Abtenau

Abtenau is a launch just 50 m above the Karkogel-Bahn's top station in Salzburg's Tennengau region, workable in wind from north, southwest, west and northwest. After launching, the standard line is to hold about 45° to the right; once you're above a restaurant partway along the ridge, or a bit higher, the route continues on to the Köpfl, where soaring conditions are generally easy to work. One area to actively avoid is the lake to the south — it's reserved for snowmobiles in winter and off-limits to overflight the rest of the time to protect local deer. Landing needs a bit more care than the launch: the main landing field near the Karkogel, on the left past a farmhouse, gets genuinely difficult in thermal turbulence, so many pilots prefer the alternative field used by the local flight school, over in the meadow area marked with a red marker.

Launch & conditions

Launch sits just 50 m above the Karkogel-Bahn's top station; the standard line after launching holds about 45° to the right toward the Köpfl, where soaring is generally easy.

Getting there & local rules

Reached via the Karkogel-Bahn cable car to the top station, a short climb below the takeoff.

Local rules & hazards

Avoid the lake to the south — off-limits to overflight to protect local deer (it's used for snowmobiles in winter). The main landing field near the Karkogel, left past a farmhouse, often gets difficult in thermal turbulence; many pilots use the alternative field at the local flight school instead, marked with a red marker in the meadow.

Check conditions before you fly

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