UP Team Pilots Sandra Huber and Peter Bossert explored Morocco by paraglider. Here is Sandra’s account of their experience.
"The sound of the waves and the anticipation of the day ahead wake me up. Today the wind is supposed to be perfect for soaring along the cliffs. It’s still early - I head out to the rooftop terrace, where I can look out over the sea. The wind is still blowing slightly offshore, the sun is peeking over the hill, and the landscape is bathed in golden light. I enjoy the peace and the pleasant flutter in my stomach that comes with a promising day of flying.
Now the rest of our group is waking up too, and it’s time for breakfast. Since the wind isn’t expected to pick up until around noon, we take it easy in the morning. We drive to our favorite café in Mirleft, the Tifawin Café. Here they serve the best Berber omelets and m’smen, the traditional Moroccan pancakes. Fresh fruit juice, coffee, and Moroccan tea are, of course, a must.
At the little shop on the corner, we stock up on water, almonds, dates, and other delicacies before setting off. Our first destination: Aglou Beach, about 45 minutes away. The drive there alone is an adventure - we maneuver our two rental cars along sandy roads toward the cliffs and find the starting point relatively easily. It’s now almost noon, and we can already feel the first light breeze on our faces. But we still need a little patience. We sit down in the small restaurant on the cliff - and I mean right on the cliff. A narrow path leads a few meters down the rock face, where a few rooms have been carved into the stone. Hidden inside is a small kitchen where the friendly owner whips up some Moroccan tea and coffee for us. It’s a great place to wait.
But it doesn’t take long, and the promised wind arrives. We unpack our kites and play around on the ground in the still-light wind. There’s so much space here - the perfect spot for groundhandling. In the meantime, many other pilots have arrived and are also playing with their wings on the ground. Thanks to the expansive terrain, that’s no problem. We let our paragliders pull us across the desert and kite back and forth until our legs get tired. Just in time, the wind picks up - time to let our legs dangle.
Pete is one of the first pilots to dare to launch over the cliffs. His SUMMIT X, UP’s 2.5-line wing from the upper EN-B segment, handles the now stronger wind with ease. The wind is now blowing at about 30 km/h WNW and remains nice and steady; the wind direction is just right. I get ready too and hook up my MANA 18 - the predecessor to today’s KAILASH. The small wing, which is still very large for my weight, impresses with a successful compromise between maneuverability and passive safety - exactly what matters to me when soaring. It’s a blast flying up and down the coast with it. Behind us lies the vast expanse of the sand and stone desert; below us, the waves crashing onto the beach. The view is majestic, and flying over it gives you an incredible sense of freedom. The cliff is so expansive that all the pilots are well spread out - the many colorful paragliders in the air look to me like a flock of dragons from a fantasy movie. And me right in the middle of it - simply incredible.
The tide has now pushed the water so far forward that there’s barely any beach left. It would be disastrous to crash into those massive waves. The risk is too great for us - we pack up and drive the good 30 minutes south to Nid d'Aigles.
The Eagle's Nest (which is what "Nid d’aigles" translates to) is a well-known soaring spot. A good half-kilometer inland from the coast rises a steep chain of hills that creates perfect soaring conditions when the wind is from the northwest. Even from a distance, we see the sky filled with colorful gliders high up in the air. The final climb takes us up a road riddled with potholes - adventurous, but doable. Once at the top, a charming restaurant with a concrete launch site awaits us. Hotel rooms are also available, and many pilots stay right here.
We don’t waste any time and get ready to launch immediately. The wind has picked up considerably, and the takeoff requires a fair amount of concentration. The atmosphere at the launch site is excellent - everyone is helpful. As I pull my glider up and the wind lifts me off the ground, two pilots rush to help right away. A wonderful sense of camaraderie, no competition - you feel at ease and welcome. With the wing under control, I take off. Nervousness and adrenaline give way to relaxation and pure joy. I glide along the ridge; I immediately gain altitude and am soon many meters above the ground. Thermal currents join the dynamic updraft - high up and farther from the cliff, you can climb even higher. The view of the sea and the colorful rocky landscape is impressive. It has rained exceptionally heavily in Morocco this year, and so the desert is literally blooming, with many green bushes and colorful flowers. Flying this high above the coast is truly something special - good thing we have our front containers with us. Without a reserve parachute, this would definitely be too high.
The wind is getting stronger and stronger, and I decide to land. I’m able to touch down right at the launch site at Nid d’Aigles - not exactly easy; you have to fly over the buildings and the space is limited, but with a few tips from the experienced local pilots, it’s definitely doable. My friends have landed too, and it’s time for one of the restaurant’s magnificent pizzas from the stone oven.
By now, there are almost no pilots left in the air, as the wind has already exceeded 40 km/h. Now it’s the perfect playground for parakites - and Pete is having fun in these conditions too, using my MANA in size 18. For him, it’s like a miniwing: in strong winds, the high wing loading allows him to perform maneuvers like wingovers, loops, and spirals. How convenient that we can handle such varied conditions with a single wing. After every maneuver, the strong updraft shoots him straight back up into the sky. A seemingly endless game.
But slowly the sun is setting and the wind is dying down. The atmosphere at sunset on the Nid d'Aigles is unique: The light turns golden, the sky turns pink, and the vastness of the sea seems even more endless. Over a drink on the terrace, we lose ourselves in the beauty of this landscape.
For the perfect ending, we drive back to Mirleft and stop at our favorite restaurant, Karma Love. The extremely friendly owners whip up a fantastic dinner for us featuring tagine, couscous, and other Moroccan delicacies. The hospitality of the people here is truly unmatched.
Exhausted from all the new experiences and physical exertion, but overjoyed, we fall into our beds. We don’t have to wait long to dream of soaring - good winds are already forecast for the next day. We look forward to another exciting day in the soaring paradise of Morocco."