Hexenkessel – Kreuzeck Startplatz

Hexenkessel – Kreuzeck Startplatz sits at 1,640 m in the Kreuzeck area above Garmisch-Partenkirchen and flies on wind from the north-east to east. The name covers three separate takeoff spots on the same mountain — Hexenkessel-Kreuzjoch, Tröglhang and Kandahar-Kreuzjoch — each with its own launch rules, so it's worth knowing which one you're heading to before you go. All three sit close to cable-car infrastructure: at Tröglhang and Kandahar-Kreuzjoch pilots keep a safety distance from the cableway and its netting and masts on the right side of the launch, and at Hexenkessel-Kreuzjoch no flying is allowed while the chairlift is running. Ground crews and instructors favour launching from the gravel patches next to the pastures rather than the pastures themselves, since the alpine grazing land here is legally protected. The site is used for training as well as free flying, with instructor numbers required at launch scaled to which of the three spots is in use.

Launch & conditions

At Hexenkessel-Kreuzjoch, launch only in north wind up to 15 km/h and clear the tree line in front with a safety margin, aiming for a straight departure since obstacles sit on both sides.

Local rules & hazards

No flying is permitted at Hexenkessel-Kreuzjoch while the chairlift is running, and at the Tröglhang and Kandahar-Kreuzjoch launches pilots keep clear of the cableway, its netting and masts on the right side of the field. All flying stops in critical weather, and training flights need one or two instructors present at launch depending on the spot, since a safety outlanding isn't an option for students here.

Check conditions before you fly

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