DESTINATIONS
10 DAYS IN THE CAUCA VALLEY
C
olombian distance record holder and paragliding guide, Sebastian Ospina works as a professional tandem pilot in Europe during the summer, but when winter comes he heads back home to the Cauca Valley, famous for the site at Roldanillo, but also home to a few lesserknown flying gems. He gives us the lowdown on this unique flying destination.
Roll over Roldanillo
COLOMBIA Mauricio Orozco cruising in the Cauca Valley Photo: Cody Tuttle
62
Everyone knows Roldanillo, but I don’t think it’s a place for low airtime pilots with 50-100 hours. The Cauca Valley has valley thermals that start early, but the Pacifico, a wind from the north, sweeps in later in the day. It cuts the day short but an inexperienced pilot can misread the nice breeze coming up take-off and launch into some very uncomfortable air. For beginner pilots there are better sites in the Cauca Valley that offer just as much great flying. They have good infrastructure, and you will always find other pilots there. Sometimes you have to pay a small site fee.
CROSS COUNTRY TRAVEL GUIDE 2020 COLOMBIA
Piedechinche
If you’re landing in Cali, at the southern end of the valley, then just an hour away is Santa Helena, a small town with a nearby launch at Piedechinche. It’s a low take-off with a big grassy area and not too much wind, and a nice house thermal out in front. It’s sheltered from the Pacifico, so you can fly all day, and if you bomb out you can get back up to take-off quickly again by hitching a ride with one of the tandem operators or in a private taxi. It can get a bit rowdy in the middle of the day, but for beginners it’s awesome. In town there’s a small paragliding scene and most pilots stay at a hostel called Siga la Vaca (literally “Follow the Cow”). The hostel can arrange shuttles. The whole valley is realising the value of welcoming paraglider pilots. You’ll find restaurants with menus translated into English, and people rent out their homes to pilots. It’s cheap and some pilots stay for months. Flying cross country from here, there are airspace restrictions to be aware of.
