Spain (Malaga) - 6: Valle de Abdalajis

As forecasted, the winds have switched from 'poniente' (NW, N) to 'levante' (S, SW), which made flying in Abdalajis (levante) possible. Conditions have been extremley smooth, though not very strong, so I couldn't climb very high (only about 330m above TO)...

TO is in the left turn of the road (center)

TO, top-landable

Valle de Abdalajis

Spain (Malaga) -5: Loja

Today's forecast was again for 'poniente' (NW-N), which should have been good for flying in Loja. Unfortunately the wind was way too weak, so after waiting (and hoping) 1.5hrs for the windspeed to increase, Pepe -the ferroviar, Raffa and I finall launched for a short sledder. They landed at the LZ near the highway, I made it into Loja, where my car was parked. So I picked them up there and drove to launch together with Raffa, so he could bring down the club's 'furgoneta'.
While driving up, he recommeded to have trout (a local speciality) for dinner in 'Riofrio' at the Meson Raimundo. Thanks guys for a pleasant afternoon! - even without much flying.

Now the wind should switch to 'levante' (S, SW) , so hopefuly VdA Levante and Algodonales should become flyable...

Pepe

Raffa

LZ at highway entrance

Loja

LZ in Loja

Spain (Malaga) -4: Antequera / Cordoba (no flights)

Antequera Golf

The last 2 days I didn't fly: yesterday I went golfing in Antequera. A nice course, though with Par 72 a little long and tough for me. Afterwards I drove to Teba, but the wind was a little cross and too weak, so I didn't fly there. On the way back to VdA I passed 'la Capilla': here flying would have been possible...

la Mezquita

Today then, together with Rolfito, I drove to 'Cordoba' for some sightseeing. The old cathedral (la Mezquita) is a MUST visit! It's a marvelous masterpiece of Moorisch architecture.

 

Patio of a restaurant

On the way back we saw many pilots flying at 'la Capilla', but I could 'resist' ;-)
Instead we had dinner of the terrace of his villa and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

Spain (Malaga) - 3: Loja

Actually I had planned to fly im 'Cenes de la Vega' today, as yesterday a pilot I met on 'la Capilla' told me she would notify me at what time to meet at the LZ in Cenes in order to get a ride to launch - but I never got such a message :-((

Luckily on my way to Cenes I passed 'Loja' and as I didn't have any pictures of the LZ in 'Venta del Roya' I decided to have a look there.
Here I met José from the local flying club (Club de Vuelo Libre de Loja). In his good english he gave me all the info I needed to find the meeting point in the city. He later also sent me a SMS confirming the meeting time. (José: muchas gracias por todo!)

Irma, ?, José, Miguel?

About 11 pilots rode in the club's minibus to TO, where already some pilots were flying.
It's most probably the best cared TO's I've seen here in Andalucia: all stones have been cleared away and there is space to lay out at least half a dozen gliders - top-landing is also possible due to the size of the cleared area.

It seems to be a site with lots of potential; especially with some thermal activity big flights should be possible. Today no thermals, but absolutely laminar wind.

huge LZ in 'Venta del Roya'

While the sun set over the LZ, on the of the sierra pilots were still soaring...

Spain (Malaga) - 2: Valle de Abdalajis

View from Rolfiro's house towards VdA and the Sierra

Valle de Abdalajis

Today I again flew in 'la Capilla' on the north side of the Sierra.

Another nice flight, though thermal activity was a little weaker than yesterday.

TO in 'la Capilla'

Spain (Malaga) - 1: Valle de Abdalajis

On Friday I flew to Malaga (AGP). As luck would have it, one of the 'old' copilots I flew with when I was sitll with Swissair/ Swiss, now himself a captain was PiC of the flight and so I got invited to the cockpit for cruise and landing.  Many thanks Heiri!!

Already in late afternoon I was able to fly for almost an hour in 'la Capilla' and I toplanded just shortly before sunset.

I'm staying with my old friend Rolfito, who is now permanently living in Abdalajis (VdA); check out his homepage: http://www.andalusien-erleben.com/

Italy -5: Col Rodella / Dolomites

Today was looking a bit better and we coud make a nice flight; but nothing special for here...
Again (as yesterday) shortly after noon the winds started switching and I descended to the lower SW TO.
Jimmy Parcher had 'promised' that cloud base would rise to Marmolada level (or even higher) - but it turned out otherwise. Still it was possible to cross from Belvedere into the South face of the Marmolada and fly towards the peak - but I turned around before (shortly after the pix further down was made).

Rodella (Main TO)

Main TO: Pano looking east (Center: Sass Pordoi)

Pano near Langkofel (looking East): Sella Towers, Sass Pordoi, Marmolada)

Marmolada (South face)

As yesterday, we had again dinner in company with Masahiro Kishi's group of Japanese pilots, a very relaxing 'affair' with lots of laughter - thanks for having us and being so generous!

Italy -4: Canazei

Today was rather strange: almost all websites we consulted in the morning were showing not so good or even rather bad weather for today. Originally we had planned to drive via Obertilliach (AT) -make a flight there- and then on to Canazei. But the outlook for Obertilliach was not good enough to warrant a detour of almost 3 hours, so we drove via Belluno. Here we stopped shortly at Pieve Alpago/ Mte. Dolada, hoping to catch a ride to launch - but no such luck. So we continued via Agordo and Fedaia Pass to Canazei. Only a few PGs were flying and cloudbase still rather low at that time. Only after 1500 we decided to take the cable car to Col Rodella and give it a try...

'Edelweiss' (on the way to SW launch at Col Rodella)

Still only a few Pilots in the air; the wind at the lower (SW) launch showed gusty west, at the main launch it seemed to come straight in, but actaully the TO was in the lee...
Andy and I descended to the SW TO: it certainly was launchable, but I considered it to be beyond my capabilities and hiked back up; Andy launched, apparently without major problems.

Andy

While waiting for the cable car to ride down I watched a couple of EN-D gliders taking off from the main launch: they had to go trough huge sink and some turbulence before they were clear of the lee and could climb out...

Italy -3: Lijak (SI)

Another fine flying day with rather high cloudbase: Lijak (SI), just behind the Italian border at Gorizia.
Again with Andy, Alberto and Marco, who was guiding and driving.
First in the morning it looked very promising: at 1000 already nice cumuli over the ridge, but then the clouds begun spreading and covering large parts of the land, so we did some parawaiting in a nice Cafeteria on the banks of the Isonzo (Soça) River. Luckily these clouds disappered by 1300 and cumuli formed again. After a while some nice cycles set in and it was possible to climb to almost 2000m (which is rather high for this site). So we headed downwind (east)...

Lijak -TO

Vipava

Pano looking East (back) towards Lijak

Andy

Alberto

Sunset in Tarcento (Ristorante Belvedere)

Italy -2: Stol (SI)

Right from the biginning of our trip all signs indicated, that Stol (Kobarid, Slovenia) could be a good choice for flying on Wednesday.
So together wih Albert (a sailing friend of Marco's), we left early in order to be at the meeting point in Kobarid by 1000. Lots of pilots waiting and 5 shuttle buses were needed to get everbody up to launch. But launch is very big so no problem there...

Ritchie (Ritchard Fritz), who flies VERY often here. I've met him way back in la Palma.

looking towards Bovec

Marco

Alberto

It indeed turned aut to be a very good day! I was able to fly a 101k flat triangle with an average speed of 25kmh -which for me is rather fast. The only time I wasn't feeling comfortable during this flight was near the western turning point (Gemona) where I had fly in a region barely landeble and then had to climb out from low in front of Guarnan TO.

a well earned landing beer...

Kobarid

Italy -1: Meduno

Monday (2.8.) morning I departed with my friend Andy for the 7+ hour drive to Fogliano Redipuglia in the Italian Province of Udine. Here we met (and stayed with) Marco Zonca, with whom I already stayed several times (last time this spring).

Due to the wind situation Marco proposed to fly Meduno on Thuesday.

Pano on TO, looking W

Andy

Marco

Marco

Andy

At the beginning, I didn't like the aerology at all: small bubbles, unclear wind situation, but during the 2+ hour flight things improved. 
On the return to Fogliano we stopped for dinner at a Churrasceria in Udine, which turned out to be surprisingly good.