Wilderness Beach Hotel (aka Holiday Inn)

Unfortunately the wind was too strong until late afternoon.
Therefore we went to Knysna Elefant Park first.
Then Barry got the message that it had become flyable, so we drove back to Sedgville to pick up our gear and then on to Wilderness.
Nice little site with an interesting TO between the buildings. At times quite a large number of pilots in the air, but luckily (with very few exeptions) all stuck to the ridge rules.

looking South

looking North (Paradise ridge in the background)

Gericke's Point (Sedgeville)

Another great day here in the Wilderness area.
We left (a little) early for Gericke. But we had to wait a while before the wind became strong enough, so that we could stay up.

launch

looking SW towards launch

Finally the wind became just strong enough, so all uf us (and some others as well) could easily launch. Unluckily the wind remaind weak and out of the East, so that a crossing over to 'Paradise Ridge' was impossible.

Paradise ridge

After all had sunk out we drove over to 'Major Dad' on Paradise Ridge, but the winds were too much cross, so no launching from this rampe here.

Major Dad -ramp

looking South along Paradise ridge

But Candice and Barry prepared an excellent 'Braai' for us.

Map of Africa (Wilderness)

Map of Africa (launch)

First day with the new group from "FS Jura" (Markus Surenmann).
Early wake-up call (0500) and departure (0600) for George/ Wilderness - it was a 6.5hr drive (with a stop for breakfast at Heidelberg and a wheel change as well).
At Wilderness already quite a number af PG's were soaring 'Map of Africa', so that's where we went.
After a quick briefing by Barry and Markus we laid out in the nice SSE brise (a little cross from the left). Almost everybody got at least an hour of soaring.

launch

Indian Ocean

Later we checked-in at "Birdmen's place" in Sedgeville.

Macassar: "if"

... "if"
- we'd left at 1100 as planned,
- there hadn't been a traffic jam,
we could have flown 1 hour more before the wind became to strong...

Macassar launch

Taggi

Marcel

Today Andy's group is leaving and Markus' group will be coming.
I'll see them early in the morning (around 0600), as we'll leave for Wilderness.

Porterville: if the going gets tough, the tough get going ;-)

Daytrip to Porterville:
we left shortly after 0800 and by 1120 the last one (me...) was airborne.
The day was blue, only late in the afternoon a few 'puffs' showed up. But thermals have been great and not too turbulent.

Pampoenfontein launch

In the beginning I headed South along the ridge , trailing the others - but I didn't venture as far South as them, because it was my first flight in this direction. After about 22km I turned and together with Albert we flew North.

heading North

I turned a little earlier than Albert South again. From the place I landed on my first flight (23.1.12) I tried to fly back to launch, bt it was a continous battle against the wind, half of the time I had to use my speed-bar in order to keep the GS at least above 20kmh... All the others had landed in the meantime, as they didn't much like the upwind battle.

back at launch

Exactly after 6 hours I was back above launch. A few minutes after landing - I had already started packing my glider - the wind speed increased even further to > 35kmh.
Great day in cool company!

Dinner again at the 'Cattle Baron'; for all the others it's their last evening here in ZA.

Paarl Rock: the early bird catches the worm ;-)

After an excellent dinner at the "Cattle Baron" in Table View (300gr Chateaubriand for 155ZAR (=15EUR =20CHF) we left at 0800 for Paarl.

Barry soaring

Barry and Dominik laid out quickly and departed - that would later prove to have been a wise move.
They got to about 600m over. After a short wihle the wind increased and for times TO became impossible, later Paarl Rock was blown out completely.

Dominik

We then went to the "Delheim" winery for wine tasting and lunch (Oystrich bobotie: very nice!); in the afternoon some decicded to go downtown for sightseeing and shopping, the rest returned to Barry's place in Table View.

the view from the restaurant at the "Delheim" winery (in the background: Cape Town)

the 'gang' having lunch/ wine tasting

Porterville

We stayed for the night in Eendekuil at the Eendekuil hotel: nice, clean. In the morning we drove again to the 'Pampoenfontein'-launch.

Pampoenfontain launch

The day was almost 'blue'.

Dasklip pass road

I was looking for thermals above the foothills, but everybody who did that sank out - close to the mountain and above the ridge would have been the place...

(very) sporty: Porterville

Leaving CPT shortly after 0800 and arriving on the upper launch at Porterville/ Dasklippass at 1100; airborne by 1140.

upper launch at Dasklip

Already quite a number of pilots from another group were flying, so there was no shortage of winddummies - but none the less I had 2 low saves.As the day wore on , conditions became stronger: really great climbs!


But the wind speed also increased and prohibited me from flying back to Porterville. I had to outland with vitrually no forward speed anymore...
Everybody got to the ground safely - I was the last to land.

Llandudno / Lions Head

Originally, we were scheduled to leave at 0800, but the wx conditions remaind switchy, so we finally left at 1100 for Llandudno (Little Lions Head).

TO

LZ: the beach at Llandudno

Unfortunately the wind was a bit weak and to far from SW, so after a few passes in front of TO
I landed at the beach.

Later Barry took us back to Lions Head.
The conditions at the lower TO proved to be rather tricky: XWind almost from 90° the right side...) With Barrys help most of us launched. Once 6 pilots in a row had to abort (but only a few of us among them). I got a really good climb and in just a few minutes I was at cloudbase and decided to try to fly over to Table Mountain.


As I couldn't leave at he altitude Barry had recommended, I arrived below Table Mountain rather low and had to fight for a while before I as high enough to head further South. This proved to be rather easy and we (+Domink & Christian) got to Llandudno quickly where we turned around for landing finally at Glen CC.

Llandudno

Dominik

flying N towards Lions Head

Cape Town - Lions Head

looking towards Table Mtn (highest peak)

1st day here in ZA and Barry led us to Lions Head. Nice late departure at 1100. After a briefing at the LZ by the sea we drove up. At the trail head we unloaded our gear. Luckily Barry had organized 2 porters (in addition to some guys already waiting to offer their services). So for 40ZAR my glider got carried to the lower TO (50ZAR would be the price for the upper launch). Quite a fair deal considering the steepness of the track and its full exposure to the sun...

The winds came in from the SW and once in a while there was a nice cycle which permitted a forward launch in the small and narrow TO.

Lower TO

Cape Town

Almost everybody got off on their first attempt and all (some on their 2nd flight) made it to the top (or a little above) of Lions Head. The winds were too weak to allow a crossing towards the South in direction off Table Mtn, so we just soared on Lions Head.

Later in the afternoon wind direction turned SE and increased, so Barry stopped us flying and thus from getting into troubles...

LZ is behind the 3 bowling fields

Looking back to Lions Head

high above Porterville ;-)

... just joking!

Today has been a travel day: ZRH - JNB- CPT.
In JNB I barely made my connecting flight: at 1105 I was still at immigration; boarding time for JNB-CPT was at 1130. Luckily my luggage arrived rather quickly on the belt, Terminal B is not too distant and at security the queues have been short.
The approach to CPT led over Porterville, from were the pictures have been taken.

The first few days we'll stay at Berry & Candice place.

Arosa (cont)

the new restaurant on top of the 'Weisshorn'; Erich preparing to launch

Rather surprisingly the conditions allowed for dynamic soaring on the north side. But taking off has been rather difficult under these conditions! I think, this has been my longest flight here in Arosa in January so far.

Erich

Erich

Arosa

Aroser Weisshorn

As usual, this years first flight happend in Arosa (as did the last flight of 2011).
I have decided not to take the pod along to ZA, so I'm adjusting my WoodyValley harness...

Curling players

South Africa is on! (again)

As Ruth is nicely recovering from her broken arm (24th Dec) and subsequent procedure (27th Dec) and as I received no restrictions regarding my left eye I have decided to travel to South Africa from 19.1. - 12.2.2012. Until my departure Ruth should be able to manage again on her own.
I really need to get away from this wet and cold climate her in Fehraltorf!

Eye (update)

Today I visited Prof. Zografos in Lausanne; he is THE authority in Switzerland what regards cancer in the eyes. After many examinations and pictures he told me that presently he is unable to tell for sure if this melanoma is actually growing. And without having proof of its growth, he wouldn't undertake such a major procedure (as a removal of the melanoma from the eye is).
He wants me to come back in 3 month for more checks/ photos -until then I'm free to do anything I like without any restrictions.
But as Ruth has had a procedure on her right arm on 29.Dec. last year, I have cancelled my trip to South Africa. She surely can need my assistnace during the next few weeks.

my left eye (cont)

You might remember the incident on 4th November in Quixada, when I suddenly lost vision in my left eye (> see here).
In the mean time (as suggested by the Brazilian ophthalmologist) more checks have been done and also some pictures taken:



These clearly show a (malignant?) melanoma in my left eye which needs to be removed rather quickly. So I'm scheduled to visit 'the' specialist in Switzerland on 4th January (in Lausanne), where all necessary steps should be taken, that the malanoma then can be irradiated at the PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute) in Villigen.
At the moment I don't have any more in-depth information about this procedure and its possible risks.
Unfortunately this 'problem' (and that Ruth had broken her right arm on XMas day) has forced me to cancel my upcoming paragliding trip to South Africa (3 weeks starting 6th January) -((

AF 447

What really happened on AF 447 is summarized in this really interesting article of 'Popular Mechanics'

Happy New Year!

Vierleger

Nicht vorenthalten möchte ich Euch den Blogentrag von 'nff' (Peter Tilly) mit dem oa Titel - die Kurzstreckenvariante von Flug 69.

Dilettanten am Werk

Hier ein ein sehr kluger Artikel der NZZ vom 20.12.10 zur aktuellen Situation in der Politik -absolut lesenswert.
Dem bleibt Nichts mehr hinzuzufügen..

(Sorry - only in German)