France -11: les Saisies -Mt.Bisanne

A new day, a new site...
As with almost all the sites in France, also Mt.Bisanne is not easily reachable for PG-pilots (especially if you are travelling solo and don't want land on any LZ while your car is still on top af the mountain...)
The conditions today were pretty stable again, so toplanding wouln't have been an option either.

Fortunately during July and August some buses and local shuttles are operating, so it is possible to reach Mt.Bissane by public transport, although it's a bit cumbersome.
I found out on the internet, that the bus from Albertville to les Saisies would pass the LZ around 0900, which it did with just a small delay. This ride cost 2.10EUR, so no complaints there. At les Sisies it connects twice a day to the local (free) shuttle service to Mt.Bisanne - so getting to launch for the morning flight has not been that hard. 

SE - TO

Already the local schol was sending its student of into the calm air.

The place offers a fantasitic view of the Mont Blance - so it's well worth coming there even if you are not flying. 

Mont Blanc

Around 1130 the conditions seemed to improve slowly, I decided to launch around 1145. There were some good thermals, but still too narrow to be centered efficently. So just a few passes in front of TO for me. While I was slowly gliding down I could see that 15mins later everybody else was staying up :-((

SE - TO

LZ in Beaufort (Marcot)

Shortly after I had landed and packed up, the local tandem guys unloaded their passengers and they had a seat for me in their car. On the way up hey  picked up another pilot in need of a ride, as in the mean time the thermals had completely shut off and everybody was on the ground.
My lift got me to les Saisies, but I quickly found another friendly french guy who took me towards Mt.Bisanne. Halfway up he dropped me off, as he had to turn off the main road. But just about 5mins later the other pilot which had got a ride in the car up to les Saisies came with a friend of his in order to get their car down so I got a ride to the top: sweet!

NW - TO: looking towards Uriage (left of wind sock)

The conditions at the NW-TO were very weak so I waited till about 1715 before launching. In the mean time the tandem guys made 3 rotations - but they don't fly all the way down to the valley (this would mean a too long turn-around time). They have a 'private' LZ in Crest-Volant, which only they are allowed to use (tricky due to its small size and cables close by).
I had waited so long hoping that the thermals west of launch would get stronger, thus permitting a longer flight and also that the valley wind (which during the afternoon normally is too strong at the LZ in Beaufort) would weaken so that I would not have to land in Uriage (from where it would be rather hard to get back to my car at the LZ in Beaufort).
Unfortunately the thermals were way to weak and I didn't even make the intended LZ. I nedded to walk back to my car for about 45mins - and not a single car stopped to pick me up :-((

But all in all a site well worth visiting in better conditions.