Saint-Hilaire du Touvet
Paragliding site · Isère, near Grenoble
- Launch altitude
- 906 m
- Level
- Intermediate+
- Best season
- April–October
- Landing
- Lumbin
Works on N · NE · E · SE · S · SW · W · NW
Where it is
Saved by 3 pilots
Saint-Hilaire du Touvet is the spiritual home of free flight. Perched on the cliffs of the Chartreuse above the Grésivaudan valley, it every September hosts the Coupe Icare, the largest free-flight festival in the world, when tens of thousands of pilots and spectators fill the plateau. The site's distinctive ramped launch and reliable valley thermals have made it a training ground for generations of French pilots, with a broad landing at Lumbin far below.
Launch & conditions
A famous inclined take-off ramp that accepts a wide range of wind directions. The valley delivers dependable thermals; conditions can become strong on classic summer XC days.
Getting there & local rules
The historic funicular and mountain roads serve the plateau. Fly with awareness of the busy air and respect local briefing, especially around the Coupe Icare period.
Local rules & hazards
Do not climb above 3000m; the ceiling protects the approach to Lyon's international airport. Take care in a south wind, and note that spring conditions near the cliff can turn rough.
Check conditions before you fly
A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Saint-Hilaire du Touvet, 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 Saint-Hilaire du Touvet with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.
Conditions right now
Live — the same sources the OutDare app uses
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Is it usually flyable?
Set your wing's wind range once — the live 7-day outlook and the last 12 months both answer for Saint-Hilaire du Touvet.
Surface wind (10 m) in km/h — the same number you read on any forecast.
The 7-day outlook and the 12-month history below both update to your range.
Local pilots fly this site in 3–20 km/h
7-day wind outlook
High-resolution models — the same OutDare uses.
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Over the last 12 months
92% of days flyable
334 of 365 days had a dry 2-hour+ window in your range, from a direction this site flies
Best month
Jun · 100%
Flyable days by month
A day counts as flyable when the surface wind held in your range, from a direction the site flies, with no rain, for at least 2 hours in a row (08:00–20:00) — from hourly 10 m wind over the last 12 months. A seasonal wind guide only: it can't judge gusts, thermals or turbulence, and never replaces the live forecast, airspace checks and your own judgement.
Nearby flying sites
Site facts from the OutDare flying-site database. Always verify current access and regulations with the local club before flying.