TANDEM PARAGLIDING IN BOVEC
If you want to join us in the air or just find out more about tandem paragliding - click on the image above!
ABOUT SOČA VALLEY
Soča Valley is a well-known destination in the Julian Alps and is one of the most visited destinations in Europe. It is a paradise for paragliding, hiking, cycling, fishing – basically everything associated with nature and adventure. If you like good food, there are a lot of culinary attractions that you can explore. More than a hundred years ago Soča Valley was a venue of massive WWI battles and you are still able to find many arftifacts (in museums and in the wild) that remind us of the horrors of that time period.
The emerald Soča river connects three major towns:
Bovec is a lovely town located right on the border of Triglav national park (TNP). TNP is the only national park in Slovenia, named after its highest peak – Triglav. Bovec and its surroundings are the central for kayaking, rafting and canyoning. Waterfall Boka is 144 meters high and has the highest flow of water of all of Slovenia’s waterfalls.
Around 20 kilometers down the Soča river lies the next bigger town – Kobarid. Kobarid is known for its WW1 museum and cheese making museum. Waterfall Kozjak is an amazing site to see, especially if you decide to go on a canyoning tour that will take you through the lower part of Kozjak canyon. Kobarid is also home of Ana Roš and her two Michelin star restaurant Hiša Franko.
The last and the biggest town in line is Tolmin. It is located next to the picturesque confluence of rivers Soča and Tolminka. In the summer the confluence hosts many international music festivals like Metaldays, Punk Rock Holiday, Sajeta and others.
The whole region of Soča valley is a paradise for beginner, intermediate or record seeking paragliding pilots – there are possibilities for breathtaking short panoramic flights, XC trips within the valley or one way journeys to wherever the wind blows.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TAKEOFFS
Soča Valley offers countless easy grassy launches. Below you can find basic info of all official takeoffs registered with Slovenian Free Flight Association (SFFA). These takeoffs are managed by local clubs. Solo pilots need to buy a ticket and organized flying (tandems, flying schools and competitions) is only allowed with agreement with the club that is responsible for the takeoff. There are three paragliding clubs in Soča valley: JPD Kanin, Društvo Adrenalin and DPL Posočje.
For more information and purchase of tickets contact the local clubs.
Ticket selling points in Tolmin:
- Camp Gabrje
- Kobala center Tolmin
- FlyZone Čiginj
- Camp Siber
- Bar Pri Noni
Ticket selling points in Kobarid:
- TIC Kobarid
- Jazbec Idrsko
- Bar Teja Kobarid
Price list:
Day ticket: 4 €
3-days ticket: 11 €
10-days ticket: 20 €
Season ticket: 35 €
REGISTERED TAKEOFFS
MANGRT - SEDLO
GPS: N 46°25'58.27'’ / E 13°38'25.81'’
AMSL: 1990 m
WIND: E-W
Dificulty: Easy (1 out of 5)
Access: Car or bus + 5 minute hike
Local club: JPD Kanin
WARNINGS: Possibility of very strong wind lower in the valley!
Mangrt saddle is one of the most beautiful takeoffs in Slovenia, located under Slovenias third highest mountain - Mangart, and right next to majestic wall of Log. The launch is appropriate for beginners as the incline is suitable and it offers enough room for killing the wing if the launch is not perfect. Even if you don't catch any lift, the panoramic flight to the landing in Log pod Mangartom is quite an experience. The takeoff is not commonly used as a starting point for XC flights because the strong valley wind is a serious hazard in case you bomb out in thermic conditions.
MANGRT - TUNEL (PRHODCI)
GPS: N 46°25'58.27'’ / E 13°38'25.81'’
AMSL: 1870 m
WIND: S-SW
Dificulty: Medium hard (4 out of 5)
Access: Car or bus
Local club: JPD Kanin
WARNINGS: Possibility of very strong wind lower in the valley!
The launch is located a little bit lower from saddle and is usually used when the wind higher up is to strong or the saddle is not accessable because of snow. Right under the launch there is a road, so there is not a lot of room for mistakes. Make sure your wing is perfectly inflated when using this launch. I do not recomend launching in zero or negative wind.
KANIN - SKRIPI
GPS: N 46°21'14.39'’ / E 13°29'19.91'’
AMSL: 1717 m
WIND: SE-SW
Dificulty: Medium (3 out of 5)
Access: Cable car + 15 min hike
Local club: JPD Kanin
WARNINGS: Flying and landing in the airport zone is forbidden!
You can reach the takeoff with a cable car from Bovec. To reach the official launch you have to exit the gondola on C station and hike up for about 15 minutes. There is almost no grass above C station and the terain is rocky, but you can find a protective net on the launch. There is also a protective net right next to C station but the launch there is quite technical as it is very short. You can find another net that will protect your wing from the sharp rocks if you take the gondola all the way to the top and than hike down for about 10 minutes.
PLANJA
GPS: N 46°20'57.68'’ / E 13°31'10.85'’
AMSL: 1070 m
WIND: E-W
Dificulty: Easy/Medium (2 out of 5)
Access: Hiking only
Local club: JPD Kanin
WARNINGS: Flying and landing in the airport zone is strictly forbidden!
Planja is only accessible by foot. You can ride quite high if you have a terrain vehicle, but you cannot escape a minimum of 20 minutes of hiking. Read more about how to hike up HERE. The takeoff is a grassy field with perfect incline. As a starting point for XC flying it is used mostly in the off season, when gondola to Kanin is not operating and all year round for hike&fly.
KOBARIŠKI STOL
GPS: N 46°16'21.0" / E 13°28'23.0''
AMSL: 1414 m
WIND: SE, S, SW
Dificulty: Easy (1 out of 5)
Access: Terrain vehicle
Local club: Društvo Adrenalin
The takeoff is located under the peak of Kobariški Stol. It is a grassy slope and it is very wide - it can accommodate a large number of wings simultaneously, which is one of the reasons that it hosted many XC competitions in the past. The road to the top is quite bumpy and while you can probably reach it with a regular car I would advise against it. Use a terrain vehicle or even better - hire a shuttle. You can reach the top on the road via Žaga and Učja. Kobariški Stol also offers many marked hiking trails to the top.
OZBEN
GPS: N 46°14′59″ / E 13°36′14″
AMSL: 750 m
WIND: S, SW
Dificulty: Easy (1 out of 5)
Access: Terrain vehicle
Local club: Društvo Adrenalin
Because of its low altitude, Ozben can usually be accessed all year round as the climate is to warm for heavy snow. The takeoff is a grassy field with perfect incline suitable for beginners. In the past Ozben was the venue of paragliding World Cup and the European Championship in the accuracy landing in the past.
LIVŠKI KUK
GPS: N 46°11'43'' / E 13°37'10''
AMSL: 1240 m
WIND: N, SE, S, SW
Dificulty (south launch): Medium (3 out of 5)
Dificulty (north launch): Very Hard (5 out of 5)
Access: Parking acecssable with car or bus + 15 minute hike
Local club: Društvo Adrenalin
WARNINGS: No landings south of launch! Cross to the west with enough altitude to reach safe landings.
The launch can be accessed with a car, but the last part is very steep and the road not in the best condition, so I recommend you leave your car at the ramp and hike up for about 15 minutes. The launch is a grassy field on both sides, but the north side is very short and narrow, so approach with caution! On good thermal days it is not hard to get a nice thermal somewhere close to the launch and than connect Kobariški Stol or mountains around Krn, but if you see that you are loosing height be sure to fly out NW over the valley, since there are no safe landings south of the launch.
MRZLI VRH - MATAJUR
GPS: N 46°12'32'' / E 13°33'59''
AMSL: 1320 m
WIND: N, NE
Dificulty: Easy/Medium (2 out of 5)
Access: Terrain vehicle + 5 minute hike
Local club: Društvo Adrenalin
Access by road Kobarid - Idrsko - Livek - Avsa - Mrzli vrh. From Avsa forward the road is very rough so a terrain vehicle is advised. The launch is a grassy field, used in northern winds. In right conditions it is possible to enjoy nice soaring around the takeoff. Be sure to properly evaluate the weather conditions on takeoff and in the valley when deciding to fly.
KOBALA
GPS: N / E 13°38'25.81'’
AMSL: 1080 m
WIND: E, SE, SW, W
Dificulty: Easy/Medium (2 out of 5)
Access: Car
Local club: DPL Posočje
Kobala is probably the most popular takeoff is Soča Valley. It is easily accessible with car via Ljubinj. The launch is a big grassy field and is appropriate for beginners, but only if conditions are not too strong. In strong winds be careful, as the takeoff is quite steep and there is a danger of being puled over the top if you are not able to control your wing. Kobala has hosted many paragliding competitions in its past.
VRŠE
GPS: N 46°11'02'’ / E 13°41'44'’
AMSL: 580 m
WIND: E-W
Dificulty: Medium/Hard (4 out of 5)
Access: Parking acecssable with car or bus + 5 minute hike
Local club: DPL Posočje
The launch can be easily accessed with a car via village Volče. It was created with intention to serve as a school launch with easy and fast access - perfect for launch and landing training, but it did not really get popular and paragliding schools mostly still prefer to fly from Kobala. In the past years it got a little bit overgrown, so it is not ideal for beginners anymore, but it can be used by more confident pilots when conditions are too strong on Kobala.
WARNINGS
Valley wind
When flying in mountain areas, understanding valley winds is critical for your safety. When the thermal activity is high and/or general winds are strong be careful not to fly low in narrow valleys – the winds can easily get stronger than 10 m/s and there are usually a lot of obstacles near the ground that cause turbulent rotor areas.
Landings in Tolmin and Kobarid are relatively large and the valley is quite wide so usually, valley wind is not a problem.
Landing in Bovec is a bit trickier, as it is located at the far east end of the valley and it has some obstacles around it. Be careful and take time to evaluate weather conditions and plan the landing thoroughly.
Landing in Log pod Mangartom is located in a narrow valley, located at the end of the valley system. In the summer the conditions on the launch can be perfect during the day, but the wind gets very strong and dangerous in the valley. As a general rule, I recommend not launching after 10:00 in the morning if the thermal activity is high and/or general winds are strong.
Bora wind
Bora (burja) wind is a katabatic north-east wind that regularly blows over parts of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, including Soča valley. Bora wind can reach speeds over 150 km/h and is usually very turbulent. (more on bora…)
There were a few incidents of pilots crashing or losing control while flying in bora wind in the past years. The reason is that the indicators of bora are not so simple to interpret, especially if you are not familiar with it. The cloud base is usually attractively high with sexy cumulus clouds that do not appear to be mowing very fast in any direction and conditions on launch are perfect while the winds in the valley are viciously strong and turbulent. When bora is weak there is a possibility to fly and even do some nice soaring from some takeoffs in Soča valley (e.g. Mrzli Vrh – Matajur), but be very careful when choosing to fly in these conditions. When the thermal activity is strong, south wind can prevail on the launches and the conditions can again look good on the launch while the valley is dangerously turbulent.
Take time to asses conditions on the launch AND in the valley when north winds are forecasted!!!
Bovec Airfield
There is a small airfield located in the center of Bovec valley. As it is also a popular dropzone for skydivers a big part of the valley is closed for paragliding. Paragliding through the dropzone is extremely dangerous, so please respect the zone and do not fly or land inside it. Before every take-off notify the airport by sending an SMS to: +386 51 661 003.
Wires
Throughout Soča valley there is a lot of hazardous lumber, electricity and cargo wires that you will want to avoid. They are usually located low in the valley, near the terrain, so be focused when flying low. In Bovec be careful when launching around Kanin ski resort and west of Planja launch where you can find a zipline.
Aeronautical association of Slovenia created an Airspace database around cables in Slovenia. You can find the document HERE (CLICK).
Private land
Use official landings when paragliding in Soča valley. It is normal that you sometimes bomb out or just miscalculate the landing and land outside official spots – safety always comes first! But it this happens make sure you walk as little as possible in the tall grass and pack your equipment next to the road or path and not in the middle of the field.
Commercial flying
Commercial flying like competitions and tandems are only allowed with approval of local clubs. Contact them if you plan commercial paragliding activities.
HIKE & FLY
Soča Valley has many, many options for Hike & Fly. You are able to hike on all of the launches described in the REGISTRATED LAUNCHES section. Trails around Stol, Mangart, Planja and Ozben are especially nice.
Read a guide to H&F Planja HERE.
VOL BIV
For the most adventurous Soča Valley offers many options for Vol Biv. Just be sure that you follow the restrictions of local authorities. It is forbidden to camp in Triglav Nationa Park and Natura 2000 areas. You should be fine if you camp outside of protected areas but make sure you don’t leave any trash behind you and ask for permission from locals when staying overnight in the valley. If you intend to sleep high in the mountains it might not be a good idea to build fires that can be visible from the valley since someone might misinterpret your cozy campfire for a distress call (it did happen in the past already).
WEATHER INFO
There are many sources and apps for checking the weather forecast and current conditions. I will describe my favorite ones.
My number one source is the Slovenian environmental agency (ARSO for short). You can find forecasts with a lot of detail on ARSO AVIATION WEBSITE. Here you can find soaring products with forecasts for thermal activity, wind and humidity divided by region. The most important tool for reading wind forecasts for me are model charts with plotted wind direction and strength (there are 7 maps for 7 altitudes). On the same page you can also find vertical profiles of average temperature and relative humidity and radar images for observing precipitation and cloud particles.
For detailed precipitation and cloud coverage forecasts you can visit the ARSO INTERACTIVE WEATHER website and choose the ALADIN model.
When I want to see a more general forecast for a longer period of time I use the ARSO WEATHER PORTAL. I do not find the wind forecast here very accurate, but I like to use it just to get a general feeling for how the weather is going to look like in the next 10 days.
ARSO weather portal website is well made for all screen sizes, but I find navigating the other ARSO sites with my mobile phone a bit hard, so I created a SMARTPHONE FRIENDLY WEBSITE that contains most of the relevant data with forecasts and current information. I tried to compartmentalize the data as much as possible, so you are able to access the data that you need as fast as possible also in the mountains, where signal reception can be problematic.
The second source I find reliable is WINDY.TV. I find it is very accurate for wind, precipitation and cloud coverage forecasts and it is mobile friendly. It uses a different weather model than ARSO, so I like to compare both when the atmosphere is unstable and the forecasts are not very accurate.
In the winter, especially when I am interested in snowfall I often use BERGFEX.
AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATIONS
We have quite a few automatic weather stations in Soča valley. For Mangart, Kanin C station, Kobala, Stol, Matajur and Kuk you can find the data on AVP mobile site or Skytech home page.
ARSO has its own weather stations on Kanin D station, Bovec airport, Kredarica nad other locations. You can access the data from the stations in the table HERE (click).
WEBCAMS
Bovec:
Kanin: https://www.hribi.net/spletna_kamera/kanin/3
Mangart: https://www.hribi.net/spletna_kamera/mangart/67
Bovec airfield: https://www.hribi.net/spletna_kamera/veliki_babanski_skedenj/1464, https://www.hribi.net/spletna_kamera/svinjak/312, https://www.hribi.net/spletna_kamera/polovnik/1466
Trenta: https://www.whatsupcams.com/en/webcams/slovenia/goriska/trenta/webcam-trenta-view-splevt-pihavec-and-prisojnika/
Kobarid:
Kobariški stol: hribi.net/spletna_kamera/stol_kobariski/1881
Kobarid: https://www.whatsupcams.com/en/webcams/slovenia/goriska/kobarid/kobarid-view-kobariski-stol/
Tolmin:
Volče: https://www.hribi.net/spletna_kamera/volce/2336
Tolmin: https://www.hribi.net/spletna_kamera/tolmin/1775
Most na Soči: https://www.whatsupcams.com/en/webcams/slovenia/goriska/most-na-soci/tourist-farm-siroko-webcam-most-na-soci/
COMMON FLIGHT PATHS
Most popular launches in Soča valley are probably Kobala and Stol. From Kobala you can do about 30 km out and return XC flight to Krn doing some ridge soaring on the hills above Soča river, without bigger valley crossings. The next step is crossing the valley in Kobarid and connecting Stol ridge. If you follow the ridge all the way west you come to Gemona. An out and return flight from Kobala to Gemona should log over 100 km. It is usually flown so that you fly with east wind in the morning and return with west wind in the afternoon.
If you choose not to stick to the first line of ridges over Soča river and fly north you enter the area of highest mountains of Julian Alps. Flying here is more tehnical, with stronger conditions and less options for big, clean landings – fly carefully and plan your flight carefully!
If you launch from Kanin or Planja you can make a nice FAI triangle by flying south-west to Boka waterfall, conect Polovnik ridge, fly over Krasji vrh to Svinjak and land back in Bovec. On good days, you can fly from Boka north to Viš, Montaž and Mangart and then return or go east and straight into the heart of Julian Alps. If the cloud base is high enough you can even be blessed by seeing Slovenias highest mountain – Triglav from above.
There are a lot of different options and strategies to consider when flying in central Julian Alps, just remember that bombing out in narrow valleys with limited options for landings can be very dangerous. But don’t worry, even if you are a beginner you can still have an awesome panoramic flight from Mangart or Kanin, as the big height difference between launch and landing will give you plenty fly time.
WHEN TO FLY
Local pilots fly all year round in Soča valley but if your main goal is XC flying anytime from May to September is OK. The cloud base is highest and thermal activity is strongest in the spring, but vertical overdevelopment and storms are more frequent. In the middle of the summer days are the longest and conditions are usually more stable. In the autumn the thermals get weaker and inversion becomes more frequent, but choosing takeoffs with high altitudes (eq. Mangart or Stol) will enable you to do some nice local soaring or even a decent XC flight. Good XC flying days in winter are rare and north wind is frequent, but panoramic flights over the snowy Julian Alps are amazing!
When thinking about access to takeoffs keep in mind that there is a lot of snow high in the mountains during and around winter time. For example, the road to Mangart is usually covered with snow until June and even the road to lover laying Kobala can be icy at the top in April.
RULES
In Slovenia paragliding is only allowed in G class airspace, where all standard VFR rules apply. In Soča valley the limit is 2900 MSL. See the VFR chart for entire Slovenian territory here: https://sffa.org/sites/default/files/filecontent/00_vfrspredaj_17_sc_web.pdf.
According to safety regulations by CAA (click), level 4 is required for local unsupervised flying and level 5 for XC flying. Pilots with no IPP card or with IPP stage below 4 can only fly under supervision of the instructor.
Official free flying frequency is 147.800 MHz. Rescue team often informs pilots about the arrival of a rescue helicopter on this frequency. Respect the notices and retreat from the area of rescue in time! Instructors and group leaders must monitor the situation and notices at the official freeflying frequency!
The emergency number in Slovenia is 112. In case of emergency, call the number and give a full description of the situation including exact position, type of emergency, help needed, other possible communication possibilities including mobile phone numbers, radio frequencies (147.800 MHz). Every emergency including every reserve opening, tree landing even without need for help should be reported to 112 with a clear statement of the situation – even if no help is needed – to avoid unnecessary rescue operations.
More details and documentation on flying rules can be found on SFFA website (CLICK).
In the area of Triglav national park you are not allowed to fly less than 300 meters above terrain. Launching and landing is also forbidden, with exceptions of take-offs Mangart (Bovec) and Vogel and Vogar (Bohinj).
RECORDS
In 2018 Bojan Gaberšek, Jošt Napret, Primož Suša nad Dušan Orož hold the record for farthest paragliding out-and-return distance flight. They launched on Sorica (sout-east part of Julian Alps), flew over big mountains between Tolmin and Bohinj, connected Kobariški Stol to Gemona and turnesd around west of Dolomites. They were in the air for almost 10 hours!
Nicole Fedele holds the female record for farthest paragliding out-and-return distance on a similar route and a record for fastest speed in a paraglider over a 100 km out-and-return course with a flight from Kobala to Gemona and back.
SHUTTLE SERVICE
In Bovec I recommend that you contact local club or tandem companies to help you with finding a shuttle. In Kobarid contact guesthouse Jelkin Hram (CLICK) and in Tolmin best bet is to call to Camp Gabrje (CLICK).
REPAIR SHOPS
If your wing suffered some damage and you want it repaired you can alway turn to local pilotes and companies to help you, but if the damage is extensive you will need to visit a repair shop. There is no repair shop in Soča valley, but the closest are: Kimfly in Vodice, Tomat Šport in Nova Gorica and Stenar in Dražgoše.
-https://www.kimfly.si/
-https://stenar.si/
-https://tomatosport.si/si/
WHERE TO SLEEP
If you like camping go to camp Gabrje – it has a nice landing field right next to it and is packed with paragliders and paragliding activity. It is located close to Tolmin. Camp Siber is also located in Tolmin and has a landing very close to it.
Paragliding center Jelkin Hram is located in the breathtaking village Drežnica above Kobarid. The guesthouse can hold up to 33 guests and the owner will be happy to accommodate you with all paragliding-related requests.
If you plan to use private apartments I recommend you look up the offer and availability on booking.com, but contact and make reservations with owners directly. That way you will probably get a better deal and also make the owners happy. Be sure to make the reservations well ahead of time, as accommodations in Soča valley can be packed full in the high season.
TANDEM PARAGLIDING IN BOVEC | BLOG | CONTACT
Copryright © 2023, By Flying Bear Paragliding