Laragne north face take off.

North face Laragne.

ASPRES.

The take off and rigging area.

LARAGNE AND ASPRES, SOUTHERN FRANCE.

Laragne is a real mecca for hang glider pilots from all over Europe.

Situated just north of Sisteron and about 80 north of Marseilles, Laragne enjoys a hot dry climate in the summer and a mild winter.

The main flying site is a 2,000 ft spine back ridge which faces north and south. Both sides have similar steep gravel take-offs. The main rigging area is on the south facing slope and has nose hooks fixed into the rock. This is to prevent gliders from being trashed as dust devils can be quite vicious on this ridge. The north take off is not for the faint hearted. It is very steep and soon drops away to a vertical cliff. Once commited you don't get a chance to turn back.

Access to the mountain is by a gravel road which winds its way up the south side. It's usable by ordinary cars but gets a bit lumpy and rough near the top. Watch out for your exhaust pipes.

Camping:
This is the in the landing field in Monteglin just to the east of the ridge and just south of the main town. The farmer is very friendly to hang glider pilots and has been a great host for many years. His cooking skills are widely known and it's worth eating in the restaurant as the meals are hearty, the wine flows freely and the value is unbeatable. I love this place as you can just land in the field near to your tent. Stroll over to the restaurant block and grab a cold beer and just watch all the pilots returning in the evening. It is my idea of bliss.

Directions:
Drive south from Grenoble towards Marseilles and you cant miss it. The road goes right through the middle of the town.

XC potential is very high. Flights have been made in all directions from this site. The day usually starts quite late, sometimes around 4.pm. It doesn't seem to work in the early part of the day here. Don't ask me why. Pilots are often seen coming in to land at 8 pm.

This is another 2,000 ft hill about 12 miles north of Laragne. It faces west and is a favourite if the wind is in this direction. It has a large grassy rigging and take off area suitable for scores of gliders. The road up the back is pretty rough though and 4x4 is recommended unless you really want to trash your car. It takes about an hour to get up this road.

The landing at Aspres is a huge field at the bottom of the hill. You can't miss it. There is access to the field from the road. You can also land on a large circle at the local airfield just to the south of the take off. This circle is easy to see from the air. Beware of sailplanes at this site as there is a club which tows them into the air here. They are very fast and you have to keep a careful watch out for them. Many pilots have taken off from here and flown to the campsite at Laragne. Similarly many flights have been made to here from Laragne.

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