Obermelbecke – Kerschlade

Obermelbecke – Kerschlade is a southwest/west-facing paragliding training slope at about 400 m in the Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia. The slope can only be used when the grass has been freshly mown, and landing in the surrounding fields is off-limits whenever crops are growing — if there's any doubt about the field's condition, the rule is to skip flying rather than guess, or get permission from the site operator first. A handful of practical rules apply: whoever's flying has to secure the field path that crosses the site — a warning sign or a person posted there — so nobody on foot or driving through gets put at risk, and flights and landings can only run in the single direction the site's map marks with an arrow, dictated by the terrain. Training students need to already have turning flight under control before flying here, and because a west wind means training landings come in with crosswind, training flights only happen when the wind is under 5 km/h. Parking is strictly at the nearby hikers' car park, and no rubbish may be left behind.

Launch & conditions

Flights and landings can only run in the single direction marked on the site's map, dictated by the terrain. Training flights only happen in wind under 5 km/h, since a west wind means training landings come in with crosswind.

Getting there & local rules

The slope can only be used when freshly mown, and landing in the surrounding fields is off-limits when crops are growing — when in doubt, skip flying or get permission from the site operator first. Parking is strictly at the nearby hikers' car park.

Local rules & hazards

Whoever's flying has to secure the field path that crosses the site — a warning sign or a person posted there — so nobody using it gets put at risk. Training students need to already have turning flight under control before flying here.

Check conditions before you fly

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