Brunni Startplatz 1

Brunni Startplatz 1 is the southwest-facing launch above Engelberg in central Switzerland, at about 1,857 m, reached by a newly built cable car followed by the older chairlift up to the Brunnihütte; the launch is a short walk west of the hut, and it's actually visible from the chairlift on the way up as the lowest, southwest-facing takeoff on the right. Since October 2018, Engelberg's official paragliding landing field has been at Obere Erlen, between the Wyden sports field and the Sportingpark, after the previous field's land-use agreement ended — it's a shorter walk from the train station but a longer one back to the Brunni cable-car valley station, and pilots are asked to walk the new field beforehand to learn its obstacles: a road, sports-field floodlight poles, winter snow-making equipment, and a nearby stream. Landing approaches should use a clean landing turn and avoid low, into-wind final glides. The signposted walk back to the valley station follows the Engelberger Aa and Dürrbach streams.

Local rules & hazards

The official paragliding landing field for Engelberg changed in October 2018 and now sits at Obere Erlen, between the Wyden sports field and the Sportingpark, with obstacles nearby including a road, sports-field floodlight poles, winter snow-making equipment, and a stream — pilots should walk the field before flying it and use a clean landing turn, avoiding low into-wind approaches. Parking and stopping are not allowed along the road bordering the field or on the track beside the stream (use the public parking at the cable car's valley station instead), and the artificial-turf Wyden football pitch must not be entered or used for landings.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Brunni 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 Brunni 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.