It seems most of Europe has had the most amazing weather this autumn – we have had temperatures comfortably in the 20s with vivid blue skies, wonderful sunshine and hardly a breath of wind for the past few weeks. Bliss
Adding to the blaze of autumnal colours on show across the mountainside and the bright blue sky, have been the bold coloured wings of parapentes (paragliders). There have been tons of them, swarming around the like a flock of hungry birds. They must have had an incredible view of the valley, Mont-Blanc itself and beyond
Chamonix is well known as the centre for mountain sports and according to many, boasts some of the best flying sites in central Europe, with notably well organized launch and landing areas. They range from 700-2700m in drop and all have access either by cable car or road. Two of the most popular launch sites here are over 3000m, the most dramatic of which is the Aiguille du Midi at 3700m. You experience an 18km flight over a 2700m top to bottom drop with spectacular views over the Vallee Blanche and surrounding glaciers. The other site is slightly further up the valley at Les Grand Montets (a major ski area in winter) and sits at 3200m
From February to late September thermic flying conditions are at their best. During this period the available flight time per day can be unusually long, and unlike other airborne sports it is not always necessary to wait for the conditions to be perfect. The thermals start rising as soon as the sun heats the valley and continue until sunset, often allowing the pilot to stay aloft for many hours at a time
There's a lot more to it than just jumping off a cliff face and gliding down, and pilots spend many hours far nearer to the ground practising their technique and control of the wings. If you head to the large grass clearing behind the Richard Bozon Sports Centre you can sit and watch them do just this as well as coming in to land
There are various companies in Chamonix offering tandem parapente flights as well as complete courses in the sport – Evolution 2 and
Summits are our recommendation, but see our activities listing for more. Clearly it is not the kind of sport you can try out without expert tuition, so if you fancy cruising around the skies of the Chamonix valley, book yourself in with ones of these guys and enjoy the experience of a lifetime
- popular avalanche training sessions based in French Alps as well as translation of current avalanche conditions
PisteHors.com - Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding News in English for the French Alps. Excellent coverage of avalanche safety and advice
Additional snow and weather information provided, with thanks, by meteo.chamonix.com and the Tourist Office
