Orduña

Orduña is one of the best-known flying sites in Spain's Basque Country, a genuine birthplace of local free flight and one of the strongest sites in the region for both thermal and dynamic-ridge flying. It sits on the Sierra Salvada, a long northeast-oriented ridge with a consistent slope and angle that pilots have used for paragliding, hang gliding and ultralights for decades, opening onto a wide valley with no power lines, obstacles or terrain to disturb the airflow. Launch is of medium difficulty depending on conditions: with the best breeze — a gentle 10–20 km/h from the northeast — the wing comes up smoothly with time to check it, but in stronger wind the rocky cliff edge makes an aborted launch difficult, so it takes a confident pilot rather than a first-timer. Landing is easy by comparison, on a wide, regularly-cut grass field — though late in the afternoon the wind can swing catabatic from the east instead of the usual north-northeast, so keep an eye on the windsock, and watch for vines beside the access road.

Launch & conditions

Best conditions are a gentle 10–20 km/h northeasterly, which lets the wing inflate smoothly with time to check it. In stronger wind, the rocky cliff edge makes aborting the launch difficult, so it suits a pilot who already has some experience rather than a first-timer.

Check conditions before you fly

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