Page 58 - Cross Country Travel Guide 2019

Aksaray
Slap bang in the middle of Turkey, Aksaray
(Hasan mountain) hosted the Paragliding

World Cup in 2018 and offers access to some
epic flatland flying – and the mountains
beyond. On a dormant 3,000m volcano, the
take-off is at 1,950m ASL – about 500m
above the flatlands below. A road leads
from nearby Aksaray – which has plenty of
accommodation options and is 75 minutes
from Nevşehir Cappadocia airport – to
launch. The drive takes 45 mins. Launch
faces N/NW.
Strong meteo winds are rare, but if it is
strong, you can get blown back into the

caldera, which isn’t active but is far from
ideal. There is a second, 200m launch on a
nearby hill which can take a S. Also nearby
are the fairytale landscapes of Cappadocia.
Fly NW and you can view from above the
Ilhara valley, Ürgüp, Göreme and Avanos, all
within 50km. Best time is May to September.

Photo: John Stapels

Ayaş

To the west of the Turkish capital, Ankara,
Ayaş (Kumludoruk hill) was the starting point
for a flurry of 200km and 300km flights last
summer as pilots from around the country
travelled to the area to take advantage of a
period of peak conditions. In general, it offers
excellent flatland XC potential, particularly to
the south – the site record stands at 328.8km
The west-facing take-off, accessible via

a dirt road and about an hour’s drive from
Ankara, is about 300m above ground level and
conditions are optimal (and smooth) from late
June until early September.
There is a large, friendly paragliding
community to Ankara and, through them,
arranging transportation, site briefings and
retrieves is relatively simple.
Photo: Dora Göksal

For more information on any of these sites,
contact Turkish competition pilot Dora
Göksal who will put you in touch with the
best local contacts: gdgoksal@gmail.com

58 CROSS COUNTRY TRAVEL GUIDE 2019 TURKEY