10 DAYS IN THE CAUCA VALLEY

COLOMBIA Mauricio Orozco cruising in the Cauca Valley

Photo: Cody Tuttle

10 DAYS IN THE CAUCA VALLEY

Colombian 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

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.

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. Roldanillo is 85km north. The valley wind can flow in either direction here, unlike in the Alps where it only flows upstream, so pick the right day to attempt it. The valley has pastureland so unless you’re deep in the mountains, the main hazard to choosing a landing is the power lines.

Heading south 30km as far as the town of Florida is fine, but beyond that are marijuana- and coca-growing regions controlled by conflicting forces, so best avoided. Triangles rather than straight lines are the way to test yourself in the Cauca.

Retrieves here are harder than around Roldanillo as Santa Helena is off the main trunk road. Unless you’re with a group it can be difficult to get back.

The small cafe and flying HQ at Ansermanuevo

Photo: Ed Ewing

Ansermanuevo

North of Roldanillo is Ansermaneuvo. It’s very dear to me. That’s where I learned to fly. My first thermal, first XC, first tandem, and first little crash were all here. It’s an amazing beginners’ site, and more protected from Pacifico winds. You can still be flying at 4pm. There’s a perfect grassy take-off and a cafe on launch with a couple of rooms, so you can even sleep there. It’s only 500m above the valley but it has very reliable thermal sources and the landing is big. You can top-land and have a drink at the cafe before flying again or you can go big. I hold the site record from here at 174km. The scene isn’t as vibrant as Roldanillo but you’ll still meet other pilots and it’s easy to catch a jeep to take-off.

Again airspace is an issue here, as it is throughout the Cauca. After some careful negotiation, free-flyers have been granted tentative concessions, but they change, so speak with local pilots about the latest NOTAMs to make sure you don’t break the fragile permissions in force.

Apia

Head north again and just before the regional border is Apia. Every year in February there’s a flying competition there, and Apia itself is a beautiful town. There’s a rich history of coffee culture with period buildings with wooden balconies dating back 100 years. The town is in the mountains and the take-off isn’t far away. It’s from here that I broke the Colombian record with a 213km flight. The locals have carved out a really nice launch area, which is good for beginners. The geography keeps it slightly protected from the Pacifico, but it still comes in so follow local advice. If you’re up to date with the airspace and the valley wind direction, you can fly south 200km to Florida.

A cloudy day in the Cauca Valley

Photo: Cody Tuttle

The valley wind

Flying XC either north or south along the main valley ridge in the mornings you have to watch out for how much valley wind there is, and its direction. The valley has lateral spines that collect thermals, but even though the wind is rarely strong on the valley floor, its effect can create rotor on these spines if you’re low, and they can trap you or worse, give you a battering on the way to bombing out. It’s important to read what’s happening from the air, so keep one eye on the ground.

From the air, it’s usually easy to see the Pacifico coming in. A line of cloud sweeps across the sky clearing everything away leaving cloudless blue skies. So keep your other eye on the sky. When this tailwind sets in, visualise the rotor it will create as you plan your route along the valley.

Practicalities

From Europe, connecting flights from Madrid, Paris, Frankfurt and Munich will get you to Cali (at the southern end of the valley) or Pereira (close to Apia in the north), via Bogota. From there, use the bus network if you’re on a shoestring, or hire a taxi for about €30/hour travel.

November to March are the high season, but the flying can be good in July and August too, although this is often overlooked as many pilots are in Europe then. The high summer temperatures of 30-35C are cooled by the Pacifico, so don’t be put off.

Interview by Andy Pag