Panchgani - Tableland Crosscountry

The western Ghats are an approximately 1'600 km long mountain range that extends over the Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala and slopes steeply against the coast. An active sub-volcano active in early geological eras has created a plateau where the annual monsoon has devoured extensive valleys. The last remnants of the volcanic plateau are the Tablelands in northern Maharashtra: ideal landing sites after flying. There are countless opportunities for cross-country flights every day and there are still some pioneering achievements to be found.

If there is not much flying in Europe, the Ghats can produce beautiful XC lines. The days are short, but the temperatures with about 25 degrees Celsius at daytime very pleasant. We have our accommodation in Panchgani, a hill station in the District of Satara. The excellent flight conditions, the good transport infrastructure in the state of Maharashtra, the Indian culture and the diverse Indian cuisine as well as the possibilities for Western menus make flying holidays in Maharashtra a special adventure.

The best time to visit Panchgani is in winter from early December to late February. We offer this trip in January, when the prevailing wind direction changes from east to west. During this time, it rarely has clouds and little cross-regional wind. On most days the wind changes during the day, so you can fly supported by tailwind simply flat triangles. It is often between 2'500 and 3'000 meters above sea level a strong inversion that can be cracked now and then. Under this inversion, the air is well stratified so you can get ahead quickly. The visibility is in the lower air layers about 25 km, so you get the feeling after a short flight distance to have already eaten many miles. If you can crank through the inversion, the sky becomes steel blue and the planet Earth suddenly seems very far away… Is this still Sky or even Heaven?

Video: Magiclift paragliding trip to Maharashtra 2017

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