Piz di Renten (Cima Croce)

Piz di Renten (Cima Croce) is a summer and autumn thermal and soaring site above the Val Calanca in Graubünden, Switzerland, with launch above 2,000 m. On clear days the launch typically sits above the low-level temperature inversion that settles into the valley, part of why the site favors summer and autumn over the colder months. Reaching launch takes a proper hike: from Braggio, above Grono, it's roughly two hours and 1,000 m of ascent on foot, following a partly unofficial path across open alpine grass. The official landing is at Grono, at the shooting range (Stand di Tiro) — land only on the indicated spots there. Because the area sits close to Swiss military training airspace, pilots are expected to check the day's airspace restrictions before flying.

Getting there & local rules

From Grono, take the bus toward Rossa and get off at Arvigo, then ride the cable car up to Braggio. From there it's a roughly two-hour, 1,000 m hike on foot — partly on an unofficial path across open alpine grass — up toward launch.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Piz di Renten (Cima Croce), 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 Piz di Renten (Cima Croce) with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.