Chamrousse - l'Aiguille / la Croix
📍 Rhone-Alpes , Departement de l'Isere · Nearest city: Livet-et-Gavet (5 km)
63 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 1813 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
45.13010, 5.88341Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-04-20 13:20 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Día muy favorable para XC, base de cúmulos ~973 m, viento 10 km/h.
base ~973m · wind 10 km/hCondiciones marginales, base de cúmulos ~719 m, viento 16 km/h.
base ~719m · wind 16 km/hDía volable, condiciones decentes, base de cúmulos ~1375 m, viento 9 km/h.
base ~1375m · wind 9 km/hDía muy favorable para XC, base de cúmulos ~1141 m, viento 9 km/h.
base ~1141m · wind 9 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 63 at 16h
- Cobertura nubosa >85% — sin radiación para disparar
- Cloud suck alto (100/100) — base bajo freezing con CU
⏰ Useful window: 14:00 – 15:00
| 08 35 ☁️⚠️ | 09 40 ☁️⚠️ | 10 50 ☁️⚠️ | 11 50 ☁️⚠️ | 12 45 ☁️⚠️ | 13 45 ☁️⚠️ | 14 45 | 15 45 ☁️⚠️ | 16 63 ☁️⚠️ | 17 48 ☁️⚠️ | 18 45 ☁️⚠️ | 19 53 | 20 50 |
Peak 16h: CAPE 20 J/kg · LI -0.4 · BL top 1370 m · w* 0.0 m/s · cloud base 2513 m · 0°C at 2810 m · Pro score 68/100 · sun 24° over slope
2026-04-21⚠️ Marginal · peak 60 at 16h
- Día muy estable (CAPE<50, LI>2) — sin térmicas
| 08 30 ☁️⚠️ | 09 30 ☁️⚠️ | 10 30 ☁️⚠️ | 11 55 | 12 55 | 13 30 | 14 35 | 15 35 | 16 60 | 17 55 ☁️⚠️ | 18 50 ☁️⚠️ | 19 55 | 20 55 |
Peak 16h: CAPE 10 J/kg · LI 3.6 · BL top 1180 m · w* 0.0 m/s · cloud base 2550 m · 0°C at 2810 m · Pro score 67/100 · sun 25° 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: 16:00 (peak of the day)
Surface T: 9.5°C · Td: 3.9°C
LCL (cloud base): 700 m
BL top: 1370 m
0°C level: 2810 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 | 4 km/h W | gust 19 | 9 km/h W | gust 25 | 10 km/h NW | gust 26 |
| 2026-04-21 | 4 km/h NW | gust 31 | 9 km/h NW | gust 29 | 8 km/h NW | gust 27 |
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) | 9 | High |
| 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
> l'Aiguille: alti: 1840m; on a little hill, just above 'Recoin' village. > 'la Sapiniere' lies a little lower/ to the NW and is used if 'Aiguille' is in clouds. > la Croix: alti: 2250m; near the cable car, on the sky station summit. good grass shield. 3 take off, 2 landings, 600 m to 1800 m flying .
Rules and notes
Specific National Park regulations in les Ecrins, starting 15 km SE Overlying the zone between the cablecar/ Chairlift below 300m/ agl NOT allowed!
Pilot comments
XC: la Croix is often easier to XC start than l'aiguille take-off, especially when inversion is high. Might be big XC start to the East, but it's tough, narrow valleys with wind. it's THE site when you finish your job, at the end of the day. You can make beautifull cross-country in 'Belledonne' mountain, in the north. It's often possible to hitch a ride from the LZ
Nearby sites
Croix de Chamrousse (56) · Le Murier 4 Seigneurs (31) · Col de Freydane (54) · Le Grand Replomb (67) · Lac de Crop (54) · Saint Hilaire du Touvet (64)