ST HILAIRE / LUMBIN SITE
Two villages separated by high cliffs and a 700-metre vertical drop, but linked by paragliding for over 40 years. – Saint-Hilaire, perched at an altitude of 1,000m, on the Plateau des Petites Roches commune, on the edge of the Chartreuse massif. – Lumbin, a small but growing town in the heart of the Grésivaudan valley, is home to the landing fields.
SAINT-HILAIRE
SAINT-HILAIRE Since the 1st of January, the villages of St Hilaire du Touvet, St Pancrasse and St Bernard du Touvet have been regrouped into a single entity, renamed the Plateau des Petites Roches.
An average-sized mountain village of about 2500 habitants, St Hilaire is situated on a natural spur, that dominates the Gresivaudan valley.
At 2062m altitude, the Dent de Crolles watches over this charming village where la dolce vita reigns all year round.
Thanks to the Coupe Icare, it has become one of the most famous sites for paragliding and hang gliding in the world.
gliding in the world. Particularly appreciated by pilots for the flying potential it offers, it is also an excellent holiday destination for families, due to the divers number of outdoor sports and leisure activities and its proximity to several big cities and ski resorts.
LUMBIN
With a population of around 2,000, Lumbin is situated in the heart of the Grésivaudan valley and is home to paragliding and hang-gliding landing areas all year round.
On either side, the valley stretches from Grenoble to the borders of Savoie, an area with a very dynamic economy, home to a large number of companies in all sectors of activity, and the Grésivaudan is home to the head offices of many internationally-renowned companies.
Over the years, the landing area has developed into a small business zone, home to companies involved in outdoor sports.
The Communauté de Communes du Grésivaudan manages and maintains the FFVL-approved flying site.
The paradise of Free flight
The St Hilaire – Lumbin site boasts a number ofvaluable assets that have made it a benchmark in the world of free flight:
– Altitude of take-off area: 1000 m
– Landing area altitude: 250 m
– 4 fully equipped take-off areas (hang-gliding and paragliding)
– A spacious, easily accessible and well-cleared landing area
– The St Hilaire funicular links the take-off and landing areas (currently closed following a natural disaster in 2021)
– Dynamic associations and paragliding professionals involved in the life of the site
But also proven experience in hosting and organizing “free flight” events. Indeed, since the first delta flight took place in 1974 on the slopes of the Dent de Crolles, the site has been enriched by numerous events: the World Hang Gliding Championships, the European Tandem Championships, the Pari d’Icare (Triathlon Climbing, Caving and Paragliding), the European Paragliding Championships, the “Journées Médicales du Vol Libre”, the Cross Fly Mont Blanc, the St Hil’Air Tour … and continues to regularly host competitions and events related to hang gliding.
During the few days of the Coupe Icare, the villages of St Hilaire and Lumbin become a huge beehive of activity for over 1,200 volunteers from the three villages of Plateau des Petites-Roches and Lumbin, as well as from the valley and much further afield (Paris region, South West France, etc. ….).
THANK YOU!