Croix de l Aiguille

Croix de l'Aiguille is a launch in the canton of Valais, Switzerland, reached by car, sitting at 1,813 m with an east and south-facing window that's well suited to both thermal flying and ridge soaring — and hiking up is also an established way in for pilots who'd rather approach on foot. Landing is at the designated LZ known locally as 'DMLV'. The site also hosts a local flying school running tandem flights, so it can get busy at peak times; checking ahead is worth it if you want to be sure of space, especially if you're hoping to fly with an instructor rather than just use the same launch. As with most Swiss Alpine sites, airspace here is layered, so a check of current restrictions before flying is standard practice rather than an extra step.

Getting there & local rules

Reached by car; hiking up is also an established approach for pilots who prefer it.

Check conditions before you fly

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