multi person cable car to the top of
the Saulire mountain). To get there you will need to come
out of Verdons lift and head right to a set of doors that
leads you to the Saulire cable car. At the top of the cable
car you will need to put your skis on, this will be where
the Paragliding pilot will meet you.
.
Col de La Loze
.
From the Main
Lift area in Courchevel 1850 you will need to travel up the
Chenus Bubble lift. When at the top you will need to put
your skis on and ski the short distance to the Col de Loze
two man chair lift that you will see in front of you but
slightly to the left as you are putting you skis on. At the
end of the Col de la Loze chair lift again you will need to
ski the short distance to the Paragliding take off site
which is situated between the Roc Tania Restaurant and Loze
chair lift which if you look to the right as you leave the
chair you will see.
.
Vizelle
.
From
Courchevel 1850's main lift area you will need to catch
Verdons cable car (bubble lift). At the top you will need to
collect your skis and walk across the snow to the Vizelle
bubble car which will be directly in front of you. At the
top of the Vizelle bubble you will need to put your skis on,
turn right and ski straight forward as if you were skiing to
Meribel. You will meet the Paragliding pilot just past the
Chalet des Pilotes (the last wooden hut on the right hand
side that might have a
Hang Glider out side).
Hire a
Whitetracks Host to ski with you for
½
or a full day, they will meet you at a pre-prescribed
meeting point at the time requested. They will ski with you
taking you to some of the best snow and runs in the
Courchevel
Valley or even the three valleys and will make sure that you
get to the activity on time. Whitetracks
Host
5 minutes - 20
minutes organisation of equipment and brief
Flying time -
dependant on flight chosen and
conditions
Return time dependant on landing -
will involve lifts
and in some cases skiing
5
minutes handing in equipment
.
You should
arrive to meet the pilot 5-10 minutes before the requested time.
The pilot might keep you waiting but PLEASE do not keep them
waiting. If you need to catch lifts to in order to get to the
meeting point please allow time for lift queues and time to
travel up on the lift.
.
When you
arrive at the takeoff site the pilot will get you set up
with your necessary equipment this will include a helmet and
the all important harness. The pilot will take a few minutes
to help you into the harness making sure that it is all
correctly fitted and comfortable for you. Once you are in
the Harness the pilot will then sort the glider out with the
glider laid out flat and the strings in the correct position
you will then be called over carrying your skis or snowboard
and be told where to stand. From this position it will be
time to put your skis or snowboard on.
.
Once ready the
pilot will then move into position behind you placing their
skis either side of you - one ski to your left and the other
ski to your right. The pilot will then attach your harness
to theirs. When the pilot is ready and the conditions are
right you will both start to edge forward until you both
start to slide down the slope in front of you. Once you have
traveled just a few meters the glider will fill with air,
rise above you both and you will gently lift off the ground
and into the open skies ahead.
.
Vizelle
> suisse chair lift - 100
.
5-10 minute flight traveling over nothing more than rocks,
snow, and ski runs
.
Saulire
> Courchevel 1850 - 120
.
15-20 minute
flight time, this is the best flight if staying in
Courchevel 1850.. This Flight is
perfect for the end of the day 'the Last Flight' as you will
then not need to catch the lift back to the top.
.
Saulire
> bOZEL OR BRIDE LA BAINS - 200
.
40-45 minutes
one of
the longest flight in the Three Valleys. From the top of the Saulire this flight pretty much takes you all the way down
to the valley floor. This flight will take you straight over
the top of Courchevel 1850 getting what is possibly the best birds
eye view of Courchevel available. The extra cost involved in
this flight also includes car transport back up to the
resort once the flight has finished.
.
Col de La Loze
> La praz or col de la loze -
110/120
.
15-20 minute
flight - The scenery on this flight is pretty
spectacular you will travel over snow covered slopes,
mountain restaurants and trees. At the end of the season
March time when
the conditions are right, plenty of thermals, it is possible for
the instructor to land the paraglider at the takeoff site. If
landing in La Praz there are several lifts to catch to get
back up to the top.
When securely strapped
to a qualified instructor and ready to go. You
and your instructor will run, ski or snowboard off a mountain
with nothing more than what looks like a winged parachute - a
glider.
.
To
take-off the pilot will pull the paraglider off the ground, as
it rises, like a large kite, it fills with air to form an
aerodynamic wing. As the airflows over the wing surface - the
necessary lift required for flight is developed and within a few
strides or short skied distance you and the pilot will gently
lift of the ground as you are both launched into the open skies
in front of you.
.
Once
in the sky a paraglider is highly maneuverable - by the subtle
manipulation of the control surfaces situated on the trailing
edge (rear) of the wing.
.
If
there is no lift, the pilot simply glides down safely to a
pre-determined landing spot. However, should the pilot
successfully locate rising air, the paraglider can gain height
and land where it took off!
.
Lift
is found either where wind has been upwardly deflected from the
sides of nearby hills or where air has been heated to produce
rising currents (thermals) and is used for soaring by the flyer.
.
When landing
the pilot will maneuver the glider in a figure of eight
formation and glide in at a 45° angle to the landing site.
Once lined up the pilot will glide in and then when ready
will pull hard on the steering toggles to slow the glider
down as you both touch the ground and land.
epilepsy, fits,
Heart
deficiencies
, Vertebral problems or Pregnant women
.
The
pilots will adapt each flight to the excitement threshold of
each individual passenger.
If
you are confident the pilot may perform some
aerobatics and may even let you take over the
controls during the flight if not just ask.
Every
paragliding pilot doing tandem flights will have their own
harness for the passenger to use. They will make sure that
you are properly in the harness before they attach it to
theirs at the top of the mountain. Each pilot will also
issue you with a helmet in which it is compulsory to wear in
order to take part in the paragliding activity.
Due to the
Paragliding being a daytime mountain activity you should
already be correctly dressed to take part. Unfortunately if
you are on skis you will need to leave your poles at the top
of the mountain at the takeoff point. If you are skiing with
friends and don't wish to come back up the mountain to
collect your poles it is advisable to get a friend to ski
down to the bottom with your poles. If a friend takes your
poles to the bottom you will be free to continue skiing from
where you landed without the need to go back to the takeoff
site this gives you the flexibility to be able to ski
somewhere different for the rest of the day.
Tandem paragliders
are only able to carry one passenger at a time. If there is a
small group of you wishing to take part in the activity at the
same time it is possible for Whitetracks to get a number of
paragliding instructors with their own gliders to take off
simultaneously one after the other meaning that you will all be
in the air at the same time.
Certified
paragliders are rated under a common standard into different
categories according to their stability, maneuverability and
their recovery from unusual flight situations.
.
Generally novice or
standard gliders are very stable and easy to fly, whilst
performance and competition gliders have less inherent
stability, which require more control to fly safely but have superior
performance and feel.
.
Approximately
40 sq. metres of surface area
Weight
range: 140 - 230kg
Tested
to 1.5 tonnes +
Weighs less than 20kg
Can be stored under your bed
Takes minutes to get ready for flight
Packs into 100 litre
rucksack
.
under
certain conditions
.
A
Paraglider can take you as high as 4,470 metres and
As far as 280
kilometers
.
Harness for
passenger
.
The passenger
is firmly strapped to the instructor by means of a harness. The
instructor uses toggle strings to control the direction and
angle of the ascent.
