Montefalcone (Recoaro – Vicenza)

Montefalcone rises above Recoaro in the Veneto Prealps, and its southwest-facing take-off is best known as the valley's late-afternoon soaring spot, once the day's thermic activity has mellowed into steady ridge lift. Sitting around 1,600 m, the launch is reached by walking down the old ski slope from the top of the mountain, keeping right for a few hundred meters to the southwest-facing exit point; in some wind conditions, pilots also launch from the north side of the ski slope instead. Getting up used to be easy — a cable car from Recoaro town, then a shuttle and chairlift to the summit — but both lifts stopped running some years back, so reaching launch today means walking, roughly an hour to ninety minutes following the line of the old ski slope. It's worth confirming current access conditions locally before planning a trip, since the infrastructure here has changed.

Launch & conditions

Launch faces southwest and is reached by walking down the old ski slope from the summit, keeping right for a few hundred meters; in certain wind conditions, a north-facing alternative on the ski slope is also used.

Getting there & local rules

The cable car and chairlift that used to serve this launch are no longer running, so reaching the top today means walking — about an hour to ninety minutes, roughly following the old ski slope.

Check conditions before you fly

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