Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 12:December 2014 | Page 48

practice, this means getting up early in order to set up and be ready to go, but also to be prepared to wait. In the days when the mistral is blowing, the air breaks into smithereens, and all pilots within a 100-mile radius head to St Vincent-les-Forts on Lac de Serre-Poncon, about an hour’s drive from Larange. Protected by a large range to the north, the entire area around the lake can be flown up to 7500 feet, without feeling the effect of the 25-40mph winds above. This cap means you’re unlikely to clock up big distances, but the tour du lac (tour of the lake) is a tough ~45-mile triangle challenge which will keep you on your game, without stretching you too far from easy bailout options. On northerly days there is a lot of traffic, since it’s the only place that works. So expect to be jostling for space with solo paragliders and commercial tandems, as well as other hang gliders. An alternative to Laragne’s takeoff is Sederon, located 30 miles from Laragne, which can be launched in almost any direction. There’s also a soaring ridge for