Western Macedonia, Mount Askio: two launches with opposite aspects, open valleys without fences and thermals almost all year round. The site of the Greek championships and of Pre-PWC 2024 — six flyable days in a row with tasks up to 106 km.

Ask about dates Format and price All destinations

May–Sep

trip window

€1 150

Guiding format, from

1 : 4

one guide per four pilots

thermal / XC

route level

SkyAtlantida › XC trips worldwide › Greece

Site

Siatista: numbers, not impressions

Analipsi-Galatini launch

1270 m

south-west, “the easiest in the area”, asphalt, 10–20 minutes from Siatista

Vellia launch

1730 m

north-facing, dirt road; for days with a northerly meteo wind

Askio

summit 2111 m

a ridge of about 30 km, landings in open valleys and gentle hills

Airports

Thessaloniki 146 km

~1.5 h on the Egnatia motorway; Kozani 28 km away — regional flights

Launch-to-landing vertical

300–1100 m

a guide for our sites; the exact launch is chosen from the forecast

Duration

9 days

Trip window

May–September

Meeting hub

Siatista

the country's hub, not a fixed launch — we pick the valley from the forecast about a week before departure

Level

thermal / XC

Photo gallery

What it looks like

Photos from our XC trips · 1 pictures

Why fly here

What this place gives you

Strengths

Two launches with opposite aspects — Analipsi (SW) and Vellia (N): we fly in southerlies and in strong northerlies alike
Landings — open valleys and gentle hills with a minimum of fences, good mobile coverage across the area
At Pre-PWC 2024 six flyable days in a row produced tasks from 44.8 to 106.5 km — 386 km in a week
The site is recognised by the PWCA: Pre-PWC 2024 and a World Cup round planned for 2027

What is dangerous here

There is no helicopter rescue service in the region — a live tracker is mandatory
Summer heat: the average July–August maximum in Kozani is 29.6 °C, the record 41.2 °C — strong thermals and overheating at midday
Vellia works on days with a northerly wind — then the south-western Analipsi is in the lee
Kozani airfield 28 km away and the Polyfytos reservoir to the south-east — airspace restrictions and landings near water are covered at the briefing

Routes

What people fly here

Pre-PWC 2024 tasks (17–24 August): 53.4 / 44.8 / 70.0 / 58.6 / 106.5 / 52.8 km — along the Askio ridge and into the open valleys of Western Macedonia.

Competitions. The Hellenic XC championships — 2022, 2023, 2024 (combined with the Pre-PWC: 47 pilots from 13 countries), 2025 (with the Hungarian Open). The World Cup round has been moved from 2026 to 2027.

Format

Dates, price and what is included

Guiding

€1 150per pilot, EUR

Guiding + stay

€1 480twin/shared for the whole trip

Group

4–8 pilotsratio 1 guide : 4 pilots; a second guide joins the larger groups

Deposit

30 %non-refundable — except when the group does not form and we cannot run the tour

The Guiding format includes: a guide on site for the whole trip, weather briefing and the task of the day, shuttle to launch, retrieve from the landing, radio guidance and live tracking, track debrief every evening. Accommodation and meals are yours.
Guiding + stay: twin or shared for the whole trip, price in the table above.
Not included: flights, insurance, personal equipment, visa fees, local site fees — cable cars, launch fees, forest and park fees.
Booking and invoicing are handled by the manager. This is a partner site, so the final price and deposit are confirmed by the manager — the price in the table is valid at the time of publication.

Groups of 4–8 pilots; a trip runs from four. Dates inside the window are adjusted to the group that forms — tell us the month and we will schedule the trip. The 30 % deposit per pilot secures your place and is non-refundable, except when the group does not form and we cannot run the tour. What to bring — on the pilot requirements page, full rules — in the XC booking terms.

Preparation

Visa, weather and non-flying days

Visa

Ukraine and Georgia — visa-free 90/180 on a biometric passport (ETIAS from late 2026). Russia and Kazakhstan need a Schengen visa; citizens of Russia are, as a rule, issued single-entry visas only.

Rules change — check the primary source before buying tickets. If you need help with documents, write to us.

Weather in the window

Kozani (710 m; Siatista at 920 m is slightly cooler): May maximum 22 °C, June 27, July and August 30, September 25. Little rain — 28–55 mm a month.

If we are not flying

The merchants' mansions of Siatista, the ecclesiastical and palaeontological museums, the local liasto wine; Kozani and the Polyfytos lake; Thessaloniki an hour and a half away.

Read before the deposit

Insurance, documents and rules

Insurance that covers paragliding is mandatory — at least €100 000, with search and rescue, helicopter evacuation and repatriation. Before the trip every participant signs the participant document and sends it to us together with a photo of their passport and licence.

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Pilot requirementsLevel, equipment, radio, insurance, emergency procedure

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XC booking termsVersion 1.3 of 21 Aug 2026, 23 sections

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Safety briefing“You are the pilot in command”, weather, radio

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Participant document (RU)PDF · filled in and signed once before the trip

Where else

Other destinations

There is a flying destination in every month of the year. If your dates do not match this window, look at the neighbouring ones.

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