Gemona – Mt.Cuarnan

Gemona's Mt. Cuarnan launch, in Italy's Friuli region, is a genuinely serious cross-country site — competitions and world records for both distance and speed have been set here, and pilots regularly fly east into Slovenia toward Kobariški Stol and back, a round trip of around 100 km. Since 2012 a paved track has made the paragliding takeoff easy to reach (the hang gliding ramp launches from a separate spot nearby). Getting up the final stretch of road requires a special permit, so most pilots take the shuttle bus instead rather than trying to drive it themselves; a nearby restaurant, formerly known locally as Bar Stop, serves as the usual meeting point just north of the landing zone, a five-minute walk away. The landing field itself isn't the easiest to pick out visually from the air, so it's worth noting the GPS coordinates before you launch — though there's no shortage of places to put down once you're looking for them. One firm rule: stay out of the Class D airspace that covers the flats below.

Launch & conditions

A paved track installed in 2012 makes the paragliding takeoff easy to reach; the hang gliding ramp launches from a separate spot nearby.

Getting there & local rules

The final stretch of road up requires a special permit, so most pilots take the shuttle bus instead. A restaurant just north of the landing zone (a five-minute walk away, formerly known locally as Bar Stop) is the usual meeting point.

Check conditions before you fly

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