Pleiades

Pleiades is a Swiss paragliding launch at about 1,312 m with a wide south-to-northwest wind window, rated for both thermal flying and cross-country. That range of usable directions is a real advantage on a mixed-wind day, giving pilots more flyable hours than a single-aspect launch would. It's built for XC ambitions rather than just short local flights, so expect a site that rewards reading the day's thermal cycle rather than one where every flight looks the same. Landing is at Blonay, in the valley below. As with any Swiss mountain launch, check the current airspace picture before flying — restrictions in this country are layered and change, so don't rely on what you remember from a previous visit to fly here safely.

Local rules & hazards

Swiss airspace is layered and changes — check the current picture before flying rather than relying on an earlier visit.

Check conditions before you fly

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