Hovden
Paragliding site · Norway
- Launch altitude
- 1,340 m
- Level
- Ask the local school
- Best season
- year-round
- Landing
- —
Works on NE · E · SE · S · SW · W · NW
Where it is
Hovden launches at about 1,340 m right next to the E6 highway in Norway, with a ski lift and gondola serving the takeoff, and very good launch conditions just a few metres from the lift. The site is flyable year-round with good ridge and thermal conditions, and takes wind from north-east through east, south-east, south, south-west, west and north-west - a wide enough spread for cross-country flying as well as ridge soaring. Landing conditions down by the lift are generally good, though they can occasionally feel a bit turbulent. One condition is worth watching closely: when southerly wind exceeds about 5-6 m/s at the 800 hPa level, wave activity forms over the area, visible as lenticular cloud. A weather station on Storhornet, about 1,550 m and 15 km due west of Hovden, measures wind speed and direction every hour and is a useful live reference before flying. The site is easy to find - the ski lift is visible directly from the E6 main road.
Launch & conditions
The ski lift and gondola serve the takeoff directly, with very good launch conditions just a few metres from the lift. The site is flyable year-round with good ridge and thermal conditions.
Getting there & local rules
The ski lift is visible directly from the E6 main road, making the site easy to find.
Check conditions before you fly
A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Hovden, 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 Hovden 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? The 12-month record
In a typical 12–35 km/h wind range, Hovden offered a flyable window on 272 of 365 days (75%) over the last 12 months. Best month: August (90%).
| January71%22/31 | February79%22/28 | March84%26/31 | April63%19/30 | May71%22/31 | June83%25/30 |
| July87%27/31 | August90%28/31 | September83%25/30 | October68%21/31 | November50%15/30 | December65%20/31 |
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.
Is it usually flyable?
Set your wing's wind range once — the live 7-day outlook and the last 12 months both answer for Hovden.
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.
7-day wind outlook
High-resolution models — the same OutDare uses.
Loading the forecast…
Over the last 12 months
75% of days flyable
272 of 365 days had a dry 2-hour+ window in your range, from a direction this site flies
Best month
Aug · 90%
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.