Page 74 - Cross Country Travel Guide 2019

SOUTH AMERICA

Colombia’s Hot Spots
Colombia is a travel hotspot, and rightly so.
This magnificent country takes in Andean

mountains, Amazon jungle and Caribbean
coastline in one beautiful sweep.
The first stop for paraglider pilots is
Roldanillo, in the Cauca Valley. This broad
agricultural valley is defined by two ranges of
hills, providing a beguiling mix of mountain
and flatland flying with several flying sites.
Roldanillo has the most pilot-friendly
infrastructure for independent pilots.
If you are looking to rack up hours of
airtime, finessing thermalling and top-landing
skills, then Bucaramanga further north is the

perfect spot. With a hostel on the launch, you
can’t get closer to take-off.
Don’t take off in the backwind at Rolda (it’s
dangerous), avoid those juicy looking (diesel-
powered) sugarcane-fire thermals and carry
your helmet when hitching – the motorbikes
are more likely to pick you up.
cloudbasecolombia.com, thenesthostel.com
Photo: Jorge Atramiz

Peru’s Urban Jungle

Whether you are travelling through on a
longer journey, or flying in and out of Lima
on a trip to the Andes, make time to visit and
fly the unique site that is Miraflores. Because
while much of this city of nine million
people is urban sprawl, this coastal section
is a breath of fresh air. The site became
pilot-famous years ago, when photographs
of soaring tandems brushing a wingtip on

the glass front of the Marriott hotel were
first published. Now taking a tandem flight
here is a regular “must-do” on TripAdvisor’s
noticeboards.
Launch is a small grassy urban park. Below
it is a four-lane highway, so make sure there
is a soaring wind before you fly here. For solo
pilots it can be intimidating as the tandem

businesses take precedent, but show your
licence, make friends and you’ll soon be in
the sky for one of South America’s most
unique free-flying experiences.
aeroxtreme.com
Photo: Loren Cox

74 CROSS COUNTRY TRAVEL GUIDE 2019 SOUTH AMERICA