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