Aiguille du Midi -S / N
📍 Rhone-Alpes , Departement de la Haute-Savoie · Nearest city: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (5 km)
61 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 3593 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
45.88070, 6.89602Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-04-20 13:22 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Día volable, condiciones decentes, base de cúmulos ~1343 m, viento fuerte (26 km/h).
base ~1343m · wind 26 km/hDía volable, condiciones decentes, base de cúmulos ~902 m, viento 23 km/h.
base ~902m · wind 23 km/hDía muy favorable para XC, base de cúmulos ~1915 m, viento 14 km/h.
base ~1915m · wind 14 km/hDía volable, condiciones decentes, base de cúmulos ~1051 m, viento 10 km/h.
base ~1051m · wind 10 km/hComposite flyability score (CAPE + LI + wind + precip + low clouds). Cross-check with local pilots before flying.
Detailed hourly weather
2026-04-20❌ Not recommended · peak 45 at 15h
- Cobertura nubosa >85% — sin radiación para disparar
- Cloud suck alto (100/100) — base bajo freezing con CU
| 08 20 ☁️⚠️ | 09 40 ☁️⚠️ | 10 40 ☁️⚠️ | 11 40 ☁️⚠️ | 12 40 ☁️⚠️ | 13 40 ☁️⚠️ | 14 40 ☁️⚠️ | 15 45 ☁️⚠️ | 16 30 ☁️⚠️ | 17 30 ☁️⚠️ | 18 38 ☁️⚠️ | 19 30 ☁️⚠️ | 20 30 ☁️⚠️ |
Peak 15h: CAPE 0 J/kg · LI 1.4 · BL top 1460 m · w* 0.0 m/s · cloud base 3855 m · 0°C at 3490 m · Pro score 63/100 · sun 30° over slope
2026-04-21⚠️ Marginal · peak 50 at 11h
- Cloud suck alto (100/100) — base bajo freezing con CU
| 08 30 ☁️⚠️ | 09 30 ☁️⚠️ | 10 30 ☁️⚠️ | 11 50 ☁️⚠️ | 12 50 ☁️⚠️ | 13 50 ☁️⚠️ | 14 50 ☁️⚠️ | 15 45 ☁️⚠️ | 16 30 ☁️⚠️ | 17 30 ☁️⚠️ | 18 50 ☁️⚠️ | 19 50 ☁️⚠️ | 20 35 ☁️⚠️ |
Peak 11h: CAPE 0 J/kg · LI 3.5 · BL top 940 m · w* 0.0 m/s · cloud base 5018 m · 0°C at 2870 m · Pro score 62/100 · sun 40° over slope
Hourly flyability (0–100). ⛈️ = storm risk · ☁️⚠️ = cloud suck · 🏔️ = active ridge lift. CAPE = convective energy, LI = stability, BL top = thermal ceiling, w* = estimated dry thermal velocity. Source: Open-Meteo (ECMWF/GFS/ICON blend model).
Estimated vertical profile (Sounding)
Reference time: 15:00 (peak of the day)
Surface T: -6.0°C · Td: -8.1°C
LCL (cloud base): 262 m
BL top: 1460 m
0°C level: 3490 m
Approximate profile from surface variables + synoptic levels. Red lines = temperature, dashed blue = dew point. Orange bands = detected inversions.
Wind chart — altitude × time
Color: green < 20 km/h · yellow 20-30 · red >40. Arrows point to where the wind is blowing. Each column = 1 hour. 4 altitudes: 10m surface, 80m first thermal, 1500m (850 hPa) thermal cruise, 3000m (700 hPa) top.
Wind next days (Open-Meteo model)
Wind rose 10m — 2026-04-20
| Date | Morning 08-12h | Midday 12-16h | Evening 16-20h | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-20 | 21 km/h W | gust 71 | 21 km/h W | gust 74 | 21 km/h W | gust 76 |
| 2026-04-21 | 8 km/h NW | gust 46 | 14 km/h NW | gust 60 | 13 km/h NW | gust 66 |
Colors: green < 15 km/h (optimal) · orange 15-25 · red >25 (flying not recommended). ⚠️ = shear >25 km/h between 10m and 850 hPa (potentially broken thermals).
Takeoff orientations
Green = good orientation · Yellow = possible · Gray = not suitable
Why this site has thermal potential
| Factor | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot density (5 km) | 4 | Medium |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.84 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.50 | Slope faces south in northern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Takeoff description
20min (steep) descent from gondola station to TOs; crampons recommended!
Rules and notes
<b>observe flight restrictions: no TO, landing and overflight!</b> (>> see pix) > France - LF R30B: July-August - LF R30A: permanent > Italy: 4.8. - 15.9.2016
Pilot comments
fly the very famous vallée blanche !!!
Nearby sites
Plan de l'Aiguille (Chamonix) (50) · Mont Blanc (56) · Plan Praz/ Brevent (Chamonix) (56) · Flegere (65) · Aiguillette (les Houches) (59) · Mont Lachat (58)