Paragliding Sonnwendstein Ost Erzkogel

The launch site is located 750 meters south of the mountain station, otherwise, it's a hike & fly taking approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. This site is occasionally used for soaring and leisure flights, with some potential for cross-country flying. For landing, you need to navigate around the corner as there is no direct landing spot below. Fly high over the trees, then turn left to find a suitable landing area. Region: Mariaschutz - Austria. The site record is 4.5 km with a southwest launch site below the transmitter. The Erzkogel is a conical hill situated 500 meters south of the main peak. The entire hill is steep, making it challenging to lay out a paraglider, especially in snowy conditions. The launch site is safe for takeoff with winds from the northeast to southeast. However, if the wind is strong from the north, you may find yourself launching in the lee, which can make it difficult to reach a meadow due to increased sink rates. With a bit of wind, a slight impulse is enough to take off quickly. However, the control phase is short, and aborting a launch is difficult due to the steep terrain. Once airborne, avoid flying into the spruce trees at the end of the hill and head immediately along the eastern slope to the north side to reach the landing area or thermal sources. The eastern side of Sonnwendstein is a steep, initially sparsely wooded area with large gravel fields that heat up quickly, allowing for thermal flights as early as 10:00 AM in spring. Thermals here can reach up to 9 m/s, and sometimes evening thermal flights are still possible. Sonnwendstein is the last flying mountain of the Vienna Basin to the west. Its isolated location often spares it from dense fog during winter, making it a popular spot. In spring, the mountain can be thermally active with climb rates exceeding 5 m/s. However, it is not as reliable as Hohe Wand or as intense as Rax. In summer, such thermal conditions are usually only possible immediately after a cold front passes. For beginners and infrequent flyers, Sonnwendstein is only suitable outside the winter months to a limited extent. Sonnwendstein is a rather inconspicuous mountain that blends seamlessly into its surroundings and is visited by few pilots. This is likely because infrequent flyers prefer Hohe Wand, and more experienced pilots favor the more aggressive Rax. Despite this, the mountain offers beautiful flights for the average pilot. The steep, mostly wooded slopes provide good sun exposure during the thermally active season, creating thermal flight opportunities from late morning. The prevailing valley wind on the north side allows for soaring. In spring, flights with more than 1000 meters of altitude gain are possible. With this starting height, Sonnwendstein is also suitable for cross-country flights, with the entire Mürztal valley to the east. In winter, when the surrounding area is shrouded in gray, Sonnwendstein often offers a last bastion of undisturbed flying weather. While the entire Vienna Basin is foggy, the landing area of Sonnwendstein remains accessible due to its elevated position, allowing for enjoyable (albeit cold) flights during typical winter high-pressure conditions. Sonnwendstein is not entirely inactive in winter. From the southwest launch site, it is possible to catch weak thermals or soar even in mid-December. Overall, Sonnwendstein is a beautiful flying mountain, but it demands a certain level of skill from pilots. Most launch sites are straightforward, and the thermal conditions are manageable for an average pilot. However, the landing area can be tricky due to stronger valley winds and its inclined nature. Mastery of planned landing approaches and flexibility are advantageous. In west and southwest conditions, cold air outflow from the Mürztal valley can occur, indicated by strong ground winds on the nearby highway. This does not always mean a storm at the landing site 500 meters away, but such surprises should be anticipated. Wind conditions can be easily determined from the air by observing the flags at the highway rest station in the valley. Walk and Fly: Starting point: There are two options: either from the former lift station via the Gebirgsjägersteig (approx. 2 hours without gear, longer with gear), which winds up the north side and occasionally crosses the old lift route. The second option is to take the lift to Hirschenkogel and then follow the ridge path (approx. 1 hour with gear). If more people want to fly, you can arrange a shuttle with the owner of Polleres Hütte.