Paragliding at Saint-Hilaire — Your Base Camp in the French Alps
Paragliding at Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet has been at the heart of French free flight since the very first hang glider launched here in 1974. The site sits on a 1,000m plateau above Grenoble, on the eastern edge of the Chartreuse massif, with three launches between 890m and 940m and a 700m vertical to the landing field at Lumbin. Four massifs are visible on a clear day.
It’s arguably the most reliable paragliding site in the northern French Alps. The Chartreuse blocks most Atlantic weather systems from the west, while Belledonne covers the eastern exposure. As a result, Saint-Hilaire flies when other sites in the region are grounded. Whether you’re here for your first tandem flight, a week of XC coaching, or a season of acro training, the site delivers.
Fly Saint-Hilaire is your English-language guide to everything paragliding at Saint-Hilaire has to offer — flights, coaching, travel logistics, and local knowledge from instructors who fly here every day.
Paragliding Saint-Hilaire — What's On Offer
Whether you’re a first-timer or an experienced XC pilot, Saint-Hilaire has something for every level.
Tandem Flights
Four tandem paragliding flights available from €75, operated by Prevol Parapente — the school that has been flying this site since 1986. No experience needed. Discovery, Evasion, Performance, and Kid flights available throughout the season. Coming from Grenoble? Saint-Hilaire is just 30 minutes away.
→ Tandem Flights
→ Grenoble visitor guide
Beginner Courses & Coaching
Prevol runs beginner courses, progression stages, thermalling clinics, and XC coaching throughout the season, with English-speaking instructors available. A standard 5-day initiation course starts from €760. Day coaching is also available for visiting pilots who want to get the most out of a single day on the site.
XC Flying
One of the best cross-country launchpads in the French Alps. Classic routes link the Chartreuse ridge to Belledonne, the Bauges toward Annecy, and the Vercors to the south. On 23 April 2021, Jonathan Marin flew a 324km FAI triangle from Saint-Hilaire — accompanied by Maxime Pinot and Baptiste Lambert, 2023 and 2025 Paragliding World Champions.
Gear & Checks
Wingshop has been providing paraglider inspections and repairs on the plateau since 2004. A professional check before flying is strongly recommended — particularly after a winter break or before a serious XC week.
Why Saint-Hilaire Paragliding Stands Out
The geography does the work. The Chartreuse massif acts as a natural barrier against the dominant westerly weather systems, while Belledonne covers the eastern exposure. Consequently, the plateau stays flyable in conditions that ground pilots at other sites across the region.
Thermals build reliably from spring through autumn. Morning glass-offs give way to organised thermal cycles by mid-morning. Moreover, the €5 shuttle between the Lumbin landing field and the plateau runs throughout the flying day — which means most pilots stack four to six flights in a single day without thinking twice.
The result is a site that attracts every kind of pilot. School students and tandem passengers fly alongside top-ten ranked acro pilots using the shuttle for repetition. XC pilots plan crossings to Belledonne and the Bauges. Hike-and-fly pilots head into the Chartreuse in October when the crowds are gone and the mountain feels like it belongs to them again.
Coupe Icare
Saint-Hilaire has been a cradle of free flight since 1974 — the same year the Coupe Icare was born. Every third week of September, the plateau hosts the world’s largest paragliding festival. Over 100,000 visitors attend across six days: costumed flights, aerial demonstrations, the Icare du Cinéma film festival, and a trade show with 230-plus exhibitors. The 2026 edition runs 15–20 September.
If you’re planning a paragliding trip to the French Alps in September, build your schedule around it. Accommodation on the plateau books up months in advance.
Getting to Saint-Hilaire
Saint-Hilaire is 30 minutes from Grenoble by car, 45 minutes from Chambéry, and 1h20 from Annecy. Grenoble has a direct TGV from Paris in 3 hours and its own airport with seasonal European connections. Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport is 1h30 by road, with a direct shuttle to Grenoble station.
Without a car, take the B line tram from Grenoble centre then the 85 bus up to the plateau. When the flying shuttle runs, the C11 from Grenoble station to Lumbin connects directly with the 305 shuttle up to launch.