A gentle flow from directions between west and south tends to bring pleasant flying conditions for Fiesch, provided that it isn’t associated with föhn. The chart below was associated with plenty of good flights from Fiesch that day, but the south overpressure of nearly 4HPa was borderline.
In this situation, the Grimseler is suppressed, and progress to the east assisted, but the wind in the main Rhône valley beyond Brig can be funnelled through at 20-30km/hr up to 2400m, presenting an almost impenetrable barrier for paragliders. Forget about triangles in these conditions; the name of the game is free distance, and the classic flight is to Chur, 120km to the east. If you’re really determined, in the right conditions it’s possible to fly to Austria, but remember to pack a toothbrush and bring some euros, because you won’t then make it back to Fiesch under your own steam until the next day.
My first example flight is in light south-westerly conditions, when the wind was gentle enough that I was able to turn around just beyond Flims and fly back to Disentis (with a little assistance from the valley breeze, which blows in the opposite direction):
Flight in light south-westerly conditions (click here for 3D visualisation, here for XContest details)
In my second example, the wind was stronger, leading to fast downwind glides and the use of some dynamic lift off south-westerly faces just before both the Furka and Oberalp passes to assist the crossings:
