Asker – Kraakholmen

Kråkholmen is a boat-tow paragliding site on a small, idyllic island in the inner Oslofjord, just off Vollen Marina and about 20 km (25 minutes) from Oslo by car. Pilots launch behind a towing boat with a full 360° of usable wind direction, and it's set up for solo flying, tandems and acro alike. The island setting is the site's charm and its main challenge: landing back on Kråkholmen itself takes genuinely good landing skills given how little room there is, so pilots wear (and are lent) lifejackets as standard, and several backup landing areas on the mainland are there for when the island approach isn't the right call. Conditions can shift fast — the evening breeze in particular can pick up quickly — and a strong wind from anywhere between southwest and north isn't recommended. New pilots are told plainly to listen to the experienced towing instructors on site rather than freelance it. A hard ceiling of 914 m applies throughout.

Launch & conditions

Launch is behind a towing boat with a usable wind direction across the full 360°, suited to solo, tandem and acro flying alike.

Getting there & local rules

By car it's about 20 km (25 minutes) from Oslo via the E18, exiting near Blakstad Hospital and following the road down to the marina, where you park. A bus from Oslo to Blakstad also gets you within a short walk of the pier.

Local rules & hazards

A hard ceiling of 914 m applies. The evening breeze here can pick up quickly, and a strong wind anywhere from southwest through north isn't recommended. Landing back on the small island takes genuinely good skills given the limited space — lifejackets are required and provided, and there are backup landing areas on the mainland for when that's the safer call. Listen to the experienced towing instructors on site.

Check conditions before you fly

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