Gruyère Fly is a weekend-long hike-and-fly event that takes place in the Fribourg area of Switzerland over the last weekend in May.
It’s open to “suitably experienced” pilots with IPPI 4 or 5 qualifications who are at ease with flying unknown terrain. You can choose your level and enter in Compétiteur or Mobilité douce categories. The latter allows the use of public transport including ski lifts. Assistance is allowed for either category, but not compulsory.
The Eigertour is a high-level hike-and-fly competition that takes place in the Bernese Alps, starting at Grindelwald.
It’s a four-day event with Challenge (100-200km via 14-18 turnpoints) and Pro (180-300km via 12-22 turnpoints) categories. The latter is reserved for very experienced pilots – think X-Alps competitors and factory test pilots. Participants are vetted before being accepted for either category.
It’s unsupported – mountain refuges are used for turnpoints and overnight stops, which makes for sociable evenings and a convivial atmosphere.
Fancy flying in Uzbekistan? Local pilots there are working hard to promote the sport in their country, and invite experienced overseas pilots to take part in the Chimgan Air Battle, 22-27 July 2020.
The paragliding competition will be in mountainous terrain in the Mount Chimgan (3,309 m) area, using high take-offs (Chimgan at 1,900m is accessed by ski lifts, and Changi, 1,600m, an hour’s truck ride away). The area is known as Uzbek Switzerland, and Chimgan is a ski resort with plenty of accommodation options.
The entry fee is just $50, and in addition to the competition organisers plan to organise cultural trips to nearby Samarkand or Bukhara for visiting pilots.
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Vercofly is a four-day hike-and-fly event that takes place in the Swiss Alps, using mountain refuges as turnpoints and night-stops meaning there is no need for assistants.
It’s run by Twistair school and the competition arena is the Anniviers and Hérens valleys, with the finish at Twistair’s base in Vercorin.
