Radspitze

Radspitze is a paragliding site in Germany at 668 m, launching into south, south-west and west winds. Visiting pilots are welcome without restriction, and paragliders use their own landing field, kept separate from the hang-glider strip. The launch is a narrow corridor cut through trees rather than an open hillside, which brings real rotor and lee-side turbulence whenever the wind comes in from an angle instead of straight up the line — solid canopy handling and a reliable launch-abort technique matter more here than at a typical site. High-altitude flights are also reserved for pilots who already have proven high-altitude experience elsewhere, so it isn't a good choice for a first mountain flight. Info boards at both the launch and the lower car park spell out the local hazards in detail and are worth reading in full before clipping in.

Launch & conditions

Gear has to be carried the final 350 m to the launch on foot. The corridor start means crosswind brings rotor and lee turbulence, and the wind station reads unreliably low in westerly winds because it sits partly in the lee itself.

Getting there & local rules

Paragliders land at a separate field from hang gliders. Livestock sometimes grazes parts of the landing area, so check it before you fly.

Local rules & hazards

High-altitude flights are restricted to pilots with proven high-altitude experience at other sites, and launching demands confident handling plus a solid launch-abort technique — the tree-lined corridor gives no easy bail-out.

Check conditions before you fly

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