xc guiding 1
colombia
£2,050
28th January - 7th February 2027
An XC guiding trip aimed at pilots with basic thermalling skills who have flown a minimum of 20km XC.
trip details
Similar to our Post-CP trip, our Guided XC trip will also begin in the friendly tropical paradise of Piedechinche, where you will enjoy large grassy take offs and relaxed, easy thermals. Here, we will warm up in smooth thermic conditions with the option of boating around near take off, or flying XC together as a team.
After spending a relaxed 4 days racking up airtime and sipping on fresh lemonades, we will travel north to the vibrant and energetic town of Roldanillo. This epic flying arena is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, with its consistent, slightly stronger conditions providing a great opportunity to beat your PB.
Throughout your trip you will be looked after the entire time, including weather and site briefings, a flight plan you are happy with, in-air guidance post-flight debriefs and plenty of recommendations for lovely places to dine and relax.
We are passionate about getting to know you as people and as pilots, and pride ourselves on small group sizes which ensures you get lots of one-on-one time with your guides. Each pilot flies for their own reasons and progresses at their own rate. We aim to nurture each individual in their flying journey in the way that works best for them, whilst enjoy themselves along the way… after all, that’s what it’s all about!
(Read more about Piedechinche and Roldanillo in the sections below.)
what’s included?
Pre-trip consultation to tailor your experience
9 days of guided flying with the most passionate and enthusiastic guides
Small group sizes for an intimate experience
Flying theory discussions and in flight instruction
Accommodation
Launch fees
Transport to launch
Airport transfer (from Cali airport)
Colombian SIM card
2L drinking water each day
what you will need
A certified paraglider, harness, reserve parachute and helmet
A working radio and vario
Comprehensive travel insurance that covers you for paragliding, including full repatriation cover, helicopter search & rescue and medical treatment.
A smart phone with either flyskyhy (iPhone) or xctrack (android) downloaded. We will provide you with a Colombian SIM card on arrival.
It is very warm so you will only need a thin jacket and thin gloves to fly in. The UV is very strong so make sure you have good sun protection for your face in flight and a sun hat for landing out.
Located in the famous Valle Del Cauca, in southwestern Colombia, the tropical paradise of Piedechinche has become a world renowned Mecca for relaxed thermic paragliding.
This site has an easy launch and landing field with speedy shuttles running up to take off all day. The thermals here are smooth and delicious, providing an ideal playground to hone your skills and spend as much time as possible in the sky. Once airborne we will guide you to a number of wonderfully smooth house thermals, not far from launch. While it is likely you will be sharing the skies with other people, the thermals are large in Colombia so this offers you a great chance to learn to fly with fellow pilots in a friendly, relaxed environment.
From take off, you will always be within an easy glide from the enormous grassy fields of the landing zone, so if you like to start your holiday by warming up slowly with a few easy top to bottoms, or you have simply had your fill of flying for the day, it will always be easy to make your way back to base.
No more than 100 yards from the landing field you will find two lovely restaurants surrounded by a welcoming hive of paragliding related activity, serving all the refreshments you could need for a full day of flying.
about piedechinche
about roldanillo
Further North, also in the Valle de Cauca, Roldanillo is the go-to spot for paragliding pilots around the world looking for consistent XC mileage in the winter months. The conditions here are slightly stronger than Piedechinche and the days start working earlier. This makes it the perfect location to end the trip after a good warm up in the champagne skies of Piedechinche.
There are a number of east facing take offs on the mountain above Roldanillo. These are big and grassy with plenty of space to lay out your kit before you fly. Taking off from here, we will work our way out into the flatlands together. If you are ready, we will take you on an XC adventure with gorgeous views of jungle covered mountains contrasting with the pan flat valley below, packed with small towns and sugar cane plantations.
The Pacifico wind typically comes in late in the afternoon here. This is a strong sea breeze that flows in from the West and can be dangerous if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. We will make sure you are safely on the ground each day long before this becomes a potential hazard.
The town of Roldanillo is vibrant with a lively, energetic feel. The people are extremely welcoming to pilots and there are a huge variety of restaurants, bars and swimming pools to spend your time while you are not flying.
retrieves
Retrieves tend to be very simple in Colombia - the local people are incredibly kind and generous, and will always help you make your way back to base. Hitch hiking is therefore a great option here if you are comfortable doing so.
In Roldanillo in particular, you will never be far from a local on a scooter, waiting to drive you back to town for a very small fee. This is usually the quickest way back, but a regular bus service also runs along the main highway.
We will also give you the phone numbers of a few local taxi drivers who will come and find you in case you are struggling to get back.
airport transfer
To reach Piedechinche, you will need to book flights to Cali airport, arriving on the first date of the trip.
Let us know your flight details once you have booked and we will meet you at Cali and drive you to your accommodation in Piedechinche.
We recommend booking flights that arrive early on day 1 so that you have time to settle in and recover before your first day of flying.
On the final day of the trip, we will organise a taxi to take you from Roldanillo back to Cali airport for your return flights.
IMPORTANT:
DO NOT BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED CONFIRMATION THAT YOU ARE BOOKED ONTO THE TRIP!
If you are interested in this trip but not ready to book yet, feel free to get in touch and make an enquiry via the button below.
If you’d like to book onto one of our trips, you will first need to reserve a place by clicking the button below which takes you to a reservation form. Once we have received this form, we will get in touch to make sure that your experience level matches the trip you are booking onto and then to organise payment. At this point we only require a 50% deposit from you. Once this is received, your place is confirmed and you are officially booked onto one of our trips! You can pay the remaining amount at any point before your first day of guiding with us (we accept cash on arrival).
The 50% deposit is non-refundable, however please get in touch if you cannot make a trip for any reason - we may be able to transfer your payment to another trip, subject to availability, or to another person if someone is willing to take your place. Any amount that you have paid towards the full amount beyond the deposit will be refunded to you in full following a cancellation.
Some of our trips require a minimum number of sign ups for the trip to run. If this is the case, we shall let you know before you make payment. If a trip is cancelled by us for any reason, including not enough sign ups, you will receive a full refund (including a refund of your deposit).
How do i book?
Check out our other trips
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Post-CP Guiding Colombia
£1,950
8th - 18th January 2027
A Post-CP Guided trip aimed at beginner pilots with less than 50hrs of airtime who are looking to catch their first thermals and start XC flying.
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XC Guiding 1 Colombia
£2,050
28th January - 7th February 2027
An XC guiding trip aimed at pilots with basic thermalling skills who have flown a minimum of 20km XC.
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XC guiding 2 Colombia
£2,050
10th - 20th February 2027
An XC guiding trip aimed at pilots with basic thermalling skills who have flown a minimum of 20km XC.
testimonials
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Dougie Swanson-Low
XC, Competition and Hike-and-Fly champion
Tom and Emma are everything you would want from a pair of guides - encouraging the best of people, but always with enjoyment and safety being the priority. Their gentle patience and good humour create a relaxed, stress free atmosphere around them, yet their love for the sport is utterly infectious. With great empathy, they care for the experiences of others and will always try to accommodate your goals, whether it is overcoming a fear, building confidence, or pushing new milestones, with distance only measured in fun
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Tom Hodgkin
Gin Team Pilot
“I’ve flown with Tom and Emma in competitions around the world, in hike-and-fly races and on XC flights here in the UK. Deeply knoledgeable, unflappable, and genuinely good fun to be around. If you want to progress your flying, fly with them”
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Neil Rollings
XC machine and X-Scotia meet director
I have got to know Tom and Emma through X-Scotia, the hike-and-fly competition I direct, and they are genuinely one of the friendliest and most capable couples you could meet. Their flying ability speaks for itself. I first noticed Tom at X-Scotia in Kintail in 2024, where he flew in incredibly strong and challenging conditions to take the win. This year it was Emma making the moves - passing a large group on the ground to secure joint third place. Both performances showed real skill, judgement and determination. They are exceptional athletes, but just as importantly they are approachable, enthusiastic and generous with their knowledge. I wish them every success with their new guiding business and would strongly encourage any pilot to tap into the depth of experience they have to offer.
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Andy Howson
Paragliding legend
“Solid dudes and experienced pilots, you’ll be in safe hands”
get in touch
If you have any questions about any of our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch using the form. We will get back to you as soon as possible!