New Year's Eve

...and it even got better! 

Markus

climbing (even if just a little) above launch :-))

What a way to finish the year!

Yesterday afternoon, the hotel 'Post' has caught fire and burned copletely down.

 

Arosa in December -3

Incredible: 30.December - some weak thermals allowing to climb about 100m and prolong the flight by 20 minutes!! But I have to say that I think that with the Epsilon this would not have been possible; luckily I took the 777 Rook along :-))

Markus

Happy Holidays!

Many thanks to all the regular (and of course also occasional) readers of my (rather irrelevant) blog!

I wish you all a merry XMas, a happy NewYear and of course all the Best for 2017 - including many great flights!

Fly high! Fly safe!

Taggi

Almunecar-7: 'Fremde'; Heimflug

I've received also some pix from Manfred (taken while flying in Loja). On the return flight to ZRH I was able to see and recognize some sites as well. And (as usual) the day started with to a (almost) cloudless sky...

Sunrise from my apartement in Almunecar

Loja (by Manfred)

Loja (by Manfred)

Loja (by Manfred)

Granada, Sierra Nevada, Cenes de la Vega

Darro, Sierra Arana

Almunecar-6: Otivar

My final flying day here on this trip: by far the nicest flying of the whole week! Herbert proposed 'Otivar',asite about 10kms (as the crow flies) from the coast. When we got there around 1100, the first pilots had already launched and were heading west towards la Herradura.

Jürg getting ready

Jürg

looking East towards the Sierra Nevada

I also tried to fly there, but the first 2 attempts to cross towards the first ridge to the west failed due to much sink/ headwind; on the 3rd attempt I managed to reach the first ridge ('Pyramid') but rather low and I couldn't find any lift, so I had to turn back (again), but didn't reach the LZ...

Launch

Sierra Nevada

Jürg flew well past la Herradura towards Velez Malaga and Manfred (almost) reached the beach at la Herradura. I made a second flight, but no more attempt(s) to get to the coast. As much as I like to fly the Advance Epsilon 8 (easy to launch, very stable etc) making crossings against a (even slight) headwind is a pain in the ass. I've noticed this before in Fiesch and in the Dolomites, where even on short crossings I had lost more than 1500m in hight :-((
Manfred meant that I should have the glider checked for proper trim, as in his eyes it didn't look as it is suposed to be...
Anyway: even though the first days have been unflyable and it became really good only on the last days I had a good time here in Almunecar in the company of nice fellow pilots (Jürg, Manfred ed alt). If I ever come back here' I'll certainly take Herbert as a guide again, as he as a 'good hand' at finding the best site of the day for flying. And don't take at face value everything people tell about him; his foremost interest is to get his clients flying (as much as possible and as they want) and the rest for me is not really important.
For the next 2 weeks (XMas-New Year) this place is becomig really busy and overcrowded, as 'hundreds' of pilots come here, so in a way I'm glad I get away.

Almunecar-5: Darro

Again North wind. Herbert proposed a site called 'Darro' on the Sierra Arana, NE of Granada (140km/ 1.5hrs from Almunecar). So far I haven't found any info yet about this site on the web, but Herbert was again right on with his site selection! The only 'draw back': a 110m hight hike-up to launch :-((

 

Norbert and I needed much more time to get up to launch, so when we finally got there, Jürg was ready  to launch.

looking North from launch (Jürg)

launch: normally towards North; East would also be an option

above the ridge: great views to the South: Sierra Nevada

For a while the conditions were just a little too strong and cross for me, so I waited until the wind had dropped sufficiently, but of course the 'price' for these mellower conditions was less lift; so I had to land after 35' when the wind had died. With better conditions it should be possible to fly along the Sierra to Iznalloz (and back: one-way 20km).

Almunecar-4: Loja

Waking up to another beautiful sunrise. We met at 1000 and as planned drove to Loja.
We launched just a little too early so Manfred, Jürg and I had to land after a short flight. While packing up, we saw the first pilots getting above launch, so Manfred (Fly Center Almunecar) quickly drove us back up for a second flight. I landed after about 1 hour as it was getting rather cold. Jürg had been cleverer by bringing his heated gloves along...

Loja:  looking West

Jürg

Manfred

over LZ: looking back to launch

pix by Jürg

sunset/ lenticularis over the Sierra Nevada (driving back to Almunecar)

Almunecar-3: Herradura

Today I woke up to an almost cloudless sky :-))
As there was still northerly wind (which is not good here) it was not clear where to go. Some 'locals' (German pilots, with good local knowldege here) proposed 'Loma del Gato'. I opted to drive as well, as I wanted to get to know the local roads.

Launch at 'Loma del Gato'

Loma del Gato: looking towards Almunecar

At launch the winds were to much (north-) westerly, so we continued further up the 'road' towards 'Cerro Itrabo'. For the last part 4x4 was needed, so I offered to take some gliders along, but I didn't make it all the way to the top. At a certain point - not knowing the track and if it would be possible to turn back- I had to stop and unload. As it would have been at least another 30 minutes walking for me, I decided to 'quit'. Those who went all the way only could make an extended sledride.

Launch at 'Cerro Itrabo' (picture taken in the afternoon)

So I went to 'la Herradura', where it was supposed to become good later in the afternoon...

la Herradura

la Herradura

la Herradura

But it turned on earlier as anticipated, never got as strong as predicted and turned off rather quickly: so just a short sledder for me (and many others as well)...
Here I met 2 Swiss pilots, which were guided by Herbert, a German offering guiding services (Fly Center Almunecar). He has many years experience here, so I asked if I could join his small group for the remaining 3 days. Tomorrow (winds permitting) we'll go to Loja.
In the late afternoon I went searching for the 'good' track up to Cerro Itrabo (from the back side). I found it easily; driving down the front side, I saw, that I probably would have made it in the morning...

Almunecar-2: WInd, Rain

Today's wx in the morning and also the forecast have been rather disapointing: rain and northerly winds for most of the day :-((
So I decided to drive to Abdalajis in order to visit some old friends: I was lucky as Geri was just at his guest house doing some cleaning - otherwise I probably wouldn't have found him. 
I also asked Geri about the flying situation in VdA: interestingly he didn't have much information, BUT he said that lately lots of pilots have been flying here and that Michele (a French PG guide) had many guests here as well; furthermore that the local 'Guardia Civil' didn't go after PG pilots at all (as I had been told and have read)...
Afterwards I stopped at Giacco's place. He invited me for lunch and we had a nice meal together. Incredibly how fit he still is approaching 90! He also confirmed that many pilots had been flying. 
Rolfito unfortunatley has been busy.
On my way back to Almunecar I decided to drive via Loja. As there the winds came out of the East (!) here, I took the chance to go looking for the easterly take-off. With a little lucky I found the road to launch - and what a beautifully prepared/ groomed launch it is! (At least as well made as their westerly launch on the other side of the Sierra de Loja; the local club must have put up quite some money and time in order to get such a great result.).

Loja levante (looking east towards Granada/ Sierra Nevada)

But the wind was just too strong...
So I drove back to Almunecar via Granada and Padul, arriving there just at sunset.

But the whole day the weather has been very strange: the winds coming from every possible direction: South at Malaga/ Abdalajis; East at Loja; West/ Northwest at Padul. And instead of raining it cleared up the longer the day wore on...

Almunecar -1: Flight

After a nice flight above the stratus covering the Swiss Plateau I landed in Malaga (AGP). The captain of the flight was Steeve Röösli. We had flown a couple of times together when I had been the captain and he the copilot ;-) He actually moved to Fehraltorf a short while ago...

over Berne; looking south towards Interlaken. The 'island' in the stratus: 'Belpberg'

Malaga (left downwind for rwy 32)

Special painted A320 by Brussels Airlines (ex SABENA)

Today (Saturday) I got up to a cloudy sky. At 1000 I went to a nearby cafeteria, where every morning most pilots are meeting. I got in contact with some German pilots and in the end 3 of them took me along to 'Carchuna' where they (Uli, Jürgen, Friedrich) tought we might have a chance of flying...

LZ: beach at Carchuna; TO is on the ridge behind

But the wind was very unsteady (suddenly increasing) and also intermittent rain. After having shown me the way to launch we returned to Almunecar and decided to call it a day.

Arosa in December (cont)

As predicted,t oday turned out to be a beautiful, almost cloudless day. And it was VERY warm: at 2000m in Arosa up to 11°C; on top of the Weisshorn (2640) it was so 'warm' that I could set up short sleeved. I can't remember ever being short sleeved in December up there...

Video by PeterN - Thanks!

Chur: historic center with Cathedral

Chur (pix by R.Meier)

Chur (pix by R.Meier)

So this might have been the last flight of this year in Arosa, as we intend to go there only on New Year's Eve. But before that I'll be going for a week to Spain; not to Abdalajis, as flying there is severly restricted at the moment. But I'll stay in Almunecar (NE of Malaga on the coast) and take advantage of the services 'Fly Park Almunecar' is offering. Of course I'll try to visit my friends in Abdalajis and Loja as well.

Arosa in December

Pano looking SW

By looking at the picture one could get the idea that there is enough snow for skiing, but unfortunately only a few slopes are open and only because they are prepared with artificial snow.
But on the other hand, as our main launch is on a ski slope, but which is closed at the moment, we have enough room to lay out and set up...

I had a good launch in almost nil wind, the flight itself was 'just' a 24min sleddder, but who cares ;-)

Chur: construction of a new wing at the 'Kantonsspital'

For tomorrow, the fcst predicts blue skies with (almost) no clouds :-))