Local Flying :: Tende
:: Introduction
Tende is at the end of the Roya valley, about 50km north of Nice. It lies very close to the boundaries of the Mercantour national Park, which must not be overflown by paraglider (except at >1000m AGL).
There are two main sites: Cagnorina is just above the town itself, and Col de Tende is a few kilometres north of Tende, right on the Italian border. The col can be flown on either the south or the north sides.
:: Access
From Nice, take the A8 east to Ventimiglia, and join the N204 through the Gorges de Saorge to Tende.
Cagnorina: From Tende, take the road for La Pia, and follow the “Parapente” signs to take-off. (This is about a 15 minute drive). You will pass a stadium on the way up, which can be used as a landing area in early mornings or evenings, but becomes too turbulent for use during the day.
Col de Tende: Turn immediately left after the Tende tunnel on the N204. Cross the “3 Amis” station, and climb up to the col on a good road (30 minutes from Tende).
:: Maps
- IGN Serie Vert 1:100 000 map 61, “Nice Barcelonnette”
- Michelin Carte Routière et Touristique, 1 :200 000 map 245, ” Provence Cote d’Azur “.
- IGN ” Top 25 ” (1 :25 000) map 3841 OT.
:: Take-offs and Landings
Take-offs
| Name / Orientation | GPS co-ordinates | Altitude (m AMSL) | Notes |
| Cagnorina SW S SE | 44°05′56″N - 07°35′60″E | 1100m | Cagnorina is a good soaring site with dynamic wind. It can get strong in the middle of the day. It is easily top-landable, or you can land just below. Early or late in the day it is possible to land in the stadium, but due to wind sheer and turbulence this is not advised during the main part of the day. |
| Col de Tende, Fort Central. S | Soaring and thermic site. Wind is strong in the middle of the day. Good XC potential. Land on top, or just below, but don’t go too far down where it could be turbulent. | ||
| Col de Tende (Italian side) N | Soaring and thermic site. In good conditions, XC tours of the whole ski station are possible. Land on top or on the ski pistes (but watch out for the cables and ski lift machinery). |
Landings
| Name | GPS co-ordinates | Altitude (m AMSL) | Notes |
| Cagnorina | 44°05′56″N - 07°35′60″E | 1100m | Land on top or just below. |
| Col de Tende | 1850m | Land on top or just below. | |
| Stadium | 800m | This is a 100m x 50m area, which is flat but surrounded on all sides. Beware of turbulence and wind sheer here - the club do not recommend anyone to land here except for early mornings or evenings. |
:: Useful Numbers
| Name | Tel / Radio frequency | Website / Email |
| Club Roya Parapente. 17, avenue du 16 septembre Bar des Sports 06430 TENDE |
Maurice & Jean-Marc Baldi. Tel 04.93.04.61.17 |
http://www.royaparapente.ffvl.fr/ Email desvallees@ti.com |
| Office de Tourisme, Haute Roya. 1 Place Gen. De Gaulle, 06430, Tende-Val-Des-Merveilles. |
Tel 04 93 04 73 71 | http://www.tendemerveilles.com/ Email info@tendemerveilles.com |
:: XC Routes
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Fly from Cagnorina to Col de Tende via Mt Court (1719m).
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Maurice Baldi did a 60km out-and-return from Col de Tende to Sospel on 18th September 2003
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Laurence Viard’s out-and-return from Monaco to Mt Vaquet isn’t too far from here, and avoided the Mercantour National park by keeping to the Italian side of the border. (Fly with a passport!)
:: Other Activities
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Vallée des Merveilles. Bronze-age (2500 - 3000 BC) rock carvings are found on rocks in the open-air along this valley.
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Outdoor activities such as walking in the Mercantour, Via Ferrata, Canyoning, climbing, mountain biking.
- Visit the Monastère de Saorge. The monastery of the reformed Friars Minor of the Observance, founded in 1633, is one of the only remaining historic buildings of this order in the Nice region. The cloister is decorated with 17th century frescoes illustrating the life of St Francis of Assissi. Opening times vary according to the time of year. For more information, telephone 04 93 04 55 55 or see http://www.monum.fr/.
- Tende has many historic buildings, as well as the Musée des Merveilles (the museum for the ancient stone carvings that can be seen in the Vallee des Merveilles). For more information of the museum, see http://www.museedesmerveilles.com/.
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