Planpraz (Brévent)
What can you see ?
A dramatic flight that offers sumptuous views of Mont Blanc (Europes highest mountain) and the glacier des Bossons (Europes largest icefall).
How do we get to take off ?
We meet at the foot of the mountain and take the eight person gondola for a seven minute ride up to Planpraz, several minutes walk later & we arrive at our take off area.
Why Planpraz ?
Planpraz, often referred to as Brévent, is one of France’s first paragliding sites and has been the starting point for hundreds of thousands of flights for almost forty years. The site was well chosen as it is sheltered from most prevailing winds and with two different take off directions it offers the best chance of having suitable weather conditions so as to be able to launch. Apart from being an ideal venue for tandem discovery flights, Planpraz attracts many experienced visiting pilots from all over the world and also novices learning to paraglide.
How do we fly
Once at take off we make a short but clear briefing and then it is time to equip ourselves and to fly. The Planpraz take offs are gentle and after a short run we are airborne , flying high over the pine forest, taking in the dramatic views of the surrounding mountains before briefly flying over the town of Chamonix and eventually our landing field set close to the bottom of the lift for winter flights or near the town centre for summer flights.
Every flight is different and every passenger has different desires , our job is to be attentive to you requirements & offer you the most suitable flight possible. We usually explain how to fly the paraglider & hand over the controls if conditions permit and for those who wish we can make some acrobatic manoeuvres – or just a peaceful smooth flight.
You are welcome to bring your own compact camera (with secure leash) or , with prior notice, we can provide video footage for a supplementary fee.
Schedules
Summer : Flights at 8h45, 9h45, 10h45, 11h45, 12h45. (occasionally we fly in the afternoons however conditions are optimal in the mornings and less reliable in the afternoons)
Winter: Flights at 10h,11h,12h,13h,14h,15h.
1000m vertical descent, ax 20 mins flight time. Allow one hour for the whole activity.
Online discount rate: 140€ . Valid for advance reservation requests via our website with non credit card payment.
Credit / debit card payments incur a 4€ / person surcharge.
If you wish to pay by card, please notify us when making your reservation request & we will send you a secure payment link.
Last minute / Telephone reservation rate: 150€.
Credit card payments incur a 4€ / person surcharge.
If you wish to pay by card, please notify us when making your reservation request & we will send you a secure Pyapal payment link.
+ lift ticket (17€50) if you do not have a skipass or day multipass .
Online discount rate applies for booking requests made online prior to 18h the day before the flight. Late requests made online after 18h the day before the flight or by telephone are charged at the normal rate.
Booking a flight
If you are flying with friends , with sufficient notice, we can usually arrange for extra pilots so that you may fly at the same time.
It is best to book to fly at the earliest opportunity during your stay in Chamonix so that we may postpone if the weather is initially adverse.
The Planpraz gondola usually operates from mid December to mid April, then mid June to mid September. Outside of these dates we fly from the Plan de l’Aiguille.
Special notes to consider for Summer season flights.
In the summer , conditions are generally calmer early on and more thermic later. 8h45 or 9h45 is often the best time to fly.
Under 40kg passengers must fly early (8h45) before the winds increase.
95kg is our limit for males , 80 kg for females. You must be particularly athletic once above 80 kg (70 kg female), though it also depends a little on age & how the weight is distributed !
