Wallis -1: Riederalp, Fiesch

Very promising forecast for today; so Andy proposed we should go to 'Riederalp', as the cable car in 'Fiesch' was still under maintenance (tomorrow it will be operating normally again).

When we arrived on launch, besides a few 'late comers' like us, everybody was already on their way (high up and going east).

Riederalp (TO)

With the newly learned launch technique I got off easily - on the first try :-))
but then: I seemed to miss all the thermals and had to land in Lax :-((

So I headed for Fiesch, where I could catch the 1315-gondola. The next one would have been only at 1515, way too late to attempt anything...

just a few CU's

Also here I could launch without problems and was able to climb to 3460m (1200m above launch). I also headed East, but today didn't seem to be my day. In Bellwald I had to search quite a while before climbing up again. Still heading East, but I could feel (and see) that the 'Grimsel-Wind' (East wind coming over the Grimsel-pass) was getting stronger.

Pano looking East (Aletsch glacier left, Fiescher glacier center, Goms right)

looking East towards Münster glider port (center)

So finally I turned around and landed in Ritzingen; wind upon landing: 25-30kmh...

LZ Ritzingen

Although both flights have been a bit disappointing, it still has been a wonderful day in excellent company (Andy didn't quite make it to Chur...) and very nice conditions.

My thanks go to the 2 car drivers, who stopped when I was hitch-hiking and took me
a) from Lax to the cable car and
b) from Biel back to my hotel.