Gummen

Gummen is a thermal and cross-country launch above Wirzweli in the canton of Nidwalden, central Switzerland, at 1,580 m, working on a south-east wind. Getting there means a cable car up from Dallenwil, then a gondola from Wirzweli to the take-off area. The site has real cross-country potential once thermals are working, but the single fact every pilot flying the Engelberg valley needs to know is the cable hazard: the whole valley carries many power and cableway lines that are often unmarked and hard to see against the terrain, so treat the risk of a cable strike as present everywhere here, not only near the obvious lines you can spot. Swiss airspace in this region is also genuinely complex, so get a full airspace and danger-area briefing before you fly, not just a wind check.

Launch & conditions

South-east wind is what this launch needs to work.

Getting there & local rules

Cable car from Dallenwil, then a gondola from Wirzweli, gets you to the take-off area.

Local rules & hazards

The Engelberg valley (Engelbergertal) has many cables that are often unmarked and hard to see — assume the hazard is present everywhere in the valley, not only where a line is obvious. Swiss airspace here is complex, so get a full briefing on active airspace and danger areas before flying.

Check conditions before you fly

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