French Alps · Paragliding site
Live seven-day Alpine flying weather with launch direction, altitude and local site information for Thorenc - Col de Bleyne.
Site briefing
Thorenc - Col de Bleyne is a paragliding launch in the French Alps. Its recorded elevation is 1,513 m and its mapped launch aspects are S. Compare the live forecast at launch with winds aloft, gusts, cloud base, rain and daylight before checking current local access and airspace information.
The site record is held by David Dagault for a 257km flight to Megeve on 8th May 1998. Col de Bleyne is a southerly-facing site with a 400m top-to-bottom and excellent XC potential. There are an abundance of big fields to land in both in its own valley, and along the route to Saint André, although in spring and early summer grass is grown as crop, and fields containing it should be avoided. The Montagne de Thorenc is best flown in a light southerly meteo wind direction, although on a good, light-wind day thermals will be drawn up the front regardless. The site is primarily a thermic site, so is most often used in Spring and summer, although people have been known to thermal there above snow-covered fields in winter! Informations from http://www.flyozone.com/site_guide/cdb.asp
alti:1525m Approximately 400m top to bottom. Beware of snagging lines on stones / shrubs on take-off. The wind can switch direction slightly, making launching a little tricky if you catch it at the wrong moment.
From Nice, head east along the A8 and take the Cagnes sur Mer exit. Then either follow the D6 from la Colle sur Loup to Gréolières through the Gorges du Loup, or come through Vence and via Coursegoules on the D236 and then the D2. From Gréolières, take the road to Thorenc and climb up to the Col de Bleyne. At the Col, a track breaks off right and goes all the way to take-off. The take-off you see is CDB1 (for these purposes - not an official name). To get to CDB2 there is a short walk on a path through the trees to the east.
It can be turbulent in a westerly - better to decamp to Lachens.
Be careful, take off is very near the Nice TMA.
Authoritative sources
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Forecasts are planning aids, not safety clearance. Check current observations, official airspace and NOTAM information, local rules and your own experience before every flight.
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