'Fly Monarca' - another paragliding adventure by Benjamin Jordan

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Like his other movie 'The Endless Chain' (> infos here) this one is also well worth watching !!

2 days in Arosa

Sat, 20.11.

When I feft home, the wind on the Weisshorn showed NE -perfect for launching. While getting to launch I could see a pilot over 'Prätschalp' maintaining altitude, which is rather unusual for this time of the year and also for the time of the day - therefore I had been hoping for a nice flight. Unfortunately, by the time I was ready to launch the wind has dropped and even showed some tailwind :-(

tailwind...

I tried to launch once in these conditions, but didn't manage to get away...

As in Arosa the cable car was running this weekend (they call it 'Novemberhoch') a surprisingly large number of pilots have found their way to the Weisshorn.

Luckily after having waited close to 2 hours the wind started to change: first S, then SSW, which permitted launching on the 'FIS'-slope.

Webcam at 1240

Contrary to the slope direction NE (where I had tried to launch earlier) this ski slope here had not yet been machine packed; so it took a while for all pilots to launch (single file for setup and launching). But as long as I could watch everybody got away without major problems - me included ;-)

Chur - looking West (direction Ems, Bündner Oberland)

No thermals, as the temperature in Arosa has been even a bit higher than in Chur. Meanwhile in Chur the wind had picked up quite a bit: North with 25-30kmh, but at 250m/gnd there had been a southerly flow (about 7kmh)...

Sun, 21.11.

Same as yesterday: little wind, just enough for an easy launch; the temp predicted at -0.5°/100m (above 2000m), which - of course - is not enough. But I still could feel some rising air above 'Arvenwald'; landing on the Obersee after 15 minutes.

Unfortunately when I got back up to Weisshorn for a second flight (this time to Chur) I was told that a pilot which had launched just a few minutes earlier had crashed below launch and had come to rest in very steep and difficult terrain. One of his friends had descended to him and had been able to secure him until the REGA crew arrived. I don't have any idea of the cause of the accident nor any information about his injuries etc. It took a very long time until he could be airlifted from that position and flow to Kantonsspital Chur - so it seems that it has been a very difficult rescue. I hope he'll be able to recover completely!

REGA crew preparing the long-line rescue in oder to have the doctor transported to the injured pilot

So I didn't make a second flight, even though conditions for launching looked pretty good; but I felt that I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the flight...

3.12. Today I read in the newspaper that unfortunately he didn't survive the massive injuries caused by sliding down that ravine - RIP!

MA -return flight

Friday (5.11.) This has been the first night here in Marocco where the temperatures have been really low. Not unusally low for the season, but the lowest on the whole trip.

My trip ended with a smooth ride, great views and punctual arrival in ZRH, where I have been picked up by Ruth.

RAK airport

EdelweissAir A320 at RAK

Tanger (GMTT)

Pyrenees

Swiss Alps: Dufour-Spitze, Matterhorn...

Marocco - Sightseeing (no PG)

 

After the rest of the pilots had departed for Zurich on Monday afternoon, Khalla brought me to a nice riad in the City-center.

Tuesday at 0900 I've been picked up for the first day of my 3-days sightseeing trip across Atlas, Anti-Atlas and to the edge of the dessert near Zagora and back to Marrakesh on Thursday afternoon. My paraglider has remained in RAK...

My flight to ZRH is scheduled to depart on Friday at 1215.

Pix can be found here.

MA - day 13, 14, 15: the Coast (Legzira/ Nid d'Aigle) and return to RAK

 

 

Saturday: we left Col du Kerdous after breakfast, stopping in Tiznit for coffee/ tea. Here I went to the barber to have my hair cut/ beard trimmed. Every time I'm here in Tiznit I go to the same barber shop: it's a pleasure to watch the barber at work - a real master. Price: unbeatable: 60 MAD (ca 6 CHF) for 'full service'.

This time in Aglou we didn't go to Aglou Nord (where we've been earlier on this trip) but to the hill just behind the village: here a new launch has been build and work is in progress to built a kind of resort an the hill.

After an extended sledder to the beach I was able to make a nice soaring flight later in the afternoon as the wind had picked up a little bit :-)

We the moved to Mirleft (Aftas Trip) for our last 2 nights.

 

Sunset at Aftas Trip

Sunday: with even less wind in the forecast we knew, that only sledders would be possible: first at Legzira (with fish for lunch); then another at Nid d'Aigle.

 

Legzira

Nid d'Aigle: Danny flying my Leeloo

...more fish...

Monday: returning from Mirleft - via Tiznit and Agadir - to Marrakesh. Here Danny, Ueli, Götz and Günther got off at the airport for their return flight to Zurich. After unloading Khalla dropped me off at Riad Dar Alemane in the city center, close to place Jemna el Fna.