Téléphérique de Plaine Joux & Portes du Soleil Paragliding
The cable car from Passy village to Plaine Joux (1,350 m) is the fastest way to swap valley heat for high-alpine cool, and the wide grassy plateau at the top is one of the best-known paragliding launch sites in the northern Alps — tandem flights with qualified instructors launch daily in summer, giving first-timers a bird's-eye view of the entire Mont Blanc massif.
The Cable Car & the Plateau
The Téléphérique de Plaine Joux rises 750 vertical metres in under eight minutes, depositing you on a plateau ringed by the Fiz cliffs, the Aravis chain and — on clear days — a full panorama from the Aiguilles Rouges to the Grand Combin across the Swiss border. In summer the plateau is threaded with easy walking trails and mountain-bike tracks.
The plateau also has a small lake, Lac Vert, reachable in a 20-minute walk from the cable car station — its water is genuinely green thanks to algae, and the surrounding pines and the Fiz backdrop make it one of the most photographed spots in the Passy area.
Tandem Paragliding
Several certified schools operate tandem flights from Plaine Joux, including Takamaka Outdoor and Mont Blanc Parapente. Flights last 20–40 minutes depending on thermals, and pilots are trained to loop over the Lac de Passy below before landing gently on the valley floor near Sallanches.
No experience is needed — you run three steps, lift off, and then just breathe. Book at least 48 hours ahead in July and August, as flights sell out quickly on sunny days. GoPro footage is available for an extra fee from most operators.
More of Passy
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Passy →
