CO'26 - the plan

 

Lately I've had a long talk via WhatsApp (WA), with Lucho - my Colombian 'fixer' - about details concerning my upcoming trip to Colombia (CO) in January 2026.

But before I continue here I must say a VERY BIG 'thank you' to Andy from Fly with Andy, who put me in contact with Tini Siegl and thus with Lucho, without whose help I would have been stuck organizing this 33 days trip to Colombia with a handful of friends!

Lucho with his long background of organizing trips not only in CO, found a guide (Edinson) for us, suggested, reserved accommodations and generally did a great job ironing out all the details (muchas gracias!!)

We'll start in Cali (CLO), working our way up to Medellin (MED), thereby paragliding all the well and lesser known sites in the Cauca Valley - trying to avoid the crowds in Roldanillo as far as possible ;-) From MDE we'll transfer by plane to Bucamaranga (BGA) to fly BGA and Chichamocha Canyon sites and finally on to Bogota (BOG), where we'll scout the flying areas around Colombia's capital. Not everyone is able to stay for the whole trip, but we all meet in Santa Elena on 7.1. or 8.1.

the 'plan'

more to follow...

Bassano with Flatland Paragliding: Mon - Fri

I'm not giving a day by day acccount, as we have been flying on just 3 different sites: Panettone, Tapetti / da Beppe, Casette.

Weatherwise,the week started with excellent flying conditions which gradually became less good, as the high pressure area grew 'old' and became weak. In the beginning also excellent views, no clouds and haze, which by Friday turned to low cloud base and increasing haze and wind. But it was possible to fly on all days. I made 1 or 2 flights a day, but many flew more (3 or 4 times a day).

Panettone

Panettone

Garden Relais (view from my balcony)

Tapetti / da Beppe

Casette (West)

Autumn in Bassano: Sat, Sun

 After having been unable to fly since late September; I have decided to go to Bassano for about 8 days.

I arrived in Semonzo Friday late evening after a 6.5hrs drive via Vereina-Ofenpass-Münstertal-Vinschgau-Meran-Bolzano-Trento-Levico. Apart from loosing about 15 in Wetzikon (right at the beginning of the drive) everything went smoothly; I have even been able to catch the train in Selfranga (Vereina) with just 5' to spare ;-) I'm staying at 'Garden Relais'; the first 2 days I',m 'on my own', On Sunday kate afternoon Peter and his group from Flatland Paragliding will be arriving and I'll join them until next Friday.

Sat, 8.11. a nice flight here in Bassano, taking off from Tapetti and flying for 1.25hrs. Good thermals (strong at times), but COLD :-(

Sun (9.11.) As next week, we're flying mostly here in Bassano; I have asked Marco to join me for the day and we went 'exploring' Col Visentin, a site near Revine. We met at 1000 at the LZ of Revine, about a 1hr drive from Garden Relais. Here we met 2 Swiss guys and we took them along. Unfortunately the launches at Col Visentin cannot be reached by car: It's approx 3km + a 350m climb from where you have to park the car. The 2 Swiss pilots decided to hike to launch. Marco then took me to the Revine launch, where already some pilots have been waiting for the tailwind to die...

M  Marco helping me setting up

'Pano' over launch from East to NW: Alpi Bellunesi

This is the first time that I have taken along the Insta360 Go ultra. 

The setup during flight needs to be improved...

    over LZ - looking NE: Revine Lago

     LZ

Finally the wind changed and after some more waiting I also manage to launch: real nice conditions with good, smooth thermals up to 1570m; Last time (in September) zhe inversion had been much lower and the thermals not so 'nice'. Landing after about 1.2hrs.

xAlps 2025 - the 'official' video

 

IT - Dolos with Profly -Day 2: Rosengarten (Paolina)

Sat (20.9.) After some discussion, it has been decided to stay closer and go to Paolina.  On the way we stopped a couple of times, as Michael was showing us some landing options. Paolina launch lies 'only' around 65m above the chairlift station, but this has been more than enough for me, especially as many 'steps' have been really high, so I had trouble lifting my weight on one leg... But in the end I also managed to get there. Luckily there has been no rush to get airborne as the conditions have been slow to develop.

LZ briefing

Pano on launch, looking West.

launch - looking N

looking down to launch and chairlift station

I didn't wait too long after the first pilots had launched, as conditions got really nice and the first thermal got me to 1000m over launch in about 10' :-)) As yesterday, the views have been just great.

above launch

'Santnerpass'-hut

Pano looking N (above launch)

Pano looking NE: Val di Fassa (Canazei), Sella, Lagazoi

Marmolada

LZ in Tiers/ St.Cyprian

Even if the LZ looks very long, this doesn't make landing any easier. The whole LZ is sloping slightly downhill (almost as the glide angle of today's gliders) and (normally) into the wind... So one has to start low (!) near the hut to the right of the road cutting through the LZ; you need to be patient and do as many figure-8 turns until your less than 10m above the grass. Then you fly along the main road until you finally slide in for a landing near the hut at the end of the small track... I landed after 1h15'.

Sun (21.9.) I didn't go for another flight; although those who had stayed could fly from 'Kölner' hut , instead I headed home after 3 weeks full of great flights (21 in total; average > 1:05) and great views and memories. The driving ended as it had started on 31.8.: traffic jams...

Landquart...

IT - Dolos with Profly -Day 1: Canazei (Belvedere)

Fri (19.9.) At 1000 a group of 10 Pilots (not all with Leeloos) met at Gudrun's and Michael's office in Tiers for a briefing. It was decided to go to Campitello (Val di Fassa). Here we split: a smaller group (with Gudrun) going to by cable car to Belvedere (less walking); the rest with Michael to Passo Sella. I have been part of the smaller group, but as luck would have it, my pack got a 'ride' to launch :-)) Otherwise I would have had to use another, somewhat lower launch (facing S).

Belvedere

Belvedere: looking W: Langkofel, Rodella (rh side)

over Belvedere: looking  East: Sella -Marmolada

at Langkofel, looking NW towards Schlern, Alpe di Siusi

near Langkofel: looking East: Sella, Rodella/ Marmolada

Sven landing

We had to wait a while until conditions turned on, but then there have been strong thermals, some pilots climbing almost to 4000m (I only got a litte over 3300m). My first 'turnpoint' has been Marmolada, which I could easily reach as thermals at Belevdere got me to 3200m. Interestingly, on the way back, I couldn't find anymore thermals, where they had been just 40' earlier. I barely made it to the South face of Col Rodella. Here I had to scratch quite a while before getting high enough to cross over to the base of Langkofel. More scratching finally got me to 3300m, high enough to fly SW and to try to get over/ around Catinaccio and land in Tiers. But it didn't work out (too late?), so I landed in Campitello after 2:15.

IT -Bassano / Meduno / Revine / Dolada

Tue (16.9.) During breakfast my friend MarcoZ had called me to discuss today's options (we had earlier agreed to spend the next 3 days together) and we decided to meet in Bassano (Semonzo - GardenRelais) at 1130. While riding to launch we checked-out first 'Stella,' but I didn't look fine, so we choose 'Tapetti'. At first cloud base has been rather low, but later it slowly rose to around 1200m. Conditions have been really nice: strongish thermals, but never bumpy. Today I had my longest flight this year so far: 3:10; second is 2:24.

Wed (17.9.) As conditions further East - where I had hoped to fly (Gemona, Lijac) - looked still windy and cloudy, we decided to meet again at 1130 at the LZ Garden Relais. Marco took me all the way up to Panettone for a 2+hr-flight. I had attempted to cross from Anttene-Costalunga to the West (Rubbio), but there the air felt 'weird' and I had lots of sink, so I turned around... As I didn't want to make another flight here at Bassano, we decided to drive to Meduno for a late afternoon flight. (1+hr) :-) and dinner together.

Meduno, looking NW

Meduno (launch)

Thur (18.9.) My last day with Marco. We met at the LZ of Revine, a site I had not flown before. The drive to launch took us about 45'.

Marco

Flying has been rather ardous, as the whole day the inversion could be clearly felt. But the site is well worth a visit: for its wide and nice TO, for its great views (lake and mountains) and its large LZ.

Dolomiti Bellunesi

Passo San Boldo

Revine Lago and LZ

Afterwards I made a flight from Dolada (Alpago); also here the inversion could be clearly felt at 1630m and I have been unable to break it...

launch

preparing...

Pano looking East (TO just visible)

Pano looking S

LZ at Pieve di Alpago(on both sides of road)