Roldanillo – Valle del Cauca
Valle del Cauca, multiple-time host of the Paragliding World Cup. To the west, the mountain range; to the east, the vast plain of the Río Cauca. It is precisely this interplay that makes Roldanillo so exciting – you fly between mountains and flatlands.
The perfect venue for the Sportsclass Racing Series – Gin Edition 2026 (January 9–16, 2026).
Here, the weather forecast is largely irrelevant. According to the apps, there is “severe weather” almost every day – which is nothing unusual for this climate zone. If anything, the rain radar has some predictive value.
A decisive factor is the so-called Pacifico. A wind that usually sets in around midday and can become quite strong. When the mountain range around Roldanillo is fully exposed to the sun and producing strong thermals, its onset is delayed, as the rising air holds it back. But as a rule of thumb: the later the day, the farther you look for a landing field toward Zarzal.
Zarzal lies east of Roldanillo and offers several large landing fields that remain manageable even in stronger winds.
In the air, the Pacifico often announces itself abruptly. Suddenly the cumulus clouds disappear, the lift fades. A reliable indicator is the factory near Zarzal – the smoke from its chimney clearly shows direction and strength. The wind is usually felt first in the lower layers. And that made more than one final glide quite exciting.
Arrival and Getting to Know the Area
Right after my arrival, I was able to take off for a beautiful orientation flight. It is always something special to discover a new flying site without competition pressure. Where are the typical trigger points? How does the thermal develop along the ridge? Where are suitable outlanding options?
During the test task on January 9, I continued familiarizing myself with both landscape and airspace. As someone trained in the Alps, the combination of mountains and flatlands is always a fascinating challenge.
January 10 – Task 1 (65.8 km)
The first task led us from Roldanillo along the mountains to La Unión, then out into the plains toward Obando and from there on to Zarzal. A classic mix of ridge flying, flatland thermals, and tactical transitions between mountains and valley.
I scored in goal with 59th place. A wonderful flight that left me wanting more – exactly what you need at the beginning of a competition week. It set a positive tone for the days ahead.
January 11–12 – Rain from the Pacific & Tejo
Unfortunately, a larger weather system formed over the Pacific to the west, repeatedly sending rain our way and grounding us for the next two days.
I used the time to get to know the country and its people more closely. Among other things, I tried Tejo, Colombia’s national sport.
When I first heard about it – throwing metal discs at clay boxes, explosions triggered by gunpowder, and plenty of Aguardiente – I had to laugh. It sounded more like a village festival than a sport.
The next day we stood there ourselves. The disc flies, hits a small gunpowder-filled target – and explodes with a bang. Music, laughter, and schnapps all around. An experience you do not forget anytime soon.
January 13 – Task 2 (approx. 63 km) – The Fail
Highly motivated and encouraged by the first flights, I decided to fly more offensively. Less unnecessary climbing, more distance. I wanted to launch early to be airborne well before the start window opened.
But things turned out very differently.
I had to abort my first launch attempt and landed in the mud – and after the rainy days, there was plenty of that. Back up to launch. Second attempt – again no clean takeoff.
Imagine the situation: you are standing at the front, nearly a hundred pilots behind you waiting to launch – and you mess up a second time.
Frustrated, I lined up again at the back. On the third attempt, I ended up in the mud once more. By then, most pilots were already airborne.
Only on the fourth (!) attempt did I finally get a clean launch.
I found myself far behind the main gaggle, low and searching for thermals. After about fifteen minutes, I managed to catch up somewhat and move toward the start cylinder. But there I made another mistake and soon found myself on the ground near La Unión.
I had to watch my fellow competitors glide toward the next turnpoint above me.
Not my day. But a lesson learned.
122nd place.
January 14 – Task 3 (83 km) – The Highlight
After the frustration of the previous day, I consciously lowered my expectations. The forecast looked promising, the task was set at 83 km – and it turned into a magnificent ride.
As so often, we launched straight into cloud base. I was able to hold my position well and tried to stay with the leading gaggle. I reached the first turnpoint in the front midfield.
Before the second turnpoint, I struggled to keep up and had to fight my way forward. After rounding it, the leading group had already pulled away, and I found myself among the chasers.
Heading north toward the turnpoint near Obando, I managed to break away slightly with two other pilots. We pushed on together toward La Victoria.
And that is where I made my mistake: I stayed in a thermal far too long. While I was still circling, pilots from behind caught up – and simply ignored the climb, pushing on.
I was higher.
But not farther.
What followed was full speed ahead. A clear cloud street lay in front of me, strong thermals, a perfect line. It was pure joy to pick a direction and resist the temptation to take every climb. I was able to regain several positions.
Ahead, however, a rain cell was building just off our route. Impressive, almost majestic – but the shading did not promise good thermals. The only option was to stay on course and hope to pass it in time.
Shortly before the southernmost turnpoint – at the factory near Zarzal – I spotted over fifty vultures circling. A reliable indicator of lift.
With a loud cheer, I joined my feathered colleagues and tanked up on height to reach the turnpoint safely.
From there, it was back toward Zarzal and westward into the end-of-speed section. But it became tense again – initially I did not have enough height for goal. I was also concerned that the Pacifico might already be pushing in the opposite direction near the ground.
In the shade, there was hardly any lift left, and I fought my way northward. Then suddenly it brightened slightly.
In front of me, vultures were circling again. That was the ticket to goal.
One last climb – and I glided straight into goal.
46th place.
What a flight.
The fact that my camera had only recorded the last ten minutes could not dampen the joy – even though a few photos from that day would have been nice.
January 16 – Task 5 (75.8 km) – Sugarcane
In the morning, the first patches of blue appeared in the sky. Anticipation for a good flying day grew. The task was set at 75.8 km.
But the clearing progressed slowly, and shadows increasingly spread across the valley. It was clear: this would be tight.
After launch, the gaggle stayed along the western slopes of Roldanillo, trying to push northward from the start cylinder. I struggled to keep up with the leaders and soon found myself in the rear midfield.
We continued along the mountain range to La Unión. From there, the leading group turned into the flatlands toward La Victoria. Progress was slow. I tried to fly with a sufficient height reserve but consequently fell further behind. My hope was that more aggressive pilots would land early and that the day might stabilize.
But that improvement never came.
With effort, I reached Obando, where I circled for what felt like an eternity with vultures over the town in weak thermals. There I rejoined a few pilots from the leading gaggle who were also struggling.
I managed to reach the first turnpoint. But the day was already advanced, and shadows approached from the west that would soon end the task.
With the remaining height, I headed toward the second turnpoint, hoping at least to tag it. Below me stretched the wide green plain of the Cauca Valley, almost entirely sugarcane. No significant thermals left. Survival mode.
At around twenty meters above ground, I managed to reach the turnpoint, immediately turned back on task direction – and seconds later glided into what looked like “shorter” sugarcane. On touchdown, I realized the stalks were about three meters high.
The following one-hour march through the sugarcane fields cost another round of sweat. But that, too, is part of flying here.
Conclusion
Once again, I was fascinated by the diversity of Colombia and grateful for the opportunity to explore these beautiful places from the air and on the ground with friends. Despite the rainy days, I look back with joy, as they also offered the chance to exchange ideas with pilots from all over the world and share our passion for paragliding.
My goal was to finish in the top 50 – which I achieved with an overall ranking of 46th.
Regardless of the final ranking, it is the impressions, experiences, and encounters of these days that remain. Colombia is simply captivating.
Congratulations to the winners of the SRS Gin Edition 2026!
Dot in the sky 