Launch Site Grands-Montets Massif du Mont Blanc

Dangers/ Difficultés : décollage de haute altitude (bonne condition physique nécessaire). Aérologie de haute montagne. Les brises sont parfois renforcées par le vent météo, il y a une possibilité de condensation rapide devant le décollage en milieu d’après-midi. Décollage sur un glacier, ambiance aérienne.

Niveau : pilote confirmé, notions d’alpinisme.

Atterrissage : Bois du Bouchet. Attention, vous êtes face à la brise de vallée pour rentrer au terrain, soyez vigilants quant à la gestion de votre cône d’autonomie.

Dangers / Difficulties: a high altitude take off requiring a good physical condition.
High altitude aerology. The convective breezes may be strengthened by dominant weather winds. Clouds frequently form in front of the take off during the afternoon.
Be advised of the timing of the last cable car back to Argentiere! Take off on glacier & airy feeling!

Ability: qualified (autonomous) pilot. Basic ideas of Alpinism or presence of Mountain Guide.

Landing site: Bois de Bouchet, Chamonix. This landing is upwind of the take off & strong valley winds in the afternoon can make the glide difficult or impossible.

Emergency landing site: hang glider landing  eld (approx 200m downwind of the Bois du Bouchet) but turbulent & enclosed when the valley wind is strong.

Specific rules: Avoid the permenanant restricted zone around the helicopter base at les Bois. (Montenvers - Chalet Chapeau, Les Tines, Hotel Arveron). During July & August the zone becomes far greater (see the appropriate section for restricted zones LR30 A & B)

Flight conditions: the site becomes usable from the beginning of the afternoon. Suitable in convective breezes or light dominant winds (either anticyclonic or light Westerly winds).
There is no landing site in Argentiere. All the previous Argentiere landings are now completely forbidden. To help the local club with ongoing negotiations to re open these landings please do not land in Argentiere.

Launch Site Grands-Montets

• GPS: N 45° 56’ 52” E 006° 57’ 36” • Direction: West.
• Altitude: 3 100m.
• Vertical drop: 2 100m.
• Access: cable car Lognan & Grands Montets (two stages) then 10 mins walk down from the lift station & across a glacier. Attention, this high mountain glacier is not marked or surveyed & has numerous dangerous crevasses. Those not experienced in glaciers are strongly advised to either avoid this take off or to employ a high mountain guide. It is advisable to be roped together whilst traversing the glacier. The cablecar can be accessed by train or the bus service.
• Site details/equipment: streamers usually present at take off.
• FFVL registered site
• Balise météo FFVL au Grands Montets consultable par radio sur la fréquence FFVL 143.9875 Mhz.