Col di Tenda

Col di Tenda launches from beside an old fortress at 1,887 m on the France-Italy border, above Limone Piemonte on the Italian side, and works as a thermal and ridge-soaring site for pilots who can read big, exposed alpine terrain. Flyable wind runs from due north or due south, keeping the choice simple but demanding respect for whichever direction is actually working on the day given the altitude and border-ridge exposure. Access from the Italian side, via Limone Piemonte, is a good paved road nearly to the top; the French side's route is unpaved, narrow and prone to rock falls, so pilots coming from France should plan around the Italian approach where possible. Top-landing back near the fort is the normal plan — there's no official landing zone at the site, and the alternative, a valley landing on the south side, can turn genuinely turbulent in strong wind. Between the exposure, the unreliable valley option and the fortress-ridge terrain, this reads as a site for pilots who already have some alpine mileage rather than a first cross-border outing.

Launch & conditions

Launch sits beside the old fortress on the ridge — big, exposed alpine terrain best suited to pilots already comfortable with thermal and ridge flying at altitude.

Getting there & local rules

From the Italian side (via Limone Piemonte) the road is paved almost to the top. From the French side, the road is unpaved, narrow and prone to rock falls — plan the Italian approach where possible.

Local rules & hazards

The valley landing on the south side can turn turbulent in strong wind, and there's no official landing zone at this site — top-landing near the fort is the normal plan; only descend to the valley with a clear read of conditions and a backup in mind.

Check conditions before you fly

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