(Rodella) Return (Plose)

Last Tuesday was my last planned flying day of this year's trip to the Dolomites.

already the picture tells the story: (almost) nobody here...

Despite beautiful weather and (as it looked) very strong conditions I didn't launch on Rodella: the strongish wind, from NW / W, didn't feel comfortable and after several attempts of getting airborne, I finally packed up and rode the cable car down.
The few pilots that had launched encountered - so it looked to me- some pretty rough and strong thermals.
So I started my drive home... But while driving with 135kmh on the A22 (Brenner highway) near Brixen/ Bressanone the right rear tire of my car suddenly lost pressure; as it was beyond repair the car had to be towed :-)

When we arrived at the garage in Brixen, it was already past 1800, so no more mechanics on duty. When I called them in the morning; i was told that this size of tire was not on stock and had to be ordered. I was promised that by 1400 everything should be fixed and that I could head home.

So how to spend the time? Brixen also has a flight area: 'Plose', which can be reached by gondola from St.Andrea (above Brixen). So I took advantage of the 'Brixencard' I had received as hotel guest.
It certainly looks like an area well worth visiting (but i had left my gear in the car, as I had hoped to leave already in the (late) morning).

Launch, just a short walk above the gondola station; mor launches further up.

^Pradetto': judging by the queue, an excellent gelateria

I finally departed at 1430. After Vipiteno/ Sterzing I didn't continue on the Brenner highway, but took 'the long way' via Jaufenpass, Timmelsjoch and Oetztal. Afterwards I rejoined the highway and continued home via Arlbergpass.
Timmelsjoch: a pretty frustrating drive behind a bunch of (German) motorbikers who didn't have a clue about how to drive such a mountain pass. On the narrow road it took me quite a while until I had overtaken them all: one at a time only :-(

more :-))

Can it get better than yesterday? - YES: stronger thermals, higher cloud base :-))  

Already the first thermal brought me up to 3500m (that's a climb of 1250m in about 10 minutes)...
I just 'cruised' around at cloud base enjoying the scenery. I think that by extending the flight a little longer it might have been possible to reach 4000m, as base was steadily rising.

(above Langkofel, looking East) Grödnerjoch, Sella, Piz Boè, Marmolada

Piz Boè

Marmolada

500m above Marmolada

Marmolada, Pelmo

Rodella, Langkofel (Sasso Lungo)

But after 2 hours 'nature' was calling and it was getting a little cold flying always above 3000 as well...
Let's see what tomorrow will bring: I'm hoping for another flight before my drive back home.

what a day!

Finally a day where the (north) wind has not been a factor. Lots (!) of pilots flocked to Canazei/ Rodella to take advantage of the excellent conditions, strong thermals and high cloud base.
Though not all of them made it to base, for one the flight was over 5 seconds after his launch ;-)

Luckily he has not been hurt at all. By chance I was watching his launch: it would have been sufficient if he just had pulled 10cm of right brake. But he let himself drift into the cable after launching without any reaction whatsoever...
But there have been enough pilots around to help him get out of his harness and back to 'terra firma'.

lots of pilots waiting to launch...

...and in the air

To get away from the big crowd, I descended to the SW-launch below Col Rodella. For me this is always a bit of a gamble, because if I wouldn't be able to launch for whatever reason it would be very hard for me (resp my back) to carry my gear back up to the cable car station.

Marmolada (3343m)

Langkofel, Sella, Pordoi, Piz Boé

After having been able to overfly the Marmolada I was also able to 'sneak' around to the westside of Rosengarten (where I wanted to fly last week).

in front of Rosengaten/ Cattinaccio looking west

a 'little' reward for a great flying day ;-)

Tomorrow: maybe more of the same...

Bassano (cont)

Antenne / Costalunga

When I got to the LZ this morning, there was just a car ready to leave for launch which had a space left. So without asking which launch he would drive to, I took the opportunity and joined 3 other pilots.
Due to a prevailing easterly wind I was taken to 'Antenne / Costalunga'. A few (student) pilots were launching but it didn't look very promising yet. On the other hand I didn't want to wait too long either...
I was given the tip to head 'for the turn in the road' on the other ridge and try my luck there.
I could see that pilots launching from 'Stella Alpina' (where I had launched yesterday) where already getting up. Contrary to my expectations I arrived above the 'turn'  (with the help of a little luift/ reduced sink) and was slowly able to work my way up  :-)

Stella Alpina launch

From then on it was easy going (actually easier than yesterday), but due to the slow start my average speed was lower.
This time (finally!) I was able to fly over the WW1 monument on Monte Grappa.

Lots of pilots in the air today, as there was also a comopetition going on. In the end thermals got really strong: my vario recoreded a max rate of climb (ROC) of more than 5 m/s.

launches: left: 'Puppolo' (HG)/ right:  'Tapetti' (GS)

As it seems that tomorrow (Sunday) the North wind at Canazei is supposed to be no factor anymore, I decided to try my luck there...

(Rodella) Bassano

...arriving in Val di Fassa: great sunset on 'Pordoi'...

Sunrise on Langkofel

There is a good website with webcam and wind on Col Rodella. This site showed 16-20kmh North at 0800. I don't like North winds very much here at Canazei - even though it's possible to lainch direction North; so a short notice I decided to switch to Bassano, just a 2hrs drive away.
According to XContest it certainly would have been possible to fly, cloud base at 3500...

Anyway, I had a nice flight, launching for the first time at 'Stella Alpina'.

Monte Grappa: WWI war memorial

As it happens once in a while, my impatience made me leave the thermal at the eastrley turnpoint too low, so I didn't make it back to Semonzo. Well of course I did, but by Bus...

Molveno (cont)

Another beautiful day here at Molveno; but unfortunately today was much more stable than yesterday. Anyway, both days have not been typical 'Molveno-days': normally the 'Ora' (a south wind coming from Lago di Garda), sets in around noon, thus triggering good/ strong thermals. This didn't really happen on my two days here - so I'll have to came back sometime in the future ;-)

the only glider able to get really high (besides Luca with his tandem) was this DaVinci XChord (a 2-liner/ EN D)

above Molveno / LZ

After haveng flown for a bit  more than 2 hour, I then had to decide where to go next: Campitello or Bassano. Even though there is a chance for North wind at Col Rodella tomorrow, I choose to drive to Campitello - hoping for he best...

Molveno

After 'sitting out' the unflyable days at home, I left yesterday once again for Italy: Molveno.
The only time I've been here was in 2011, but then only an extended sledder had been possible. Ever since this site has been on my list of places to go back to.

I stay at Hotel Olympia, a place run by Luca Donini and his family. Luca is multiple Italian champion and (with his son Nicola) is still active in the comp circus. I can only recommed his place: nice rooms, fair prices and in addition you can get all the infos you need for flying this place!

In the morning it didn't look very promising, But fortunately the day turned out to be rather nice in the end :-))

'Montanara' launch

The scenery is really fantastic and I could climb to 2500m (1000m above launch)

Rodella

Very interesting flying day ;-)
Pretty windy
- on launch (but doable, though some pilots have choosen not to launch);
- in the air (but not turbulent);
- on landing (EAST > 20kmh with some gusts approaching 30kmh).

Masa

For Masa and his group this was the last (flyable) day of their trip. Except the two student pilots all could make a flight. For the beginners it was just too windy, especially considering that Japanese pilots normally are not so used to reverse launch as it is rarely very windy at their sites.

Langkofel (Sasso Lungo)

Pano looking North: Val Gardena (left: Seceda; Furchetta; right: Grödnerjoch)

Col Rodella

looking East towards Campitello / Canazei; Marmolada

I landed after about an hour, just as the wind was picking up speed. I have (so far) never landed towards the EAST here...
Considering that the fcst for the next couple of days is not very good, I decided to drive home and start again from there next week for some more autumn flying.

(Col Rodella), (Cattinaccio/ Rosengarten)

Today my impatience 'gounded' me - this happens once in a while ;-)

Langkofel (Sasso Lungo);Secada (in the back), Sella Group, Boe, Pordoi

I was on Col Rodella at 1030. That's normally the time around which the first cracks launch.
Some did but just sank out. Also almost an hour later only a very few had found a thermal, but nobody stayed up very long. Furthermore the wind on the SE-launch was veering forth and back. I had the impression that thee was some westerly flow out over the valley.

Sella Group, Boe, Pordoi, Belvedere, Marmolada

As by 1230 the situation hadn't really changed, I was getting tired of hanging around launch and thus decided to head for Cattinaccio/ Rosengarten, a site more suited for a west wind (if there would be one). I have flown here before: 2001 a great flight into the evening; 2006 with Oli, but just an extended sledder. Furthermore at least twice without flying (wind!).

Getting back ot my car in Campitello I (finally) saw the first glider over Langkofel...

Rosengarten: the problem there is, that the wind very often comes out of the north, for which the sizte is not really suited.

looking at launch: below (white) mountain hut

But contrary to what I feared: ((too) strong northerly winds) the winds have been very week (but westerly). Certainly launchable, but It didn't look to me that I would be able to get up high.As I was in no mood for just a sledder I called it a day after 1.5hrs of parawaiting.

Rosengarten: pano looking west

So in retrospect (!) it certainly would have paid off to wait longer on Rodella and not to change site. But at least I had a very nice and prolonged chat whith the guy operating the Rosengarten chairlift and could practice my (a bit rusty) Italian.

Dinner: again with Masa and his group.

Kronplatz

Originally I had planned to go to Ossiachersee/ Gerkitzen for another 'Dual Tandem SIV' with Xandi, but unfortunately he had to cancel the training :-((. There is a small chance that I might find an alternative with another instructor (Benni Hörburger) in  a few days.

So I ended up in Bruneck flying Kronplatz, which is one of the few sites around here well suited for the forcasted North wind. I have been here once before: September 1998 on a tripguided by my friend 'Rolfito'. Rolf lives now permanently in Valle de Abdalajis, Andalucia (ES) and is offering hiking and (motor)-bike tours,

while riding the gondola: layer of stratus clouds, but quickly burned away by the sun

apparently not only me thought this would be a good place...

MMM: Messner's Mountain Museum Corones

Marmolada

Looking North: Bruneck, Speikboden

Large LZ just by gondola station

I made 2 sledders, as no thermals develloped on the north slopes of Kronplatz. Afterwards I continued to Campitello, where I hope that by tomorrow the North wind will have sufficiently decreased to permit a good flight. Here I can also meet my friend Masa from Japan again; we'll have dinner together tonight.