AGP -2 (Sierra de Lujar), Cerro de Itrabo

Not really good flying weather, but at least not as bad as forecasted ;-)

As the chances for good flights loooked pretty slim today, Andy and I went on a 'site'-seeing trip: Sierra de Lujar (1860m).

Calahonda

On the way we passed a possible soaring site in Calahonda; but not enough wind and not the right direction today.

Sierra de Lujar: southeast face

Although there is a paved road all the way up to the antennas, it's in very bad shape (lots of big holes) and sometimes really steep!

Sierra de Lujar

Up here at 1860m the wind was too strong and not from the proper direction...
The LZ would be on the beach 12km  (a 1:6.7 glide) away.

In the end I could make a sledder from 'Cerro di Itrabo', a little higher up than 'Loma del Gato', from where Andy had launched yesterday.

Cerro de Itrabo

AGP -1: Lomo del Gato

ZRH-AGP: Mittelland

The long awaited 'escape' to the South / 'warmth'...

Well, it's not really warm, but at least 10°C less cold than at home ;-)

Almunecar: Lomo del Gato

Andy (who'll stay with me for the first week) could make a short sledder into the sunset. Unfortunately the fcst for the next few days is not too promising. Let's hope that the forecasts here are as unreliable as thos at home.

Almunecar

Arosa :-))

Almost like in the Dolomites: Hmax 3550m! Certainly this flight for me is in the top ten of my flights from the Weisshorn: excellent visibility, nice/ mellow thermals. Thanks Erich for your assistance!

900m over launch; Erich getting ready

Urdensee

Berninagruppe

Chur, Calanda

Homeward bound

Maybe a flight would have been possible to wait today later in the afternoon, but I didn't want to wait so lang, as the drive home would take me roughly 6 hrs. There is a flight on XContest, but TO was only at 1515... Instead I choose to drive not by the fastest way, but across 'a few' mountain passes: Passo Costalunga, Passo Nigra, Passo Stelvio/ Stilfserjoch (2757m), Passo de Foscagno into Livigno (Tax free area, where diesel costs only 0.85EUR/litre!), Flüela Pass and Wolfgang. Perfect weather until reaching Zernez: in America you would call it 'Indian Summer'.

45 hair needle turns (Tornante) on the east side

Passo Stelvio

Ortler

37 hair needle turns on the west side...

...all in all well above 100 hair needle turns..

'Indian Summer'

Lago di Livigno

Dolomiten -2

Another beautiful day here in the Dolomites, but again no flying due to wind.
So instead of doing the 'Sella Ronda' with my paraglider I had to do by car,  instead of flying up to Sass Pordoi and Piz Boè I had to take the cablecar and of course the Marmolada could also only be viewed from afar ;-)

Passo Sella: Langkofel (Sassolungo) and Val Gardena

Grödener Joch: Langkofel (Sassolungo)

Passo Pordoi (looking east): Lagazuoi

(Passo Pordoi)

Passo Pordoi: Cablecar to 'Sass Pordoi'

Monte Pelmo (from 'Sass Pordoi')

'Sass Pordoi': Marmolada

Passo Pordoi: right: Langkofel (Sassolungo); middle: Col Rodella

Dolomiten -1

Todays forecast for the Friuli region has not been very promising. But I could see on the webcams, that the region of Canazei had clear skies, so I choose this way to start my drive home. I knew from windy.com that there was a risk of too much wind... Beautiful drive across the mountains via Belluno, Passo Staulanza and Passo di Fedaia to Campitello.

Monte Civetta?

Marmolada (3343m) (from Passo di Fedaia)

Arriving the cable car for, just 2 PGs could be seen flying, but many pilots came down with the gondola :-((  But due to the excellent visibility I rode up to Col Rodella none the less just to enjoy the views.

Windsock at launch showning strong westerly wind

 But what a view! Well worth the ride - even without flying.

Sella towers, Piz Boè (3152m), Sass Pordoi (2950m)

Marmolada (right) (3343m)

When going down, one pilot could be seen flying: almost no penetration against the wind and it seemed to be a rather bumpy ride...
I'll stay for the night, but I'm not expecting to fly tomorrow, as there is still too much wind in the fcst.

Meduno

Last day here in eastern Italy (Friaul) / Slowenia: for a while it has been unclear where (and if) we could fly at all. Marco finally selected Meduno and he proved right again! Nice 2+hr flight under a sky with more then 50% cloud cover. 

Above LZ - Pix by Jessica C.

Jessica C.

Pix by Jessica C.

Pix by Jessica C.

Nice pix taken by Jessica C.: many thanks!!! Although 'only' flying for a little more than a year, she already has close to 300 flights (ca 275hrs) in her logbook: compliments!

Gigjote

No flying today due to wx, but 'at least' a nice 'Fiorentina' for dinner ;-)

Lijac

Finally a flying day how it is suppose to be: wx according forecast with little wind, clear sky, good thermals (strong, but not bumpy), high base and nice company...
All of this (and more) could be had today at Lijac. After a slow start (pretty usual for me) I landed at Pizzeria Anja after 2.25hrs/ 40.1km  :-))

'Kovk' launch

looking west from near LZ

777 Rook2

landing at 'Pizzeria Anja'

Bernadia (IT) / Lijac (SI)

Another day here in eastern Italy with 'difficult' weather conditions. Still some 'Bora' in the forecast, so we went first to Bernadia. With just a little more sunshine/ less clouds more than just an extended sled ride would have been possible...

LZ In Torlano

So we moved on to Lijac, where the 'Bora' was supposed to weaken in the afternoon. I had an excellent start: right after launch (at 600m) I could climb in one thermal to 1350m. Then I started flying east. But after leaving the 'protected' zone around launch, the influence of the 'Bora' could be clearly felt. So I turned back; above the LZ the wind was still 25-30kmh, tendence increasing...

Launch at Lijac: work in progress to make it (even) larger

Oppulent dinner with Nicole and Marco to finish the day ;-)

Meduno

We woke up to a cloudless sky here in Fogliano Redipuglia. But unfortuately there was some 'Bora' in the forecast, so Gemona and Ljiac were out of question. Instead we decided to head for Meduno (protected from 'Bora'), but knowing, that it could be cloudy there. When we arrived at launch, the sky was almost overcast, but with some immagination the sun could be seen. Within about 1 hour the sky cleared up and some nice thermals develloped, so I was able to make a nice flight :-))

Ossiachersee/ Gerlitzen: 'Dual Tandem SIV' -2 (with Xandi)

2nd day here at Gerlitzen for SIV-trainig with Xandi. Same program. 3 flights on the tandem glider, 1 flight on my 777 Rook2. Like yesterday, the clouds on top have been very 'reluctant' to clear away, so the first flight was from 'Kanzelhöhe', the others from the top.

Top::waiting for the clouds to clear away... (Xandi on the Icaro)

I can only stress the efficiency of this kind of 'Dual Tandem'-training, especially with such an excellent trainer/ teacher/ instructor as Xandi!

So after 2 very intense/ interesting/ instructive days at Gerlitzen I drove to Italy in the evening. Here I hope to make some flights with Marco as my guide.