Chamrousse – l'Aiguille / la Croix

Chamrousse (l'Aiguille / la Croix) is THE Grenoble end-of-day site — a Belledonne classic with three takeoffs (l'Aiguille, la Sapinière, la Croix) and two landings, giving 600–1,800 m of vertical to work with. La Croix at 2,250 m near the ski-station summit is often the easier XC starting point than l'Aiguille below (1,840 m), especially when inversion sits high. Beautiful cross-country lines run north through the Belledonne range, though the eastward valleys are tough — narrow and windy. Retrieval from the LZ is usually easy by hitch-hiking.

Launch & conditions

l'Aiguille: 1,840 m, on a small hill just above Recoin village. la Sapinière: slightly lower/NW, used when l'Aiguille is in clouds. la Croix: 2,250 m near the cable-car summit — good grass shield.

Getting there & local rules

l'Aiguille / la Sapinière: Chamrousse → Recoin village → follow 'Club Alpin Français' signs; park just before their chalet on the left in the last turn. 20 min walk (bring water). la Croix: 1 hr walk from Recoin village, or take the cable car. Landing at Saint-Martin-d'Uriage at 550 m — looks big but is actually rather small due to fences (and tricky if there's low-level lift). Park near the primary school / gymnasium.

Local rules & hazards

Specific national park regulations in the Écrins start ~15 km SE — respect them. Overflying the zone between the cable-car and chairlift below 300 m AGL is NOT allowed. Beware strong winds, especially NE and SW.

Check conditions before you fly

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