Messnerin Startplatz 1

Messnerin Startplatz 1 is a walk-and-fly site in Austria near Oberort, launching northwest from around 1,798 m. There's no lift here — reaching the launch on the plateau below the summit takes a multi-hour climb, so this is one for pilots who don't mind earning the flight before they take it. The payoff is real: on good days the thermals are reliable, and the view from the top is genuinely spectacular. Landing is in a large meadow near the hiking car park, which doubles as your starting point for the climb, so the whole day loops back to where you began. Because it's northwest-facing and reached only on foot, plan your hike-up time around when thermals typically start working rather than arriving too early and waiting around at altitude, or too late and missing the best window. Bring the fitness for the walk as much as the flying skill for the launch.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Messnerin Startplatz 1, 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 Messnerin Startplatz 1 with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.