Alpe di Storo (Idro Lake)

Alpe di Storo sits above Idro Lake in Trentino, at 1,514 m facing south to southwest, and is best known as a thermal site with a strict daily flying window. The lake below funnels a strong midday wind that can kick in as early as 11:00 and quickly gets too strong for paragliders — the same wind that makes the lake popular with windsurfers and kiters in the afternoon. Most pilots therefore fly the morning session before 11:00 or wait until after 16:00, once the wind has eased for the day. The take-off area doubles as a spot for model aircraft, so it's shared airspace rather than exclusive to paragliders. Landing is at the Idroland field down by the lake. It's a useful destination for pilots visiting the Trentino lakes region who plan their day around the wind clock rather than fighting it.

Launch & conditions

Take-off is shared with model aircraft flyers, so expect company in the air. Most paragliders fly before 11:00 or after 16:00.

Local rules & hazards

The wind at this lake site often kicks in hard around midday and gets too strong to fly — good news for windsurfers and kiters, bad news for paragliders, which is why the flying window sits either side of the middle of the day.

Check conditions before you fly

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