Mt. Sima
Paragliding site · Canada
- Launch altitude
- 975 m
- Level
- Experienced pilots
- Best season
- —
- Landing
- —
Works on N · NE · E · SE · S
Where it is
Mount Sima, about 15 km from downtown Whitehorse, is the Yukon's newest HPAC-insured flying site — the product of significant volunteer work to get the hill approved. This is explicitly NOT a beginner site: the LZ from the South Launch is not directly visible and has a 6:1 glide ratio, and new pilots or pilots on older wings should not fly here. Three launches exist — two South Launches and one North Launch. The North Launch is closest to the top chair, right on Dan's Descent. Access is via the Mt. Sima chairlift; during ski season, leave enough room when setting up for skiers to pass. The site sits inside an alpine adventure park that operates during the summer with an Aerial Adventure Course and North America's longest free-run zipline. Guest Services check-in is mandatory (any season) so lift operators and ski patrol know you're flying. HPAC insurance is required — only HPAC insurance is accepted for this site.
Launch & conditions
Check in with Guest Services before flying (or contact the general manager in off-season). HPAC insurance must be presented; site orientation completed. Three launches: two South Launches and a North Launch. Agree to the no-fly zone near the lifts and lines. Under no circumstances land near the lifts. Maintain at least 50 ft above lifts and lines. No speed-flying (for the same reason). Float planes route over Sima toward Schwatka Lake — contact Air Traffic Control at (867) 667-8426 before take-off.
Getting there & local rules
770 Mt. Sima Road, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Follow the Alaska Highway south of Whitehorse for about 12 km; just past the Miles Canyon road turn right onto Mount Sima Road and continue to the ski hill base and parking. Land in the lower parking lot or on Coal Lake Road. If you go XC, there are fields and alternative landings. Summer landings can be very thermic and are not recommended for beginner pilots in active conditions. Failure to follow site regulations may result in the loss of this site — treat it accordingly.
Check conditions before you fly
A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Mt. Sima, 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 Mt. Sima with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.
7-day wind outlook
High-resolution models — the same OutDare uses.
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Is it usually flyable?
Set your own flyable wind range and see how often Mt. Sima would have worked over the last 12 months, month by month.
Surface wind (10 m) in km/h — the same number you read on any forecast.
23% of days flyable
84 of 365 days had a dry 2-hour+ window in your range, from a direction this site flies
Best month
Sep · 47%
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.