Mount Elbert

• Wind directionNE (45°) → SE (135°)
• Ideal speed3–10 mph
• Upper limits≤ 14 mph base · gusts ≤ 16

No published club/USHPA site guide exists for Mount Elbert as a developed launch — it is a hike-and-fly summit flight off Colorado's highest 14er (14,433 ft MSL), not an established RMHPA site. Wind window below is INFERRED from the paraglidingEarth orientation hint (N,NE,E,SE,S,SW work) plus general high-alpine hike-and-fly practice; treat as rough guidance only. Ideal arc taken as the east-facing core (NE-SE, ~45-135 deg) where a clean launch off the eastern flanks is most workable; marginal shoulders extend N (0 deg) through SW (225 deg) per the octant hint. The W/NW quadrant is unsupported (lee/downslope). SPEEDS ARE DELIBERATELY CONSERVATIVE for the altitude: at 14,000+ ft true airspeed and gust energy are much higher than the same indicated/ground reading at sea level, and thin air reduces glider performance and inflation authority, so keep base wind very light (single digits ideal, ~14 mph hard ceiling, ~16 mph gust). HAZARDS: extreme altitude (hypoxia, cold, thin air launches with marginal lift), violent thermals and convergence over the Sawatch by late morning, strong rotor and venturi on lee faces, rapid afternoon overdevelopment and thunderstorms typical of CO high country. BEST TIME: very early morning, calm/glassy or light-laminar conditions only, launching well before convective onset (typically be on the ground by late morning). ACCESS/RATING: long alpine hike (6-8 hr round trip) carrying a wing; advanced/expert hike-and-fly skill set required (strong kiting, no-wind/forward launch competence, mountain meteorology). No formal site rating, regulation, or club oversight found. Verify live conditions and avoid any unstable or windy day.