Last update : 09/12/2022
Vous préparez votre What is PWC superfinal ?
Every year the Paragliding World Cup (PWC) takes place.
The World Cup occurs in up to 5 places across the world, but since 2010, the best pilots of each round is then selected to compete in the superfinal. This year, they will meet at the Peñón site, from December 6th to 17th 2022..
El Peñón
The Peñón, located between Temascaltepec and Valle de Bravo has already hosted the Paragliding Superfinal (PWC) twice in 2011 and 2015.
Every year it hosts FAI competitions in both paragliding (Monarca) and hang gliding (El Peñón Classic).
In 2022, the North American championship (Canadian and Mexican) will be held shortly before the superfinal.
In 2015, Julien Wirtz (FR) finished second behind Stefan Wyss (CH), while Alex Jofresa (FR) was 4th.
In the female category, Seiko Fukuoka Naville and Laurie Genovese took first and second place.
Overall, France was ranked 2nd nation, behind Switzerland and ahead of Italy.
Among the Mexicans, Manuel Quintanilla, and Estefano Salgado will be present.
Among the French, there will be Honorin Hamard, Luc Armand...
I recommend following the Paragliding World Cup instagram to learn more about the competitors at this paragliding world cup.
How to get there:
To get to the take-off point, take the road from Valle de Bravo to Temascaltepec. Then half way there turn off at the Albarrada.
You will see containers there. Continue along the road to the take-off. It is a dirt road, sometimes rough, but any car can get there.
To get to the landing, you have to continue your way in the direction of Temascaltepec. You will come to a crossroads (la desviación), where you must turn right.
In both cases, here are the Google Maps routes:
Valle de Bravo
Declared a "Pueblo Mágico" in 2005, it is indeed a magical village, and has always been a resort for the bourgeoisie of Mexico City. Valle de Bravo has been inhabited for a very long time, with traces dating back to the Neolithic. The present colonial dwellings were built on the ruins of the Aztec, then Otomi, Mazahua civilisations.
Around 1530, a friar, Gregorio Jiménez de la Cuenca, built the first town, which later became a convent.
In order to support the demand for electricity in Mexico City, nearly 3000 hectares of land were flooded by the creation of a dam. This is how the Valle de Bravo lake was born in 1955.
Due to the constant breezes from the west, Valle de Bravo hosted the sailing events of the 1968 Olympic Games. Later in 1978 a small group of hang gliding pioneers inaugurated the flight from the Torre, among them Miguel Gutierrez (organiser of the PWC Mexico, the Monarca)...
The Peñón was only flown in 1985. Since then, its reputation has been growing.
Flying conditions
There are two seasons in Valle de Bravo: the dry season and the rainy season. It is possible to fly all year round, but the conditions are necessarily different from one season to another. During the rainy season, it is still possible to fly in the morning before the deluge. The landscape changes dramatically from waterfalls and green landscapes to near-desert conditions. Before the rainy season starts again in May.
The ceiling is not very high, because of the humidity, but the conditions are mild. The rain stops progressively from September. In November the conditions are ideal for those who want to learn and progress in paragliding. Then the conditions become more sportive. From mid-February the deltas are becoming more numerous than the paragliders, because it is getting strong.
This is a great place to make beautiful FAI triangles, as the conditions are constant: It's getting better and better every day ! We regularly enjoy ceilings at 4000 m !
Go further
The site dedicated to the superfinal: https://pwcamexico.com/
The video presentation :
