Agave Hill

Agave Hill in the Franklin Mountains, just north of El Paso, is rated H/P3 by the Rio Grande Soaring Association — H/P2 pilots may fly it with an instructor present. The 1,622 m launch faces west-southwest through northwest, with direct exposure to a plains-thermal cycle: cool wet irrigated farmland five miles west releases big thermals that drift into the range and combine with ridge lift for some of the most productive soaring in the United States. Winds from 240° up to about 340° all work; jet stream overhead or within 100 miles causes turbulence and gusting in the lower atmosphere and is the main condition to check against before travelling. A GPS is required to know your true ground speed — at slow speeds the direction of drift may not be obvious from feel. Contact El Paso Paragliding or RGSA before flying for the current flight-rule updates.

Launch & conditions

Launch face has some turbulence but no cliffs or obstacles either in front or behind, so bailing out is straightforward. Good lift in front of launch with winds over 12 mph; soaring possible with 5–6 mph if you catch the beginning of a cycle. Do not fly north into the canyon from Agave — winds near the Mundy's Gap vortex are typically stronger than expected. The house thermal is at the north end of the hill just north of Agave Hill.

Getting there & local rules

The specific driving directions come from El Paso Paragliding (elpasoparagliding.com) or the Rio Grande Soaring Association (RGSA.info) — check with them before the day for the current LZ and access details. This is a serious mountain-air soaring site: enjoy the Franklins when the jet stream is not overhead nor within 100 miles.

Local rules & hazards

The jet stream is the key hazard here: when it sits overhead or within about 100 miles, it drives turbulence and gusting down into the lower air. The range flies best when winds aloft are steady and the jet stream is well away.

Check conditions before you fly

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