Many huge XC flights, several ending in Switzerland, and plenty of large triangles have been flown from Col de Bleyne. The convergence that often sets up above the south-facing site makes getting away easy.
The usual route takes pilots north towards St André and the big mountains beyond. Flying west from launch past the spectactular Verdon Gorge and then north will set you up for a triangle using the west-facing slopes to get home.
The site is reached by a tarmac road from the village of Thorenc before a small forest road heads up to launch. This can be blocked by snow early in the season and you may have to walk. Rocks on launch can snag lines so beware.
From take-off it is normal to head east to the highpoint of the ridge where you will often find the best climbs. Then move back west past launch before heading over the back onto the ridge that leads to the Teillon.
Photo: Marcus King
This appeared in the 2016 Travel Guide as part of Golden Ticket, a collection of sites where the Alps touch the Mediterranean on the Cote d’Azur and you’ll find spectacular year-round flying.
