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In short: The best day of the week, let's go big! We will be at the south side of a high-pressure system centered over Germany. This brings drier and cooler air to our area. At altitude, we still expect westerly winds, but quite weak in the afternoon, only 5-15 km/h, maybe 20 km/h at 4000 m. Thermals should be stronger than today, at a 2.5 m/s average (today was indicated with 1.5 m/s), up to 3400-3600 m, where cumulus clouds will form. The air in our area is drying, so no overdevelopment is expected, as well as no rain in the main valley and to the north of it. There is a small chance for some isolated showers to the South-East of us. The plan is as usual: Get up by 9:30/10:00, be ready for a 10:15 task briefing. We expect to set a big task, get enough rest! Next update at 8 tomorrow morning.

Task distance: 35.8 km Launch window: 11:15 Race start (SSS): 12:15 Status: Task stopped due to incoming rain in the east — but with most pilots already safely on the ground A Short Window, A Fast Task Today's weather only offered a narrow window to fly, so the task committee opted for a short but punchy task. It turned out to be exactly the right call: a compact 35.8 km course that delivered fast, tactical racing and a goal field full of smiling pilots. Conditions Before the start, cloudbase sat low at around 2300–2400 m, gradually building through the morning. By the time the start gate opened at 12:15, cloudbase had climbed to roughly 2700 m — enough to give pilots a solid position for the start. The clouds themselves developed quickly, and staying clear of cloud base in the final minutes before the start proved tricky for the field. The Route Out of the start, the task led west along the ridge to the first turnpoint, then out into the valley for the second. From there, pilots faced the day's first real tactical choice: take the longer line along the high ridge, or push the shorter, lower ridge line toward turnpoint 3. The leading gaggle chose the low route — but arrived at the crossing point undercooked, leaving the valley crossing to turnpoint 4 with only around 2300 m. That decision would go on to define the entire race. The Key Moment The chasing group played it safer, topping up to around 2800 m before committing to the same crossing — a difference of roughly 500 m that proved decisive. On the other side, the leading gaggle pushed for the ESS on the south side of the valley first, but their thin altitude margin forced them to cross back to the north side in search of lift just to reach ESS and goal. Not everyone made it — several pilots landed just a few hundred metres short of the ESS cylinder. The chasing group, by contrast, arrived with height to spare and could fly the optimised line straight to the ESS without any detours — closing, and in many cases erasing, the gap to the leaders in the process. The Finish With rain moving in from the east, the task was eventually stopped — though by that point the vast majority of the field was already on the ground. A well-timed call all around: the short window was used to full effect, producing a fast and genuinely exciting racing task. Most pilots came into goal with a smile. Results: Overall: 1. Morane Montavon 2. Lars Meerstetter 3. Martin Kubicek Sports Class: 1. Stefan Bahn 2. Raphael Oerer 3. Thierry Stoll Women: 1. Violeta Jimenez 2. Agnieszka Zaborowska 3. Martina Hauri Juniors: 1. Thierry Stoll 2. Nicola Heiniger 3. Jean Morisetti Fotos: Martin Scheel

A quick 35 km task to Piz Ner and back. Livetracking: https://lt.flymaster.net/bs.php?grp=7409

It's less humid and foggy/cloudy than expected, which is great. Wind at 3000 m will be around 10-15 km/h from WSW. Higher up it increases to 20-30 km/h at 3500 m, and 25-35 km/h at 4000 m, from SW. With a cloud base predicted at 2800-3000 m, we do not expect flying up there. Down low it's calm, with the regular valley breeze from East to West. Rain and small thunderstorms in the afternoon, to the South of us, from around 15:00. The northern side should remain dry for most of the afternoon. Thermals will be weaker than on Wednesday. Top values then were given at 2.5 m/s (that's an average, of course we always find stronger lift somewhere), and today only with 1 m/s. Let's go up with the 9:30 & 10:00 gondolas, and be prepared for a 10:15 task briefing.

Wir bedanken uns ganz herzlich für die konstruktive Zusammenarbeit! Dank der Swiss Sportclinic und dessen Team dürfen wir auf eine bald zehnjährige Testreihe von Leistungsstests im Ausdauer- und Kraftbereich zurückblicken und auch immer wieder mal medizinischen Rat holen. Die Athletinnen und Athleten hoffen, dass wir euch Hike&Fly und die Faszination Gleitschirmfliegen näher bringen konnten!

After a cloudy but mostly dry day today, we see a good chance for a task tomorrow: The pressure increases in the north, to a difference between Zurich and Lugano of up to 6 hPa before noon, and then starts to drop again, but will influence the weather here throughout the day: Accelerated valley wind, and drier, cooler and more stable air flowing in. At 3000 m, the wind starts out from West, and turns towards NW throughout the day, at around 15-20 km/h. At 4000 m it turns more towards SW and reaches up to 35-40 km/h. We will see some low, fog-like clouds in the morning, but they should dissolve between 10 and 11. Cumulus clouds above, with a cloud base at around 2800 to 3000 m. The thermals will be weaker than yesterday. There is a risk of rain to the South of us, where more humid air arrives from the South-West. The northern side of the Rhine valley should remain dry. Therefore, the plan for tomorrow: go up with the 9:30 / 10:00 cable car, be ready for a briefing at Caischavedra middle station at 10:30. The next update follows tomorrow at 8:00, to confirm the timing, or announce adjustments should the forecast change drastically. P.S. Saturday still looks fantastic!

The main theme for yesterday was "finally flying a task". Given the wind (Sout-West to South up high, North-West low pushing in as an amplified valley breeze), the options were limited. So we opted for a classic with a twist: Flims and back - but with a few modifications: - While the pilots were free to choose their line for the leg to Flims (around the Nagens area), we set four turnpoints on the way back, leading them out towards Ilanz, then back towards Crap Masegn, then out to Brigels, back up to the top of the mountain behind Brigels (La Cauma) before the End of Speed Section around Piz Dado to the East of Brigels. - With the wind coming in over the Lukmanier pass, landing in Disentis was not an option, so we set the goal in Trun, 10 km down the valley. The total distance was 69 km. The day started out with good thermals up to about 3300 m, more cumulus clouds than anticipated, and a noticeable drift towards the north up high. After the start it took the fastest pilots less than 45 minutes for the 34 km to the first turnpoint in Flims. But then conditions changed. From the second turnpoint onward, pilots rarely managed to climb above 2700 m, and the closer they got to the last two turnpoints near Brigels, the more difficult climbing became in general. The leader at that time, Lars Meerstetter, arrived in Brigels below 1800 m, and had to take a detour to Piz Dado to get up again, which took him 17 minutes. The following group arrived 8 minutes later in Brigels, and found a climb between La Cauma and Piz Dado. Nicolas Poncelet was the first at the last turnpoint, and secured the fastest time with a clever move to ESS behind Piz Dado, beating Lars by 2 minutes. Only, this was not enough to overcome Lars' leading point advantage. Behind the leaders, the pilots who had managed to make more altitude before flying into the Brigels area had an easier time reconnecting and getting to the final turnpoint, but as Lars had demonstrated, with patience and skill, even getting up from quite low worked out. The climbs were quite rough at times, due to the mix of wind directions - due East on the ground in Brigels, South to South-West higher up. In the end 46 pilots made goal, and all but four were already on the ground when the task was stopped due to a shower east of Disentis. Winners Overall: Lars Meerstetter (Switzerland) Women: Lene Spaarwater (Chile, 8th overall) Sports Class: Frédéric Monnet (Switzerland, 7th overall) Junior: Jean Morisetti (Switzerland, 3rd overall) All photos by Martin Scheel.

Tomorrow brings a lot of clouds all day long, and rain from around noon. We do not see any chance for a task, and cancel the day. We do not give up on Friday yet, and Saturday will be really good.

Endlich scheint das Wetter zu passen! Der Task ist gesetzt und schickt die Pilotinnen und Piloten von Disentis nach Flims und im Zickzack zurück nach Trun. Wir dürfen gespannt sein!

From what we see right now, tomorrow Wednesday will be the best day of the week: - A slight north over-pressure will build up over the next hours, so the Föhn is gone - At altitude, the wind stays from SW, maybe turns a little more towards S, but slows down to 15-20 km/h at 3000 m. Above that, it will still be around 25-30 km/h - While the rest of Switzerland will see early over-development, we are somehow protected, first rain should reach our area around 17:00 to 18:00. - Good thermals from around 11:00, with few Cumulus clouds form 12:00. Base at 3400-3700 m Therefore, we run the "normal" program: Get up to the middle station with the 9:30 or 10:00 cable car, and be ready for a 10:15 task briefing. Outlook Right now Thursday looks rained out, Friday still very moist. But with the experience of the last few days, I believe that there is still a considerable chance for an improvement and tasks on both days. Saturday should be a good flying day in any case. Next update tomorrow morning at 8:00.

While the pressure gradient dropped (which should reduce the wind), we are now right at the front of a trough moving in from France. This accelerates again the South flow. It's not a classic Föhn, but the winds at 3000-4000 m are expected to be from 30-40 km/h all afternoon. Marc says in these kinds of conditions the locals would fly only early in the morning, towards the East, and land early. We don't think a task will be possible under these conditions. Therefore the task is cancelled. If you want to fly, go up early, and remember our Mantra: Trun by Noon! That would be L02. It could also be Brigels (L11), or even Ilanz (L12) if you're fast. But be aware that the wind up high will be considerably stronger than yesterday, and the wind in the valley will turn eventually from normal valley breeze (East to West) to the reverse (West to East) and become very gusty. Raphael will send an update on alternative activities shortly. The outlook for tomorrow is definitely better, with much less wind. Next update tonight at 20:00.

The low-pressure trough to the west is developing as expected, splitting off and moving South to the Mediterranean. This will turn the pressure situation across the Alps around Wednesday night. For tomorrow, we can expect the same pattern as the last few days, with a few improvements: - SW winds up high, around 15-25 km/h - South wind entering the Rhine valley from the southern passes, starting with Lukmanier (the one to the south of Disentis), then successively further east. This will neutralize the valley breeze probably all the way down to Ilanz. The effect should be less than the last two days, though. - Thermals starting around 10:00, improving steadily, up to 3300-3500 m, blue at first and only a few CU in the afternoon. - Thunderstorms are expected to happen mainly in western Switzerland, our area should stay dry and unaffected by Cb. With these conditions, we should be able to fly at least to Flims. Preliminary plan: 9:00 Cable car for the task committee 9:30/10:00 Cable car for the others From 9:15: Coffee, croissants and tracker at the middle station 10:15: Task briefing Next update tomorrow at 8:00

Today The forecast today predicted a day very similar to yesterday: Southern over-pressure + strong heating of the Rhine valley, leading to air coming over the Lukmanier pass to Disentis, and later also flow out of the southern valleys further to the East. Plus a high chance for thunderstorms from around noon, in general everything a little faster than yesterday. To compensate that, we cut the planned task in half, only to Brigels instead of Flims. But before we even held the 10:00 task briefing, the wind in the Disentis landing hat already switched to South - 2.5 hours earlier than yesterday. This was most likely caused by the rain cell to the South that had started dropping its load a little before - also much earlier than predicted. So we had (light) Föhn, and the major risk factors (wind out of the Southern valleys, thunder storms) much earlier than expected - and therefore cancelled the task. About half the field went up for a flight. Launch was demanding, with switching wind direction and gusts - we think it would not have been possible to get the whole field in the air in time for a fair race. Several pilots opted to take the chairlift back down. Those who did fly found good lift, for some up to 3000 m, and the run to Trun (safety landing) or even Brigels for those who dared flying the task was quite quick. Landing in those places was gusty, but OK. Those few who pushed on to Ilanz had to work a bit to get down in bumpy and windy conditions. Since then conditions have calmed down in the sky - no more rain cells building up. The South wind is still quite strong here in Disentis and further down the valley. I think cancelling the task was the right call today, to leave enough safety margin for pilots who have less experience with flying in this area and in these kinds of conditions. I'd be interested in hearing what you, the pilots, think about that. Outlook As mentioned yesterday, conditions are quite volatile and difficult to predict. Every model has a different view on the upcoming days, and that view also changes from run to run. My impression for the rest of the week: Tuesday: Latest forecasts now see the Southern over-pressure diminish tomorrow, and the air is drying out, which means mainly blue thermals, but also no more risk of thunderstorms. I think we will be able to fly a one-way task towards the East tomorrow. Wednesday: Higher pressure to the North, at least at ground level. At altitude, the SW winds will stay with us a little while longer. Thunderstorms may develop in the second half of the day, but an early task towards the East should be possible. Thursday: NW winds at altitude, normal valley breeze, risk of thunderstorms in the early afternoon. If those get delayed a little bit, we will have a great flying day. Friday: NW winds at altitude, more clouds, weaker thermals, risk of thunderstorms in the late afternoon. Could still be a (slower) task day. Saturday: SW winds at altitude, sunny, with cumulus clouds, could be another good day. Next update tonight around 20:00

Task 7, der letzte Lauf des Weltcups, begann unter unsicheren Vorzeichen: Gewitter waren für den Nachmittag angesagt, und die Organisation reagierte sehr abgeklärt und richtig. Gesetzt wurde ein 70-km-Task mit einem Gegenwind-Schenkel, gefolgt von einer zickzackförmigen Wendepunktfolge zurück über die Berge. Die Bedingungen waren extrem stark, der Tag entwickelte sich zu einem der schnellsten Läufe der ganzen Woche: Starke Bärte bis 6 m/s integriert und effiziente Ridge-Linien erlaubten dem Spitzenfeld ein beeindruckendes Tempo. Ferdinand Vogel ist zusammen mit Michael Gierlach ausgebrochen, die beiden erwischten die Thermik des Tages und sicherten sich den Tagessieg! – Sie legten die 70 km in nur 1:30 Stunden zurück, im Schnitt fast 47 km/h, und haben dem grossen Verfolgerpulk ganze 7 Min. abgenommen, was uns allen einen Streicher verpasste. Glück für mich, denn ich konnte ein gutes Resultat hervorziehen und rutschte dadurch auf den dritten Platz! Für mich war dieser letzte Tag der Höhepunkt eines konstant starken Weltcups. Bereits am Vortag gelang mir im entscheidenden Moment ein Laufsieg, der mich gleichzeitig für den Superfinal nächstes Jahr in der Schweiz qualifizierte. Mit dem Ergebnis von Task 7 stand am Ende fest: Platz 3 im Overall – hinter Baptiste Lambert und Martin Jovanovski. Bei einem Teilnehmerfeld mit rund 120 der weltbesten Piloten ist das mein persönlich bestes Resultat der Karriere. Auch für Andy Aebi war es ein besonderer Weltcup: Nach 18 Jahren Wettkampfpause gab er sein Comeback und beendete Gemona auf Rang 12 – eine sehr starke Leistung, Hut ab. Andy hat ein super Mindset und ist ein sehr angenehmer Teampilot, der mich die ganze Woche motiviert hat, gross zu denken. Das hat sicherlich auch einen Einfluss auf mein Top-Resultat. – Danke Andy! Nun blickt das Schweizer Team nach vorne: Als Nächstes steht die Europameisterschaft in Nordmazedonien an, und wir reisen mit einem starken Team und grossen Ambitionen an. Am Sonntag, 09.08.26, geht es los – drückt uns die Daumen :)

Those of us who flew today experienced good thermals early on, with some bumpyness whenever we crossed an inflow on the opposite side of the Rhine valley. The wind turned and became turbulent in Disentis shortly after noon. Landing in Trun was a good option, Ilanz would have worked until after 14:00. Forecast for Monday, August 3rd Very similar to today: Slight south over-pressure of 2.5-3 hPa around noon, leading to the "reverse valley breeze" pattern we saw today. The weather will be better to the south, so it should be a little less pronounced. Winds at altitude from W to SW, at 15-20 km/h. Moderate thermals from early on, assisted by the unstable air coming in. Blue until noon, then Cu at 3000-3200 m, moving up with increasing thermal strength to 3400-3500 m. A moist layer at 3400 m will slow down convection at first, and delay Cb build-up. First towering Cu are expected around 14:00, with Cb and thunderstorms from 15-16:00 Overall a moderately good which we will do our best to take advantage of. We'll have to be early for that - details at the General Briefing. Outlook for the rest of the week Tuesday: An incoming trough increases the risk of thunderstorms, from around 15:00, so another early task could be possible. Strong thunderstorms in the night to Wednesday. Wednesday: The moisture from the previous night might lead to early over-development and another rained-out day. But with a trough, you never know... Thursday to Saturday: As the trough moves away, we should see drier days with longer flyable windows, the question is mainly by when this will happen. Next update: Monday, 08:00

Good morning! Yesterday's report has been confirmed. In addition, first thunderstorms in the Vals/Ilanz area are now expected as early as 13:00 (see the attached forecast)- their outflows could make landing in Ilanz challenging. A quick and early flight, landing in Trun (L02) by 13:00 looks like the best option under these circumstances. Choose wisely!

Hello and welcome to the first meteo update for the 2026 Disentis Open, in preparation for tomorrow's training day. Overall, after the passing of a weak cold front and an inflow of a little cooler air from the North today, the wind will turn back to South-West, bringing increasingly hot air to the Alps over the next few days. This air brings a lot of instability, which is great for thermals, but also great for thunderstorms, especially in the Alps. Tomorrow we expect a sunny and hot day in the Disentis area, with highs around 32°C. The wind will be mainly from the South-West, with 20-25 km/h at 3000 m and above at noon, dropping to 10-15 km/h in the afternoon. An inversion at around 2000 m should be heated through by noon, giving way to moderate thermals up to about 3000 m, which will increase both in strength and altitude in the afternoon, up to about 3500 m. The problem is the wind down low: While the South-North pressure gradient is a moderate 2-3 hPa, the strong thermals in our area combined with cloudy, rainy weather to the South of us leads to shallow overflow over the nearby passes. This will increase throughout the day, as thermals increase. Instead of the usual valley breeze, flowing East to West, we expect increasing winds from the southern valleys flowing down the main Rhine valley, West to East, with increasing turbulence, especially where those side valleys enter the main valley. There is also a chance for thunderstorms in the afternoon, as early as 13:00, mainly to the South and East of us. Recommendation for Sunday You fly at your own risk! If you feel that the conditions are OK for you, get your ticket at HQ early, at 9:00, take the 9:30 cable car and then chairlift to launch and take off as soon as possible. Consider landing in Trun (L02 - a short walk to the train station) or after 12:00 in Ilanz (L12 - a bit of a walk to the train station). Watch out for over-development and expect the wind to go in the "wrong" direction at the valley floor. Be on the ground again by 14:00 at the very latest. Given the conditions, we will not set a training task. If you feel up for it, check out the wildlife protection zone X05, next to waypoint B09. I personally would not recommend crossing the main valley towards the South. I will give another update tomorrow at 8:30.

Nach 18 Jahren wieder an einem Paragliding World Cup an den Start zu gehen, weckt viele Erinnerungen. Früher gehörten Wettkampfberichte fast schon zur Pflicht – umso mehr freut es mich, heute wieder einmal einen Beitrag für die Swiss League schreiben zu dürfen. Vielen Dank an Roger für die Gelegenheit. In Gemona sind inzwischen sechs Tasks absolviert. Nach dem wetterbedingt abgebrochenen Auftakt folgten mehrere anspruchsvolle und spektakuläre Rennen. Task 4 führte über 97 Kilometer mit langen Talquerungen und extrem hohem Tempo. Der Start verlief perfekt, doch eine einzige falsche Linienwahl vor der ersten Wendemarke machte aus einer Spitzenposition innert Minuten das Schlusslicht. Zwar gelang es, den Rückstand im Mittelteil fast vollständig aufzuholen, doch kurz vor dem Anschluss an die Spitzengruppe ging erneut ein Thermikzyklus verloren. Im Endanflug kostete ein Umweg um ein Wildschutzgebiet weitere Zeit. Vier Minuten Rückstand bedeuten auf diesem Niveau bereits einen Rang um Platz 50 – eine schmerzhafte, aber wertvolle Lektion. Am fünften Task über 102 Kilometer war nach den Erfahrungen vom Vortag etwas mehr Geduld gefragt. Die etwas konservativere Taktik zahlte sich aus und führte zu einem erfreulichen 12. Rang, direkt hinter Roger Aeschbacher. Task 6 über rund 80 Kilometer fühlte sich dann erstmals wieder an wie früher. Von Beginn an gelang der Anschluss an die Spitzengruppe, die Linien passten und das Vertrauen war zurück. Doch genau hier zeigte sich das unglaubliche Niveau des Weltcups: Zwei oder drei zusätzliche Kreise in einem guten Thermikschlauch reichten bereits aus, um den Anschluss an die Führungsgruppe zu verlieren. Eine kleine Entscheidung – und die Chance auf ein Spitzenresultat war dahin. Mit einer offensiven Aufholjagd resultierte am Ende Rang 21, weniger als zwei Minuten hinter dem Sieger. Das zeigt eindrücklich, wie eng das Feld zusammengerückt ist. Zwischen einem Top-Resultat und einem Platz ausserhalb der Top 20 liegt oft nur eine einzige taktische Entscheidung. Für das Schweizer Team sorgte Roger Aeschbacher am sechsten Task für das Highlight. Mit einem nahezu perfekten Flug sicherte er sich souverän den Tagessieg – herzliche Gratulation! Der Weltcup in Gemona zeigt eindrücklich, wie hoch das Niveau heute ist. Fehler werden sofort bestraft, gleichzeitig macht genau das den Reiz dieser Rennen aus. Nach 18 Jahren Pause wieder Teil dieses Feldes zu sein und sich mit den besten Pilotinnen und Piloten der Welt zu messen, macht riesigen Spass. Jetzt bleibt noch der letzte Task – und die Hoffnung, den Weltcup mit einem weiteren gelungenen Rennen abzuschliessen.