Just fancing how to make most of my holiday, I packed my car trunk with equipment for hiking, paragliding, inline skating and kind of swimming. It's a mystery to me how the Japan car manufacturer managed to satisfy so many different needs ;) Heading southward, I set off from Salzburg, Austria wondering if I reach the Adriatic sea.
Passing through Obertauern, after a steep passage of the road 99, my car deserved at least a short break - an ideal moment to take few snapshots of this famous ski resort. As it was too windy for takeoff with my glider, I just focused on watching the sky - spotting sailplane having fun among the clouds.
Near Villach bunch of gliders hovered over the Ossiacher See - and even ParaglidingMap.com - a superb app for paragliding enthousiast, confirmed favourable flying conditions. The immense advantage of this app: if still in coverage with data plan, one can check regularly updated video cam pictures of the start place, before setting off to the top. Mind that up there in mountains you will have pretty poor signal!
This site is an attractive locality for wind sports throughout the year, but in summer season definitely an irresistable magnet for the best of austrian acro paragliding pilots. Well, even from surrounding countries, where domestic fans of paragliding miss all year round desirable wind conditions, wide angle of take off directions, cable car up to the top or alternative hiking paths and toll road for minibus to pick up stranded pilots in case of sudden change of weather, several maintained landing areas (some more fields and meadows as alternatives).
On this occassion, I might make a humble suggestion for Gerlitzen Kanzelbahn Touristik -operator of the cable car, to include a bit more details about the wind conditions at the base station or possibly direct the webcams on windsack for pilots to make an educated decision about going to the top. I know it sounds contraproductive for your short-term bussines, however, with the volume of paraglider pilots paying you for comfortable transport to the top, we would spread the word about your excellent and honest service - which will retourn in long run - I think...
As I bought equipment for hike&fly - means to walk, hike or climb simply get to some ellevated platform by means of your own body and take off from there, I give credit to Gerlitzen Cable car operator, for splitting up the transport into closed cable car - gondola with end station at Gerlitzen Kanzelhohe - first takeoff place just for experienced pilots near the hotel Alpen Sonne; and open lift to the very top. For those staying several weeks, season ticket comes as a very forthcoming offer. Other option is credit for 6 rides in one direction for 74,- Euro (240 points). As both parts cost the same (20 points), I organised my trip first into ride in the gondola and from middle station, put on trekking poles and hiked uphill along the path just underneath the cable car. Obviously this behaviour was pretty strange for local pilots, as several of them asked me at the landing spot, if it's me, who walked up there by foot :)
The highlight - safe reserve: lake for emergency landing when the glider irrevocably collapses and acro pilot has no more control over their flight device.
Happy flying in austrian Alps
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