If you are planning a day trip from Marrakech around a paragliding flight, the first thing to know is the ratio. You book a quarter of an hour in the air and give up half a day for it. The drive, the climb to the ridge, the kit, the wait for the right air and the packing of the wing all take longer than the flight. This article follows that half day in order, as it runs with our crew at the Aguergour launch, so you know when to leave your riad and what to bring.
The day before: the air sets the time
You send us the date that suits you, and we reply with the time that fits the conditions on that day. Nobody fixes a slot blind three weeks ahead. In summer we take off early in the morning. In spring and autumn, late morning and late afternoon are the gentlest.
The exact time comes with your confirmation, once the forecast has been read. If the wind rules out flying, you hear from us the evening before or that same morning, and the flight is postponed or refunded. There is a separate article on how we read the sky over Aguergour, since the sky runs the whole programme. No date yet? Drop us a line and we will talk it through.
The drive: leaving Marrakech to the south-west
Aguergour lies about forty kilometres south-west of Marrakech. From the medina, allow 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic on the way out of town. You take the Lalla Takerkoust road, then follow signs towards Aguergour. The last stretch is a decent track that an ordinary car can manage, and we send the exact GPS point with your confirmation.
If you would rather not drive, a return transfer from Marrakech can be arranged as an extra: mention it when you book. The price and what it covers are set out on our page about where, when and what it costs.
The meeting point and the 4x4 ride
You meet us at Aguergour. From there a 4x4 climbs to the launch, on the ridge above the village. The ride is included in the flight and gives you a first look at the terrain: Lalla Takerkoust lake appears below, and you can pick out the wide open field where you will land.
Twenty minutes at the launch: kit and briefing
Up top, preparation takes around twenty minutes. The pilot fits you with a harness and helmet in your size, then clips the carabiners, which are locked and checked out loud before you go. The briefing comes in French, English, Spanish, German or Arabic. It takes two minutes on the slope because there are only three things to remember:
- keep walking forward without stopping;
- keep your head up and look ahead;
- do not sit down until the pilot tells you to.
Then you may have to wait while the pilot watches the wind on the slope and picks the moment. Most of the nerves gather here, which is normal. If you change your mind at the top, you ride back down with us and the flight is not charged.
The flight: ten to fifteen minutes
The wing comes up, you walk three or four steps and the ground drops away. Flight time varies with the day’s air, between ten and fifteen minutes. Those minutes get their own article, because a paragraph would not do them justice: what it actually feels like in the air, from the noise of the first seconds to the quiet that follows. Our page on the tandem flight in Marrakech also goes through them one by one, from take-off to final approach.
After landing: packing up, your footage, the way back
You land at a walk in the field below. The pilot packs the wing while the adrenaline fades, and this is usually when the questions start. If you asked for the flight footage when booking, you get it on a memory card after landing. The pilot films with a pole from the wing, so your hands stay free.
What remains is the trip back up to the vehicle and the road home. Door to door, it all adds up to half a day. Leave Marrakech early on a summer morning and you can be back for lunch. Avoid wedging the flight between two tight appointments, because the time can shift with the air.
What to bring
You need very little, since the wing, harness and helmet are provided.
- Closed shoes. They are compulsory, as you run a few steps at take-off.
- Trousers rather than a skirt.
- One more layer than you would wear in town. It is a few degrees cooler in the air even in summer, and a light jacket makes all the difference, especially for your hands.
- A pocket that closes for your phone. Anything dropped in flight lands in a field or the lake and stays there.
Tell us in advance about any heart condition, weak back, pregnancy or recent operation. Depending on the case we will adapt the flight or advise you against flying. Passengers need to weigh between 30 and 100 kg.
Coming as a group
Up to eight people can fly in the same morning, usually in waves of two or three depending on how many pilots are available. Give us the exact number when you book. Children can fly from 30 kg, with the agreement of a parent who is present on site. In a group, those waiting stay on the ridge and watch the others take off, so the morning runs a little longer.
One or two days’ notice is usually enough to book. In April and October, and on school holiday weekends, allow a week.
