AGP -8: Algodonales -East

more 'S A Y'  

Actually it was even better: nicer, more compact thermals, higher tops, (more pilots...).

Today I've been able to cross over to 'Poniente'-launch.

So I 'll bore you with more pix ;-)

looking towards 'el Gastor', Ronda

lots of  'thermal indicators' flying as well... (Olvera)

Algodonales

Sierra de Lijar

landing at  'Pepe's landing bar'

AGP -8: Algodonales East

S A Y

= Same As Yesterday   ;-)

Algodonales Levante / East (looking towards Olvera)

It started off a little better than yesterday, but then it turned off for a while -at least in the places I was looking for thermals  ;-)

AGP -7: Algodonales

The good weather is back! Like yesterday in Loja I had a good day here in Algodonales.
I flew here first in 2000 and since than have visited the site a few times, but always without flying due to wx/ wind conditions.
I'm staying with 'CIVA', a local PG operator, which also offers lodging: So far everything is ok, apart from the (unusual) coldness during the night, for which Andalusian homes are not really made;-)
But in the afternoon: T-shirt weather (or for the English: even without).

Parawaiting...

...until finally somebody is airborne.

Est (keft side) and South launch(es)

looking East towards Olvera

LZ

someone with the right idea!

Addendum: the restaurant, where I went for dinner, had a nice and cosy fireplace. In fact it was so 'warm', that I couldn't sit at the table closest to the fire...

'el Cortjio'

AGP -6: Loja

Fianlly a day where everything worked out well: sunny skies, 'good' wind, mellow thermals and nice company! All, that we have been looking/ hoping for the whole last week. Well, no complaints about the company though ;-)

When we arrived on Loja's east launch, the wind was still rather strong, but the forcast said it should get weaker duing the day. After waiting a while a local tandempilot and his passengers showed up. I had met Rafa already a few years ago, while flying Lojy-Poniente (the west side). He could  even remember that at that time he had recommeded I'd go to Rio Frio and have trout (the local speciality) for dinner...

Rafa and his pax

Finally the wind had died down enough also for me and I could launch.

the city of 'Loja'

Andy and the Sierra Nevada

looking back to launch

nice, large LZ

After about  45mins of flight the wind started turning south and I also got cold hands, so I landed.
Rafa had offered to drive Andy back to launch, so that he could retrive our car - many thank!!
Later we had 'lunch' together in Loja. As this was Andy's last flyiing day, I dropped him off in Torremolinos, from where he'll be going to the airport tomorrw. I continued to Algodonales, where I'll stay until next Saturday; Rafa had told me, that the fcst is not looking too bad ;-)

AGP -5: Padul (Escuzar, Loja-east)

Again very hard to 'read the wind': most apps forcasted something like N or NE, so we decided to drive towards Granada again.
Padul looked flyable, so we stopped there first. But the windspeed was much lower than anticipated, so nothing else than straight 'top-to-bottom' for me :-((

Next stop: Escuzar (where Andy flew yesterday): little wind, very cross  so I didn't even attempt a sledder.

We then continued towards Loja: the east face of the Sierra de Loja looked flyable and Andy had a relatively good flight, even with some thermals.

...that's how the wind sock is supposed to look...

Loja -east: pano looking towards Granada/ Sierra Nevada

So after Andy's flight we drove up again.

Very nicely groomed launch!

...and that's how it looked when I was ready...

 So after about 15mins waiting/ hoping for head wind, we quit and drove down again.

AGP -4: Padul (Escuzar)

Sunrise in Almunecar

Finally a day which (almost) lived up to our (high) expectations: cloudless, excellent visibility, a little cold, windwise again rather tricky ;-)
We headed again for Padul; and this time I was able to launch as well: windspeed was lower, but direction unfortunately not optimal. So only local soaring with little hight gain was possible. (Even the HG's sunk out...) Andy coud topland and take our car down,

Launch (on the fire clearings)

...just a glimpse of the Sierra Nevada...

large LZ along track to launch

A HG pilot who had sunk out as well recommended 'Escuzar' as an alternative with this wind direction. Andy found very few infos about this site on the web, but no coordinates or description of access, but in the end we found the track to launch.

Escuzar

Again the wind direction was suboptimal, so only Andy flew.

AGP -3: Rain, (Otivar), Padul

Yesterday: rain, no flying. I visited my friends Giacco and Rolfito in VdA (Valle de Abdalajis). Giacco turns 90 soon and had moved last summer from his nearby finca (where he had lived for the last 27 years) to an senior citizens home in the village of Abdalajis. He seems to be well (physically as well as mentally) and told me, that it is a good place and that they take good care of him. Rolfito is also well, apparently doing well and is pretty busy: his bike and walking tours are popular and well booked. See link. He's been living in VdA for 15+ years and certain is a very competent guide if you're into such tours.

Today it looked better, but it was hard to make up our minds about where to go. In the end we decided to go to Padul, but not along the faster highway, but via Otivar and across the montains. Getting to Otivar it looked flyable at first: some sunny patches, a little head wind a times. But waiting a little longer we noticed that the north component was pushing through.
We contined towards Padul, a ridge which with north wind should be flyable. But how different it looked since my last visit (in 1995!): finally we managed to find the road to launch.

Pano at launch looking North (towards Granada - on right side of pix)

As it was pretty windy (and also rather cold) I didn't want to fly. So I 'played' driver for Andy.
But even he elected to descend quite a bit below the 'official' launch in order to find a spot where wind speed was lower than on top of the ridge.

He had a very good launch and ridge soared until the cold 'made' him land...

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