Free flight, 230 pilots challenge each other on Montegrappa in paragliding and hang gliding – Corriere.it

Hundreds of kilometers of free flight for 230 people around Monte Grappa. From Wednesday until Easter Monday in the provinces of Treviso and Vicenza there is the Montegrappa Trophy, which for more than thirty years has brought the greatest champions of free flight to challenge each other. For the 2023 edition, number 37, they are expected 150 paraglider pilots and – after years of absence – 80 hang gliders which, during the 5 days of competition, will kick off exciting aerial «regattas».

The final classification, given by the sum of the results of the five heats (the route complete with “buoys” that are marked with the GPS is defined every morning), allows you to obtain a score valid for the world ranking. A good prelude in view of the World Cup scheduled from 20 May to 3 June in Chamoux-sur-Gelon (Camosso), in France. Confirmed the presence of the Italian Joachim Oberhauser, world champion 2021and of the British Russell Ogden currently in office.

The departure takes place in two phases: pilots have about an hour to take off and position themselves in the sky near the virtual starting line. At the moment established by the organization they can cross the line all together and start the race. The driver who completes the route in the shortest possible time results in the winner of the day.

The sum of the scores will establish who wins the various medals, divided among the “absolute”, “serial”, “sport” and “feminine” categories based on the certifications of the various pilots.

The Montegrappa Hang Gliding Trophy has existed since 1982, the Paragliding Trophy since 1990. It is one of the most famous competitions in the world, both for its longevity and for the technical content of the competition and is recognized by the International Aeronautical Federation. TO Borso del Grappa, in the Treviso areain fact, the particular meteorological conditions and the almost vertical precipices of the area allow it development of updrafts allowing flights lasting even a few hours. Therefore, the ease with which you can reach the various take-off points on the southern slope of Monte Grappa makes the area ideal for the discipline together with the presence of landing areas considered excellent from a safety point of view.

The official landings for the 2023 edition they will be in San Giacomo in Romano d’Ezzelino, Garden Relais, Paradiso and San Pierin in Borso del Grappa. The official take-off points are on the Antennae di Rubbietto in Conco-Lusiana, Col Campeggia in Romano d’Ezzelino. The flights, bad weather permitting, are scheduled every day from noon to about five in the afternoon; the pilots will be visible from the Asolani hills to the Vicenza hills (Malo, Monte Carega and Monte Pasubio to the west) for tens of kilometers of sky.