Scuol - days 1 / 2

Thur (19.9.), Yesterday (18.9.), when I decided to go to Scuol and had reserved a room for 2 nights, Burnair had given 4 'blue' days in a row (blue = potential hammer day). Unfortunately upon arrival clouds quickly started to cover the sky completely, so in the end I have been able to make only a straight top to bottom sledder :-(  

After the flight at the LZ, I've met Bernie (the 'founder' of burnair.map) himself and he has given me some explanation as to why the fcst can be off quite a bit... But for the next day, he has 'promised' better wx... Also at the LZ I've met my old friend MarcoZ, who regularily works as the driver on Bernie's PG tours.

Fri (20.9.) True to his 'promise' a beautiful day right from the start :-) For once I opted not to launch from the normal launch at Motta Naluns, but to ride the chairlift to Schlivera. Here I had to carry my pack for about 20' uphill, but it went surprisingly well.

Schlivera

Marco gave me some help on my launch. I decided to follow the pilots of Bernie's group and after some initial struggling abouve Ftan I also reached cloud base. Fromhere on, the flying was rather easy good, strong thermals (but not too rowdy), so I headed west; initially with some of Bernie's pilots, later I was alone.

Piz Linard (3410m)

Macun lakes

Cloudbase above 3400m. At Zernez I crossed the valley and flew South direction Swiss National Park (= no landing in the park!). Even though I had enough altitude for a possible crossing, in the end I didn't push on as it would have ment going against the wind; so I turned around and landed at Zernez. A short walk brought me to the train station, where I only had to wait 5' for my train back to Scuol to arrive :-))

looking S into Swiss National Park

Zernez

Piz Linard

Bassano-2

Tue (10.9.) Finally a really nice day here in Bassano right from the start :-))

Monte Grappa (WW I memorial)

I have tried to fly over the memorial, but (at least while I have been flying) cloud base didn't rise high enough. But already this altitude was much more than what had been fcst

happy landing after about 1.75hrs.

I 'rewarded' myself with a nice tagliata at the Antica Abbazia

Wed (11.9.) As today's fcst has not been particularily good - and for the next days neither - I decided to drive home. Making a final stopp just before entering Switzerland ;-)

Bassano

Sun (8.9.) Most probably a flight from Col Rodella would have been possible, but the sky was already covered by cirrus clouds by 0800, so I decided to start driving towards Bassano, where I had booked a room in the morning for the next 3 nights. I spent the afternoon in my room, as it started to rain (very heavy at times). Dinner: Pizza...

Mon (9.9.) The day started with lots of clouds from yesterday's rain and I hadn't high hopes for a good flight. While waiting for the humidity to dissipate, I visited Bassano (and also had an ice cream).

Bassano

....slowly starting to look better...

I also had a look at 2 nearby launches: Rubbio and Bielli and their LZ. Shortly before 1400 I got back to the LZ at Garden Relais and quite a number of pilots have been fying. It took about 30' for a shuttle to arrive and by 1530 I was airborne: really nice conditions with good thermals: strong but not (too) bumpy...

for a moment I feared that this cloud could devellop into something 'nasty', but it quickly fell apart...

...landing after 1h 45'

...I hope the sky will look the same tomorow...

Canazei

Thur (5.8.) Travelling from Tiers to Campitello via Passo San Pellegrino, Cencenighe Agordina (Gelateria da Daniele - a very good recommandation by Michael), Passo Fedaia; the first part of the drive has been cloudy, but still dry; rain, later in the afternoon. Dinner with Masa and his group of Japanese pilots in a Pizzeria. Apart from this day, they have been able to make at least a flight/ day with some days offering even very good conditions.

da Danile

Fri (6.9.) the humidity from yesterday's rain lingered well into late afternoon, when finally a sledder from Col Rodelly has become possible. Once more dinner with Masa and his group. Again all had been able to make at least a (short) flight.

Rodella, pano looking North

Rodella, pano looking East-Southeast

Campitello (LZ), looking NE towards Belvedere

Sat (7.9.) On Col Redella a huge building project is taking shape: the present cable car will be replaced by a complete new system with 18 gondolas (capacity 30 persons each), thus able to transport 2200 persons/ hour...

>>  But this also means that next summer (2025) NO gondola/ cable car from Campitello to Col Rodella will be running!!  <<

Still some lingering humidity... By 1100 conditions turned on; for me today the thermals felt rather bumpy, so my flight didn't last very long; otherwise conditions looked good.

Rodella:Pano looking NE: Sella Towers / Pordoi (center) / Marmolada (far right)

no idea how many sheep, but when driving across Passo San Pellegrino I crossed a herd with 1000 sheep...

Rodella; Pano looking North: Langkofel (left) / Sella Towers (right)

Rodella; pano looking SE: Pordoi (left) / Marmolada

After my (short) flight I again rode to Rodella, but now the SW-launch would have to be used... The usual problem: I could get down to launch with my gear, but in case of not being able to fly not back up anymore - so I had to renounce :-(

Instead I drove (again) to Rosengarten / Kölner Hütte: here conditions looked good.

A glider, which had taken off rather far down on the slope, had found good lift. But same problem as above. I laid out right on top: there is a small piece of flat terrain; but for launching I had to go down the slope a bit. Unfortunatley, the slope here is very steep so I slipped several times and in the end had to call it a day.

When I had been here a few days ago I hadn't realized how steep the slope was; otherwise I wouldn't have tried again.

Rosengarten / Kölner Hütte: pano looking W: Latemar (left)

Speikboden/ Sonnenklar; (Rodeneck)

Wed (4.9.) Originally I had planned to go to Rodeneck; but as I got near (around 0900) the whole area was shaded and already the first clouds had develloped. I stopped for a moment and checked 'Burnair'. As it looked clearer to the East I decided to continue and try Speikboden (Sand in Taufers/ Ahrntal).

Initially it didn't look convincing either: some low stratus...

Sand in Taufers

...but getting closer to Sand in Taufers it started to look better and these low stratus clouds quickly dissipated :-)

From the LZ I rode the bus to the gondola station for Speikboden - I didn't have to wait more than 10' before the bus arrived.

ideal wind conditions at 'Sonnenklar'

There have been some other pilots (about 5), all of them had launched by the time I finally was ready. Luckily I have been so slow, as they all sunk out, while later (when I launched) conditions improved and I managed to stay up and even could climb a few hundert meters above launch. Later I crossed the valley and flew over the other launch here: Ahornach.

Pano on 'Sonnenklar' looking NW: Ahrntal, Main divide (IT-AT)

Pano looking NNW (towards Sonnenklar)

Sonnenklar - where the chairlift ends

Ahornach, over TO looking SSW towards LZ

Ahornach TO

Sand in Taufers: LZ

After my flight (which lastet about an hour) I started to drive back towards Tiers. Along the way I 'had to' stop at a Gelateria; here I decided that I'd drive by Rodeneck and see if an afternoon flight could be possible. 'Luckily' I missed the bus to launch by about 10' and I didn't want to wait for the next bus. So I continued towards Tiers. While passing Brixen it started to rain... So the ice-cream saved me from a possible flight into rain or having to ride the bus down to my car again ;-)

Dinner with Gudrun and Michael (and 'Loki').

'Loki', a 2 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback

Tipp: a single ride to Sonnenklar costs 29EUR, and you have to pay again if flying should not be possible. For 69EUR you can get a ticket valid for 7 days, allowing unlimited rides... (2024 prices)

(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.