Hang Gliding Lanzarote

 

Find out about the best places to hang glide in Lanzarote

 

The Hang Gliding season in Lanzarote has already got off to a great start. Yesterday the 30th of September 2008 saw some great conditions that enabled a few of the local pilots to make the first ridge run of the 2008 season.

Everyone took off from the lower Teguise take off. The wind at take off was about 30 km/h from the NNW. There was plenty of good clouds. Everyone was in the air by 4pm. Some pilots had to do a little scratching to get up whilst others flew straight into some nice thermals and gained enough height to get their hang gliders straight to the high teguise take off.

Once over the high take off the usual Lanzarote hang gliding conditions were in place and it was easy to catch a lovely strong thermal and zoom to cloudbase. In fact at some points it was difficult to stay out of the clouds. Some pilots decided to fly off towards Soo out in front of the high take off and another three pilots jumped the spine gap near the army radar station and got into the lovely smooth air of the Mirador proper.

The start of the ridge run

Once we started Hang Gliding on Lanzarote's famous Mirador it was just a case of sitting back and enjoying the ride. All the air is smoothly rising leaving you plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful scenary that Lanzarote has to offer.

We flew on past the few kilomtres where the cliffs end in the sea and on to Guinate. On route there were more clouds supplying some very strong lift, we even had to fly out to sea to avoid going into the clouds.

As usual when the wind is coming from the NNW the flight back was much faster taking less than half the time to return.

 

The sun was lower in the sky on the way home as we flew right out over the sea then reconnected with the Teguise high take off for a top up and a few more thermals then an easy top landing right back next to our waiting cars.

A great start to what looks to be another great winters hang gliding and paragliding in Lanzarote.

Hang gliding and Paragliding sites in Lanzarote include:-

Famara ridge run has two main take off areas.
The lower, Teguise, take off and the 'High take off' or 'Chimidas'.

The Lower Teguise take off area:-

With the right conditions this is the take off area of choice as you can take off and land right next to your car. The route is a little trickier than the almost guaranteed to go up high take off, but the rewards are greater and more challenging.

hang glide teguise

Lower 'Teguise' take off and rigging area - The rigging area with take off area in background for the lower Teguise take off at beginning of the famous ridge run.

The high famara take off or Chimidas:-

This is a beatiful hang gliding and paragliding take off site with amazing views out over the plane in front and the sea and cliffs to the right. The take off is dramatic and very enjoyable, top landing is normally not an option due to very bad rotor. There are plenty of bottom landing options in front below or back at the lower Teguise take off site. When the wind is in the right direction and clouds a forming over head it is hard not to find a lovely thermal, circle to cloud base and then fly off and do the ridge run.

 

Mala:- Works in winds in the North East sector. Mala is one of the most popular Hang gliding and paragliding sites on Lanzarote. Access is a little bit hidden and requires pulling off the main road about 2km before reaching Arrieta when driving north. You branch off to the right on a slip road which then turns left and under the road you were just on. Then carry straight across the next mini roundabout and onto a track leading upwards. Turn left at the top follow road for about 200 metres then turn right and up into the valley. The road then skirts up the side of this valley all the way to the top. Park by the damn. The take off is on the other side of the damn. Mala is quite an easy site with top and bottom landing options. Look straight ahead from take off to the see the big arrow made of stones in the landing area. The landing area is easily accessible by car.

Pic: How to get to take off from the main road LZ-1

Pic: from over Mala looking down at take off

Here is a map showing how to get to the Mala take off from the Main road that leads to Arrieta from Costa Teguise heading north. Just follow the red route. You turn off the main roady at point 'A'. Go onto the slip road, under the main road and onto the track. Follow the track all the way as shown on map above. Park at last red dot. Walk the green line. Take off at the blue patch.

Flying in Mala can be very enjoyable. You would normally take off then, depending on the wind direction gain some height on the take off slope or the higher slope to the left. Normally the stronger thermals are available in the valley behind the left hand ridge.

Hang gliding from Mala take off over the village of Arrieta

Here is a picture of the Mala Rigging area with the damn in the foreground. This is as busy as the rigging area ever gets as the picture was taken during last years hang gliding championships.

 

Asomada:- When winds are in the South East. Nice views over Puerto del Carmen and on to Fuerteventura and the island of Lobos. Easy top landing, just dont go to far back, better to over shoot and try again. Bottom landing option next to the school.

here is a nice pic of the Asomada hang glider take off looking out over to Puerto del Carmen in the left distance and the sea.

 

El Cuchillo:- For North Easterly winds. Can be quite technical. Either bottom land or land at least 800 metres behind take off. There should be some streamers marking the landing area. There can be severe rotor behind take off so always land well back. On a good day this spot can be amazing and a good start for some nice cross country. Last year Tomas Weisenberger flew to Playa Blanca in the very south of Lanzarote then across the 12 km stretch of sea and over the the next island of Fuerteventura.

Take off at El Cuchillo. You can see La Santa and the La Santa sport complex in the background.

looking back at the El Cuchillo centre take off from the air well out in front on a good day

 

Orzola:- When their are light North East winds. Not very thermic and winds come straight off the sea. Amazing views and flights have been made all the way to Playa Blanca in the south. Top landing not recommended. Bottom landing is out of site from take off. Scope out the bottom landing area first, it is an old football pitch along a track at the beginning of the town of Orzola. From take off it is to the right and a little behind. Conditions here are normally very smooth and buoyant with sometimes surprisingly light winds. Popular with paragliders as well as hang gliders.

Orzola take off - also known as Mirador

Landing field in Orzola