Italy - Slovenia

For this trip we have combined two regions of Italy and Slovenia with world class sites and alpine style villages. Our aim is to fly from as many sites as we can, exploring and learning as we go along - two weeks of epic fun with a lot of flying, pizzas and wine.

Debu will provide instruction and guidance to advance your flying skills, teach you how to assess flying conditions of new sites and how to interpret and understand the weather of the Alps. The daily routine will be to choose the best location for the day based on weather conditions, get a solid site intro, and then fly as much as possible.

As paragliding pilots we all know we are very weather dependent, so in case the weather is not flyable, we have organized a bunch of other activities; some cultural visits to local wine and cheese productions, a traditional meal at a mountain hut etc, and some involving other adventure activities like kayaking, mountain biking etc.

Travel & Itinerary

The plan is to fly into Marco Polo Airport in Venice on 11th May.

The plan is to fly XC in and around the Bassano region from 12th to 17th May. On 18th May we will fly/drive towards Kobarid in Slovenia where we will then fly for second half of the trip from 19th to 24th May.

At the end of the trip, we will drive the group back to Venice airport to fly out on 25th May.

Accommodation

Italy : We will be staying at a lovely gite in the quaint village of Rivai. This is located one valley north of the main Bassano ridge and is close to the flying sites of Feltre. It has a fully equipped kitchen, internet, barbecue and garden to chill with a beautiful view of the valley. There is also a nice lake for swimming and kayaking closeby.

Slovenia : We will be based in the small town of Kobarid in the beautiful Soca river valley, a 5 minute walk from the main landing field and a 10 minute walk from the town centre where there are several restaurants and a supermarket. We will be staying in a modern and comfortable apartment in Kobarid, with a fully equipped kitchen and wifi.

There are good local restaurants around for evening meals, lunches will mostly be on the road. There are great bakeries around too with a large choice of sandwiches and local delicacies for a quick packed lunch.

Fees & Dates

Fees : £950 per week
Includes
- Instruction, site briefings,
debriefings and in-flight guidance
- All mountain transport and retrieves
- Accommodation on twin sharing
basis with breakfast
Not Included
- Meals excluding breakfast
- Airport transfers
- Flying permits/landing fees/lift tickets
- Cost of extra activities
- Alcohol/ drinks
Duration : 13 days
Dates : Sept 12-24, 2024
Guide : Debu Choudhury

Flying Sites

The launches that we will visit are pristine and often manicured, the landing fields are large and forgiving.

ITALY :
Most of the flying sites are within a 40min driving distance giving us many options to explore the area. Some of the takeoffs we will be using are Malga Cedado, Monte Avena near Feltre and Monte Grappa on the main Bassano ridge

SLOVENIA :
Stol is the local take-off above Kobarid. It faces south and usually works well after midday. We will be flying to the east or west along the undulating ridge as far as possible and then back to Kobarid main landing. Based on the weather we will also fly from Kobala take off above Tolmin town and at Lijak, near Trieste.

Pilot Level & Suitability

The terrain in the Julian Alps is often referred to as being similar to the main Alps, but on a smaller scale. In May the conditions are usually good for XC flying with reliable thermal activity and a reasonably high cloudbase, though it is still spring time and occasionally there are impressive thunderstorms in the mountains around us, particularly during the night.

The main wind is from south, south-east with an average cloud base around 2.000 - 2.500 meters with a temperature from 20C to 30C. Typically thermals start late morning and continue into the evening allowing for good climbs and great out and return XC flights along the valleys. Flying is a mix of mountain ridge surfing with some classic flatland cloud-hopping.

The minimum pre-requisite for this trip is CP + 20hours. You should be good enough to takeoff independently, soar and fly without guidance and land safely without any instruction. Please remember the team is always there to give you guidance, where possible, but you must be self-reliant and be able to make your own decisions as well.

Trip Checklist

01.

Flying Kit

We assume that you will arrive with a functional paraglider, harness, reserve, vario/gps and a 2m radio.

We recommend you bring along your own trackers (Inreach / Spots).

At this time of year the weather is usually mild and pleasantly warm during the day and cool in the evenings. It can get cold at cloudbase so a warm jacket and summer gloves are recommended for flying.

02.

Insurance

It is essential that you have travel insurance which covers you in respect of the following :
1. Medical Treatment
2. Medical Repatriation
3. Search & Rescue by helicopter

We will hand out a central grab sheet form, where we would like all pilots to fill in their emergency contact details, insurance policy and contact numbers.

This grab sheet also mirrors all the Risk Acceptance sign offs that are a part of this document. Please give it a good read and make sure you understand and accept the risk involved.

Discover the Julian Alps