Grünten

Grünten is a well-known Allgäu launch at about 1,200 m facing west, flown only in coordination with the local flying school, with flight rules built almost entirely around sharing airspace safely with the Agathazell glider airfield next door. Paraglider and hang glider pilots stay northeast of the mountain's cable-car line, and on weekends between April and November paraglider pilots need prior clearance from the glider airfield's duty flight director before launching — a rule that also applies if glider activity is running on a weekday, though hang glider pilots aren't restricted this way. No landings or entries into the airfield's marked restricted zone are allowed below 500 m AGL, the same limit applies to any valley crossing, and entering the glider airfield's own traffic pattern is forbidden outright; the mountain's west slope above a nearby village is similarly off-limits to Grünten pilots without specific radio coordination. Above the summit itself, airspace is free to use under the normal right-of-way rules. Every pilot gets a specific landing briefing covering the valley-station landing field, especially the cable-car's wires — a minimum 50 m clearance from them is required, and the cable-car pylon at landing carries a clearly visible windsock as a visual reference.

Local rules & hazards

Flight rules here are built around the neighbouring Agathazell glider airfield: no landings or entries into its marked restricted zone below 500 m AGL, the same limit on any valley crossing, and its own traffic pattern must never be entered. Weekend paraglider pilots (April–November) need prior clearance from the glider airfield's duty flight director before launching. A minimum 50 m clearance from the valley-station cable-car's wires is required on landing, and the mountain's west slope above the nearby village is off-limits to Grünten pilots without specific radio coordination.

Check conditions before you fly

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