Åre

Åre is Sweden's biggest ski resort and, in summer, one of its best-known paragliding mountains — a big, forgiving hill with room for beginners and enough terrain for serious cross-country flying. Three maintained launch zones cover wind directions from northeast round to northwest, and the largest, known locally as 'the 1000-meter', sits at 1280m. XC flights are common from April to September, including a 240km flight two local pilots set from here in May 2008. Getting up is easy most of the year: a tram runs January to August, and outside that window pilots walk up or catch a shuttle from the local club or the on-site school. Treat it with the respect any big mountain deserves — lenticular clouds overhead are a clear sign to stay grounded, and the ceiling here is capped at 3000m ASL. Landing is at Draklanda by the lake, where a northwesterly wind can trigger extra thermal activity right over the LZ.

Launch & conditions

Three maintained launch zones cover northeast through northwest, with the biggest — 'the 1000-meter' — at 1280m ASL. XC flying is mainly an April-to-September game here.

Getting there & local rules

Fly into Åre/Östersund airport and take a taxi, bus or train (about an hour), or fly into Trondheim and catch a three-hour train. A tram runs to the mountain from January to August; outside that window, walk up or use the local club or school shuttle. Landing is at Draklanda, between the base of the Olympia slope and the lake — watch for the train's power lines along the edge of the landing zone.

Local rules & hazards

The ceiling here is 3000m ASL, and this is a genuine mountain site that deserves caution — lenticular clouds overhead are a clear sign not to fly. Landing in a northwesterly wind can be tricky, since the lakeside landing zone itself tends to trigger extra thermal activity.

Check conditions before you fly

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