Reed’s Lookout Paraglider launch

Reed's Lookout is a launch on Mt Buffalo, a large granite mountain in Victoria, and it is unlike most takeoffs in that it is not really a slope at all. It is a series of boulders three to four metres across, lying at around 35 to 40 degrees, with deep fissures between them and a drop-off in front that is sheer wherever low trees do not close it off. The granite is sharp, which is helpful underfoot and unhelpful for your wing: it grips lines and will damage fabric dragged across it. Several launch lines exist and the conditions on the day decide which is the right one. It catches the morning sun and takes the valley breeze, so light early conditions can be the good ones. Access is on foot, and it is a cross-country and hike-in site rather than a casual one.

Launch & conditions

A launch across large granite boulders at roughly 35 to 40 degrees, with deep fissures between them and a sheer drop-off in front where low trees do not close it. The rock is sharp and non-slip, but it catches lines and will damage a wing dragged over it, so keep movement against the rock to a minimum. Several launch options exist — pick the one the conditions call for. It gets the morning sun and takes the valley breeze, so light early conditions can work well.

Getting there & local rules

Leave the car at the Crystal Brook or Cricket Oval sidings and take the path across Crystal Brook Falls, then follow the Big Walk downhill for about fifteen minutes to a signed side path on the right for Reed's Lookout, which comes out at the lookout above the launch area. The site can also be reached by hiking up the Big Walk.

Local rules & hazards

This launch is rated for advanced pilots, and pilots one grade below may fly it only under instructor or safety-officer supervision. It is not suitable for hang gliders.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Reed’s Lookout Paraglider launch, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Reed’s Lookout Paraglider launch with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.