France -7: Aspres sur Buech / Clamontard

SUN: It has taken us quite some time to decide which could be a good place to fly: we finally opted for Aspres-sur-Buech and its mountain. Unfortunately at the aerodrome (LZ) we didn't find someone we could ride with to launch, so we had to drive up ourself.

 

Launch was full of Hangies, we were the only baggies. But we launched quickly and after some inital scratching around we found some good thermals.

Aspres

I landed at the AD as planned (before 1300 in order to avoid the strong afternoon conditions) and now I had the problem of getting back to the car on top of the mountain...
Luckily the first guys I asked would take me along in their car as they wanted to paraglide later in the afternoon.
At that time I still didn't know where Martin was; I had texted him, but only on the way to my car he was able to call and tell me that he was still flying, heading west over the 'col du cabre'. I told him to continue as long as he could/ wanted and that I would be getting the car and follow him. He reported his position once more ('Luc-en-Diois') and finally gave me directions after he had landed west of 'Die' (all in all approx 50km).

While following him I noticed on my map that I was passing through another PG area: Clamontard.
On the way back from 'Die' we saw the TO, studied the info in my guide book and decided to have a look at this site. A steep road took us in 30 minutes up to launch.
The views on launch are pretty spectacular and the guide book gave us a good description of what to expect. It needed some patience to wait for a good cycle but I finally got off well and immediately found some good thermals (the vulture helped as well).

Pano looking east

Launch (a bit ticky, as the wind seldom comes in straight)

possible cliff launch...

vulture showing me where the thernals are

Pano looking East

Clamontard after landing -TO is below the 'l' in Pano 'l'ooking East (above)

So all in all we both had mad very nice flights!

France -6: Moustiers / St.Geniez

Today (FRI) we got to Moustiers in time to catch the first shuttle (at 1045) going for the upper TO (Mt.Denier). Conditions were perfect, so we launched right away. Nice thermals brought us high above TO. Unfortunately South wind increased and made flying more difficult. I landed before 1300, as often between 1300-1600+ conditions can get pretty rough...

Lavender field

nice, very spacy TO

TO

Pano looking West

We didn't wait here for an evening flight but returned towards Vilhosc (Martin's place) and visited his home site: St.Geniez/ le Trainon. Martin immediately launched and found himself flying in strong thermals, I decided to wait for some mellower conditions.

on the way to St.Geniez

Lauch (top landing possible)

TO, le Trainon

LZ

When I finally launched, I found very nice conditions, 

but this thunderstorm over Sisteron (11km away) then 'killed' all the thermals and made me land.

France -5: (Moustiers) / Oraisons

Today our flying day almost was ruined by French incompetence: we arrived at the LZ in Moustiers/ Venasque around 1300. The lady in charge told us, that (exceptionally) today there woud be a shuttle bus at 1430 going to the upper TO (Mt.Denier), as there was little wind. In order to aviod having the car on the mountain we decided to wait for this shuttle. At 1415 we were then told the shuttle would only go to the lower TO. Finally the shuttle left at 1515 :-((
The conditions on the 'Curchon'-TO didn't look very nice: almost no wind, a flat TO with lots of rocks at the end - I didn't like it at all and decided not to launch here. Se we rode the shutlle back and decided to go to Oraison (same site as yesterday).

Martin

Venasque

Pano from Curchon

Oraison again proved its worth as a reliable evening soaring site.

Martin

France -4: (Laragne/ Chabre) Oraisons

Natural pool near Vilhosc

This day we wanted to fly Laragne (le Chabre), a famous mountain for HG. On the way up we passed the Gorge de Meouse, nowadays a pretty well known spot.

Gorge de Meouse

Pano looking North

Pano looking South

A few PG's were ready to lauch in the few good cycles coming from the south side and got up quickly very high. Later (when I was ready), the south cycles had stopped and a light NW wind was present, not good conditions for taking off in the afternoon. I tried once, but got trashed pretty badly...

a lucky one...

So we decided to search for a West facing side and drove to Oraisons

les Mees (on the way to Oraisons)

Oraisons is a pretty nice, although small side, where we soard in the evening breeze until the sun set.

France -3: Orcieres/ St.Jean-Montclar (North-wind)

For the next  2 days N-winds prevailed here, and there are only 2 sites good for this wind direction: Orcieres and St.Vincent-les-Forts (and the TO at St.Jean-Monclar). So on TUE we first did a little sight seeing to Champoleone, a small but wild valley and in the afternoon made a short flight at Orcieres. 

Champoleone

Orcieres -les Marches

Orcieres

Martin

WED we drove therefore to St.Vincent, respectively to St.Jean -Montclar, a site below the Dormillouse. But thermals were weak and we had to wait till 1600 in order to have some halfway decent conditions...

TO St.Jean-Montclar

St.Vincent-les-Forts (right side), Lac de Serre-Poncon

France -2: Sailplane flight

Monday morning I met Martin Graster at Sisteron AD (LFNS ?). We had met more than 10 years ago and also then he had taken me along for a flight in a sailplane (Duo Discus). He had chosen a very good day (actually the best so far this summer) and we flew for more than 7 hours. Turning point was the Col du Gd. St. Bernard on the Swiss border.

Track here

Martin

Col du Mont Cenis

Gran Paradiso

Mont Blanc (Südseite)

le Trainon (bei Sisteron)

France -1: (Mieussy) Allevard

On my way to Southern France I stopped first at Mieussey (the place, where paragliding 'began').
Unfortunately - according to the info received by a pilot, who had just landed - it was (too) turbulent, so I continued.

Mieussey

Next stop was at Allevard (just before Grenoble). I was lucky as shortly after my arrival the local school was driving to launch and they had one seat left in their car...

Lac d'Allevard

Unfortunately only a short flight was possible.

I continued along the Route Napoleon and found a nice place to stay near the Col de la Croix Haute.