IQQ - last flying day: Alto Hospicio, Palo Buque

Another strange day: in the morning almost no wind and the thermals took unusually long to devellop (and remained rather weak)  > just a short flight from Alto Hospicio with a landing on Playa Huayquique.

Playa Huayquique; launch (Alto Hospicio)  center of pix

In the afternoon we drove for a last time out to Palo Buque: at first the wind has been a bit too strong for me, but later we could all soar for quite a while :-)

Georg

This has been the last flying day here in Iquique. Tomorrow we'll be making a sightseeing trip to the desert and up into the mountains. I don't really mind, especially as the wx fcst is not especially promising when it comes to flying (s.a.y.). But a cloudless sky should make for some nice pictures...

IQQ - San Marcos - not a convincing performance ;-)

Early departure (0800) for San Marcos, a site approx 90kms south of IQQ. The idea: fly back to Iquique... 
Again a very interesting drive: first along the pacific ocean, than across the desert.
Todays pilots: Ralf, Georg, Martin and me. 

launch looking North

Georg and Ralf in front of launch

that's where it ended for me...

Even after trying for more than 45 minutes I was unable to climb high enough above the ridge (in the center of this pix). As I didn't know how the terrain looked behind the ridge (ie landing options) I didn't dare to continue (I never made it to the 700m Ralf had suggested.) Very prompt pick up by our driver Jerry - thanks!
Ralf, Georg and Martin all made it back to IQQ - congrats!
It's a pity that I haven't been able to profit from the really good conditions which develloped later in the day...

IQQ - Los Verdes

Finally (again) a day how it is supposed to be here at this time of the year...
Very interesting drive through the desert out to 'Los Verdes'.

Launch: looking South (towards airport)

Excellent conditions allowed for a flight towards the airport of IQQ, then back via Palo Buque, Alto Hospicio and landing agian on Playa Brava near our hotel :-))

Launch  (looking North towards Palo Buque)

heading North (Playa Blanca)

Iquique

'high rise soaring' (Georg)

Later in the afternoon Ralf took me out to Palo Buque for 45mins of ground handling; (very) slowly I'm progressing with the Cobra launch...

IQQ - (Los Verdes), Alto Hospicio

Originally we had planned to drive to another site a little south of Palo Buque, called Los Verdes. But the wx didn't play along: overcast, very hazy. In fact it looked so unpromising, that I didn't join the group driving up to Alto Hospicio later in the morning. This proofed to be a wrong desicion, as they could make quite a nice flight - despite the 'strange' conditions.
In the afternoon I joined them for a flight from Alto Hopsicio; landing on Playa Brava, just a few hundert meters from the hotel.

'Mirador Parapente' (in Alto Hospicio)

'Mirador Parapente' - a pretty weired story: a few years ago a really nice launch had been built for quite some money. Everything was there: indications on the highway, parking, launch area carpet covered, seats for the spectators etc. But it has never been opened :-((  According to Ralf for some 'political' reasons...

IQQ - Alto Hospicio

Today, as forcasted, the winds were less strong and more westerly.
In fact so weak, that on the first flight in the morning Ralf's plan of flying towards Punta Gruesa/ Palo Buque failed due lack of lift. I had to land at Playa Huayquique. Trying to hitch hike back, already the fifth car passing stopped and gave me a lift right back to the hotel entrance :-)) 

Alto Hospicio launch

looking North towards Playa Huayquique

Ralf feared that the winds at Palo Buque in the afternoon would also be to weak, so we went to Alto Hospicio again; nice soaring and a landing on Playa Brava close to the hotel.

Alto Hospicio

Playa Brava

IQQ - s.a.y.

Same As Yesterday - too much north wind in the morning at Alto Hospicio to permit an enjoyable flight; good (actually a little bit better) conditions at Palo Buque in the afternoon (but still very much out of the south)...

As the roads to our hotel had been blocked by the police due to some riots, we had a nice Sushi dinner while waiting....

IQQ - (Alto Hospicio), Palo Buque

The strong South wind today cretated a rotor on Alto Hospicio, so on launch we had a pronounced North component. It certainly would have been flyable, but there was no point in taking any risk just for an extended 'sledder'. 

Later in the afternoon we went again to Palo Buque. Contrary to what we had been expecting (a strong south), the wind there at times was even (too) weak. I could make a nice flight, but especially in the beginning it has been rather 'hard work',

IQQ - Alto Hospicio, Palo Buque (GndHandling)

First day together with Ralf's group: just 7 people/ 5 pilots (including Ralf)...
After a 'tour' of the LZs we headed for Alto Hospicio. Rather starng conditions prevailed: low cloud base, which is absolutely unusual for this time of the year. But after a while it cleared away and everybody could fly. For me it was just a 'sledder' down to Playa Huayquique, as I had a problem with my harness :-(

waiting for the clouds to clear...

Playa Huayquique

In the afternoon out to Palo Buque. Ralf showed me the Cobra-launch and I tried for quite a while. Actually too long as in the end I was competely exhausted and made just short flight low along the dune. But it has been a very worthwhile 'session' - to be continued.

Ralf with my wing

Sunset on the way back

IQQ - Alto Hospicio

Pick-up at 1030 by Christian for a flight from Alto Hospicio, the local morning site.
Great conditions with just the right amunt of head wind for an easy launch. Towards the end of the flight, the thermals have become pretty strong (+5 m/s), but this made crossing the city to Play Brava, the beach near my hotel rather easy.

flea market in Alto Hospicio

launch is on the ridge (slightly left of center of the pix)

Playa Brava (left), my hotel (center)

For the afternoon I had planned to go to Palo Buque again; Christian told me he'd pick me up by 1530. But for reasons unknown to me he never showed up (and the telefon number he had given me didn't work either...) But maybe the wind was just too strong...
Slowly the rest of my group is arriving; we'll meet tonight,

IQQ - Palo Buque

Cloudy skies in the morning; very little wind...
I tried again to find a tour operator for a day excursion tomorrow (Saturday), but no luck :-(
At the reception I met by chance another paraglider pilot (Calina from the US), She told me that she was going to Palo Buque later in the afternoon with her instructor Christian. She asked him if I could tag along - so we met in the lobby at 1545...
A short drive brought us to 'launch'. You launch actually from the LZ;  here you inflate the glider and then kite it up the hill; as far as necessary...

 

Flying for a good 2 hours: what a nice start to this adventure! My thanks go to Christian for taking me along!

(IQQ) General strike

Unfortunately no paragliding: not enough wind and/ or wrong direction. But it didn't matter much, as I still felt the effects of my 30+ hour trip...

IQQ at sunrise (seen from my room)

this would be the perfect LZ, just steps from my hotel. But I haven't found out yet, how to get out... (view from the resaturant on the 19th floor)

General strike for 2 days :-(  In the morning a peaceful demonstration by a couple of hundert protesters. Most others seemed to prefer a quite day on the beach...

...in the early evening some riots by a few handful of hooligans. Most Chileans tried to avoid the skirmishes. I could not see any support for those 'acts'. Quiet night (at least around here...)

The whole day long I tried to organize something for the next 2 days: a trip up to the desert or so. But at such short notice all operators I have been able to contact where already busy or couldn't be reached -probably due to the strike :-(

Chile -Travel

ZRH: Boeing 777 (Swiss)

 30 hour of travel brought me from Switzerland to Iquique (IQQ) in Chile: ZRH-GRU (Sao Paolo) with Swiss (Boeing 777)

ZRH-GRU: Sunrise near Rio de Janiero

 As it has not been possible to check my luggage through to SCL (Santiago de Chile), I had to pass through immigartion, customs, check-in, emmigartion in GRU - luckily everything without problems.
GRU-SCL-IQQ with LATAM A320/ A321.

GRU-SCL: crossing the Andes

Immigration in SCL also went without a hitch; even though I had declared several items beyond the normally accepted duty exempt aalllowance, I was not even questioned about them...
Furthermore (at least yesterday at the airport) nothing could be felt about the actual political situation.
Temperature in SCL: 32°C, but dry; in IQQ it will be about 22-25°C.

SCL-IQQ

I'll be meeting he rest of 'my' group on Saturday..

(Arosa)

...short side trip to Arosa last Sunday... I had hoped to make a flight to Chur, but unfortunately -as the slopes had not been groomed yet- the snow was too deep to permit a take-off, especially as there was absolutely no wind which would have assited a bit ;-) 

So I just enjoyed the views...

Morning Glory

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/that-s-the-story-morning-glory-how-cloud-surfing-snapper-took-shot-20191106-p537we.html

Nicole in Brazil

Nicole has spent 2 weeks in Caico (BR), attempting to fly far on her 777 Gambit.
Unfortunately, during this time the winds have not been very much in her favour and she ended up with 'only' 2 400+km flights...

27.11.  449.77km    https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:nicole/27.10.2019/09:40
29.11.  426.19km    https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:nicole/29.10.2019/09:43

(Arosa)

20.10.19 um 1330 (Webcam Shot)