Nemocon

Nemocón is a thermic and dynamic site in Colombia with a genuinely easy, forgiving takeoff — there's plenty of room to abort a launch if something isn't lining up, and space for more than 10 gliders to set up and take off at the same time. Wind from the north, northeast or east supports thermic, soaring, cross-country, hike-and-fly and flatland flying here. Getting to launch takes some careful navigation: from the Carretera Central del Norte, head to Gachancipá, turn left after the railroad station onto a dirt road toward a place called El Diamante, turn left again, and at the next fork take a left, then a second left at the following fork, following the road all the way to its end — about 7 km of dirt road in total. Conditions are usually pleasant, with east or northeast wind running 8 to 20 km/h, though thermals can build genuinely strong on the more active days. Flying here means playing by the book: local site rules apply, and Colombia's national aviation authority together with the country's air sports federation actively enforce the regulations, so it's worth knowing the current rules before heading up.

Launch & conditions

A very forgiving takeoff with plenty of room to abort if needed, and space for more than 10 gliders at once.

Getting there & local rules

From the Carretera Central del Norte, head to Gachancipá, turn left after the railroad station onto a dirt road toward El Diamante, then left again, left at the next fork, and left once more at the following fork — about 7 km of dirt road to the end.

Local rules & hazards

Local rules apply, and Colombia's national aviation authority (Aerocivil) and the Federación Colombiana de Deportes Aéreos strongly enforce their regulations here — know the current rules before flying. Thermals can get very strong on active days.

Check conditions before you fly

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