(Rosengarten / Catinaccio / Kölner Hütte)

Tue (3.9.) I met Michael for a capuccino and a briefing about todays' options at 1000: he 'sent' me to 'Rosengarten / Catinaccio / Kölner Hütte', which can be reached by cable car and gondola from StCyprian, just a few kilometres up the road from my hotel; it's also possible to land there.

StCyprian (Tiers)

The cablecar from StCyprian to Frommeralm is completely new and the old chair lift from Frommeralm has also been replaced by a modern (8-seater) gondola, whose station has been built into the mountain.

Gondola station. Pano from Kölner Hütte/, looking South towards Karersee/ Latemar

When I arrived there has been unfortunately a slight tail wind, which turned later into a cross-wind, probably due to that for the whole morning there has been no sun at all heating up this westerly oriented face. I didn't like both for launching on this steep terrain, so after 1.5hrs I rode back down again... With hind sight I should have probably waited even longer, but the fcst reported possible showers/ OD after 1400... (Nothing happened untill 1600+.)

cross-wind :-((   Pano looking S: Karersee / Latemar

Pano looking W-NE direction Tiers

Tipp: I had bought a single ticket, costing 24EUR (StCyprian-Kölner Hütte). It would have been more economical to have bought a day-ticket (36EUR) permitting unlimited use of all gondolas etc here, because I had to pay again 24EUR for the ride down. So if it's not a 100 percent certain, that it's possible to launch, get the day-ticket.

Watles

(Mon (2.9.) I already left shortly before 0700 for my drive to Italy; more precise, the Dolomites. As I had missed the car-train through the Vereina-tunnel by just a few minutes, I drove across the Flüelapass. Arriving at the LZ in Schleis, it looked rather promising, but I knew that I had to be on the ground latest by 1400, due to OD in the fcst...

large LZ in Schleis, looking up to Prämajur / Watles

Schleis: farmers irrigating their fields

I drove up to Prämajur (1750m), from where the chairlift starts; in summer only the first section is in service (ending at 2150m), so I had to hike to launch near Pfaffensee (at 2225m).

Pano on launch, looking South

Conditions for launch have been really nice, but thermals remained weak due to the poor 'gradient'. But at least I could climb back up to launch altitude from Prämajur. I landed after a little more than 30' at the LZ in Schleis, packed up and reached the bus in Mals back to my car with about 10' to spare ;-)

Top-landing in Prämajur would also be an option in order to avoid having to catch the bus...

Prämajur: LZ / launch / P/ chair-lift station

LZ in Schleis

above Prämajur, looking North, back to launch

Next time I'd probably park at the bus stop, timing my arrival  there according the bus' schedule in order to avoid having to retreive the car after flying.

I then continued towards Meran: for a moment I wanted to fly Hirzer as well, but I got lost in the city's evening rush hour. After having been stuck their for a while, I abandoned this idea (especiallly knowing I had to pass this city again after a possible flight) and continued towards Tiers, where I'm staying for the next 3 nights.

Flying Rosengarten would have been an option IF I had been 2 hours earlier in Tiers, but so arrived there in a rain shower.

(Livigno) / Scuol

Thur (22.8.) For a moment I felt like going to Alp Grüm again, but -already on the way to the train station- I (luckily) changed my mind. Because, after having reached Bernina Pass, it was clear, that no flying there would have been possible: all in low clouds. So I continued to 'Livigno'. which is the Italian equivalent to Samnaun (in Switzerland): both are tax-free valleys...

Prices in EUR...

Pano at 'Carosello 3000' (2750) looking South-East

Pano looking North-West

I did ride the gondola to 'Carosello 3000', but the wind came in due West, for which there is no launch nearby; I also didn't see any other (tandem) pilots, so I renaunced and used my return ticket which I had purchased for exactly this case...

excellent Cappuccino!!

After having filled up the tank I continued via the 'Munt la Schera'-tunnel back into Switzerland. Having not slept very well the last 2 nights I had to interrupt my driving in order to take a nap before continuing to Scuol. Here I had dinner with some (Leeloo-flying) friends.

Fri (23.8.). The fcst looked much more promising today, albeit with thermal activity starting rather late. So it was almost 1300, before I finally launched.

...for a moment 5 (!) Leeloos on launch...

Ftan

over Ftan,looking East towards Scuol

At first it has been rather 'hard' work staying up / getting higher, but in the end I made it up to 2900m and it looked as 3500m would have been possible later in the afternoon. But by then I had landed, packed up, had a drink and ice cream with my friends and was already on my way home :-)

noFly (Diavolezza, Corvatsch, Muottas Muragl)

Today (Wed) there has been 8hpa north-overpressure, so from the beginning I saw little chance of flying. In the morning I have driven to Cavaglia, which I have flown over yesterday. There is a very inmpressive 'glacier mill garden' with quite a large number of 'mills' in a very small space.

Cavaglia: looking N towards Alp Grüm/ launch (marked 'x')

 

 

As I had my Engadin Card, my next stop has been Diavolezza. The wind seemed to be pretty good, but I hadn't taken my gear along, so I have not been tempted to fly ;-)

 

Diavolezza: preserving the last winter's snow...

Diavolezza: Palü, Bellavista Bernina, Morteratsch (left to right)

I continued my sightseeing by driving to Silvaplana for a ride to Piz Corvatsch. At the station I got taking to a tandem pilot, so I have taken my gear with me. Even though the conditions looked nice I didn't fly as launch was quite a way down and in the case of not beeing able to fly it would have been very hard for me to carry my gear back to the cable car station... Instead I rode all the way up to the top and enjoyed the sights.

looking down to launch

Piz Corvatsch Pano looking S: Morteratsch, Bernina, Rosegg

Corvatsch, Pano looking N: Silsersee, Silvaplanersee

Returnung towards Bernina-Sout I stopped first at COOP in St.Moritz to buy some dinner and then at Punt Muragl for the ride to Muottas Muragl by rope railway. Here it probably would have been possible to fly, but the wind has been rather gusty...

Muottas Muragl, looking SW: Palü, Bernina

launch looking NW-N: Samedan

Final stop at Morteratsch for a 'dinner with a view'

looking W: Bellavista, Piz Bernina, Piz Morteratsch

Alp Grüm

Tue (20.8.)  I had left home early (before 0700) in oder to reach the train at 1025 in Bernina-Suot. I drove via Bergün-Preda-Lai da Paluogna-Pontresina-Morteratsch.

Lai da Palpuogna (near Preda/ Albulapass)

near Morteratsch: looking SW: Bellavista/ Zupo/ Piz Bernina/ Piz Morteratsch

I had booked a room for 2 nights at Bernina-Suot and upon arrival they alreday had my room ready as well the 'Engadin-card' - permitting free travel on all busses/ trains and other means of transport in the Oberengadin. So I travelled by train to Alp Grüm (which can only be reached by train or on foot/ by bike).

Lago Bianco (Bernina pass)

Here I had to hike for about 40' to the S-facing launch above Belvedere-restaurant. According to the fcst, the sky should have become overcast by 1400, but already when I got to launch there was no more sun...

view from Belvedere looking W: Alp Grüm (train), Palü glacier

Launch looking S: Val Puschlav, le Prese

But at least the wind has been straight on the nose...

Cavaglia: looking back to launch; this is an excellent out-landing option (with train station).

Poschiavo

LZ very close to train station (10')

 

I landed after a it more than 20' in Poschiavo: due to the ocst it has been just an extended sledder, with the vario peeping 2 or 3 times...

Back to Bernina-Suot by train; my hotel just across the road from the station :-)

 

Ebenalp

15.8. Just a short trip/ flight to/ from Ebenalp together with Andrea, as I had to pick up something near St.Gallen anyway. Unfortunately cloudbase remained much lower than forecast, but still a 1.25hr flight ;-)

Arosa

Short flight from Weisshorn. Somewhat strange conditions: for quite a while it looked as I could take-off to the NW...

...but then the wind direction changed and I launched from FIS. I immediately found a good thermal which took me to almost 1000m above launch in 8' :-)

at approx 3500m

I don't know why, but today I didn't feel too well, so for the rest of the flight I avoided the thermals, took some pictures and landed after 30' at Prätschli. I reached the bus back into town with less than 1' to spare ;-)

Disentis

Today (Tue, 6.8.) a visit to Disentis. From 4.-10.8 a Pre-PWC is being held here. I parked my car at the station at Castrisch and then rode by train to Disentis. Of course the idea has been to land near the car.... From the train station in Disentis I could ride by local bus to the cable car station. I was surprised to see, that a single ticket to Gendusas costs 31chf (no discounts for half-price ticket holders). In Arosa (in summer!) you can ride all the cablecars/ gonolas etc for 18chf as many times as you like...

Gendusas: comp TO

Pano on upper TO looking South towards Piz Medel

I hiked to the upper TO, something which went surprisingly well (considering the problem with my Achilles tendon of my left foot and the heavy back pack ;-)

Last year, when I had been here with Marlies and PeterN, I had big problems launching, but this year everything has been easy: wind straight on the nose and just strong enough to permit a good fwd launch.

comp pilots on their way to the starting cylinder

Pano (at 3100m) looking North: Oberalpstock

nice cumulus clouds, permitting good climbs

'Ruinaulta' (Rheinschlucht bei Versam)

Flims

looking towards Castrisch and Ilanz

Above my LZ at Castrisch, the valley wind has been rather strong (> 30kmh at about 200m/ gnd), but below 50m it decreased quite a bit and permitted a safe landing (after 2.5hrs) not too far from my car. All-in-all a very nice day for flying with good thermals, high cloud base and not too much wind at higher altitudes.