AGP -3: Rain, (Otivar), Padul

Yesterday: rain, no flying. I visited my friends Giacco and Rolfito in VdA (Valle de Abdalajis). Giacco turns 90 soon and had moved last summer from his nearby finca (where he had lived for the last 27 years) to an senior citizens home in the village of Abdalajis. He seems to be well (physically as well as mentally) and told me, that it is a good place and that they take good care of him. Rolfito is also well, apparently doing well and is pretty busy: his bike and walking tours are popular and well booked. See link. He's been living in VdA for 15+ years and certain is a very competent guide if you're into such tours.

Today it looked better, but it was hard to make up our minds about where to go. In the end we decided to go to Padul, but not along the faster highway, but via Otivar and across the montains. Getting to Otivar it looked flyable at first: some sunny patches, a little head wind a times. But waiting a little longer we noticed that the north component was pushing through.
We contined towards Padul, a ridge which with north wind should be flyable. But how different it looked since my last visit (in 1995!): finally we managed to find the road to launch.

Pano at launch looking North (towards Granada - on right side of pix)

As it was pretty windy (and also rather cold) I didn't want to fly. So I 'played' driver for Andy.
But even he elected to descend quite a bit below the 'official' launch in order to find a spot where wind speed was lower than on top of the ridge.

He had a very good launch and ridge soared until the cold 'made' him land...