Chalais

Chalais is an easy-launch thermal and soaring site about 20 minutes on foot from Chalais village, roughly 5 km east of Voreppe and 15 km northwest of Grenoble, France, with a takeoff at around 1,003 meters facing southeast to south. The launch itself is straightforward, but don't let that fool you into treating the whole site casually — the landing zone isn't visible from takeoff, and it moved some time ago to a field near the Château de Beauplan, so first-time visitors should walk down and scout it before committing to fly. Valley thermal wind here builds quickly once the sun is up and can turn strong between roughly 9:30 and 12:00, which makes this fundamentally a morning site — plan to be flying early or wait for genuinely stable conditions later on. Flying over the national road near the landing is strictly forbidden, and the landing itself is firmly not suited to beginners, so this is a site for pilots who can handle a technical approach into an unfamiliar field under building thermal conditions.

Launch & conditions

Easy takeoff at about 1,003 m facing southeast to south, about 20 minutes on foot from Chalais village (5 km east of Voreppe, 15 km NW of Grenoble).

Local rules & hazards

The landing zone moved to a field near the Château de Beauplan — scout it first for hay in the field and how the thermal wind is behaving, since that wind builds fast with the sun and can get strong between roughly 9:30 and 12:00. Fly here in the morning or in stable conditions only, and never over the national road, which is strictly off-limits. This landing is firmly not one for beginners.

Check conditions before you fly

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