le dimitile

Le Dimitile launches at 1,648 m on Réunion's south coast, above the town of Saint-Louis, with a southeast wind window that opens up serious cross-country terrain along the island's crest line. Pilots describe it as a standout site with genuinely numerous route options, but arrive early — the takeoff area is popular enough that it can fill up and bottleneck quickly on a good day. From launch, routes typically run along the ridge, tracing the rim above the Cilaos and Entre-Deux valleys, with views opening toward Piton des Neiges on clear runs. The standard landing is the football pitch in the village of Entre-Deux, which means checking the day before to make sure no match is scheduled, and it's worth walking the field before flying to know exactly what the approach looks like from the air. The one hazard every local briefing repeats is the east wind: catching it at takeoff can put a pilot leeward of the crests right as they launch, with turbulence strong enough that it isn't a marginal call — it's a reason not to fly.

Launch & conditions

Arrive early — the takeoff area is popular and can bottleneck quickly on good days; routes typically follow the ridge with views toward Piton des Neiges.

Local rules & hazards

An east wind at takeoff is the site's known hazard — it puts pilots leeward of the crests immediately after launch, with turbulence strong enough to be treated as a no-fly condition rather than something to work through.

Check conditions before you fly

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