Fanas - a video by Andy S.

Andy is now using a 'Feyju Tech Gyro' (Gimbal) with his GoPro: it brings the quality of his videos to a completley new level! And as usual with his videos, the music fits perfectly.

Unfortunately I already had handed in my equipment for inspection the day before - as I expected this to be a pretty good day. Furthermore I had 2 appointments, I didn't want to change again. (I had moved them already once in order to be able to go to Spain...)

Rigi

As my equipment (Harness/ Reserve) will need maintainance and therefore had to be delivered to Brunnen (FS Touch&Go) I took the opportunity for a flight from 'Rigi Kulm'.

looking NE

As the air was quite stable, 'hard work' and patience was required to gain altitude.

Zugersee, Arth-Goldau

Nice flight which had the potential for more  ;-)

more site-seeing: Vilanova de Meia

The day started much better than I had hoped, but the fcst (and webcam on launch) indicated still (too?) much wind. So I decided to have a look at another site nearby: Vilanova de Meia.

Vilanova de Meia

I found the LZ easily, as well as the roads to the (2) different launches: but to call them roads is an exageration: for 'Cogullo' 4WD is highly recommended (though I got there in my rental car); the last 1.5kms of the track to the other launch require 4WD (so I didn't actually get there.)

large LZ with windsock

Cogullo South launch

As the sky became clearer all the time I headed back to Ager and up to Coll d'Ares. Launching would have easily been possible: nice wind coming straight in at times, but at times coming also gusty and cross from the left (similar to yesterday), so I didn't fly.
Instead I continued sightseeing to the north of the Sierra de Montsec.

Ager / Organya

Promises, promises... According to the weathermen, it should have been a good day, BUT due to a high cirrus layer here at Ager only weak thermals could develop; additionally a low ceiling and east wind made flying not very attractive. I was the first to land, but shortly thereafter nobody else was flying as well.

Coll d'Ares, TO a little higher up than for the other flights here

So I drove again to Organya, as Jordi had told me to expect good conditions there.

As I arrived in Organya, many pilots were flying high above, doing acro and stuff, which I watched for a while. I also watched some not so nice 'landings', as the thermals made coming down rather tricky. (That was the reason, I had used the altn LZ on my last flight here).

Organya

When I arrived at launch, conditions had completely changed! Everybody had landed. I had to wait quite a while to just get a little head wind for launching for my 5' sledder...
>> Too much driving today for way not enough flying ;-)
Tomorrow: more promises?!

Ager

Finally a day without too much wind! Cloudbase was lower than yesterday, but the thermals were very nice. So after a good flight today no need for any 'site'-seeing  ;-)

TO Coll d'Ares

Exeptional clear views to the north: Pyrenees

Embalse de Caneles

Camping 'Vall d'Ager', with LZ (at 2 o'clock)

Ager and more 'site'-seeing

Again, the day started without clouds. Already at 1000 the first pilots were flying from Coll'd'Ares.
We headed up after 1100 and found a launch full of waiting tandem- and solopilots, as the wind was coming in cross or even from behind (W to NW). 

Coll d'Ares: parawaiting

After waiting quite a while (and setting up several times, as the tailwind had rolled up my wing) I finally managed to launch as well. I found strong thermals, but intermixed with the wind (> 20kmh). I didn't like the conditions at all and landed already after less than half an hour flight time :-((   After I had landed only HG could be seem still flying...
It was not 1500 yet and as I didn't want just to hang around I decided to go for some more 'site'-seeing.

Abella della Conca

In 1h45min I had reached Organya another good site here. At the LZ I was introduced to Jordi from the local flightschool Organya Experience.  He gave me an excellent site introduction an drove me up to launch.

Organya (Launch:left side)

Organya

The thermals have been strong here too, but it was much nicer flying without the influence of the West wind. Jordi also drove me back from the alternative LZ, where I had landed.

Altn LZ (less thermal activity/ turbulence, but more wind)

Many thanks for everything Jordi; It was a pleasure having met you! Hope to meet you again.

Castejon de Sos / (Tozal Gordo)

I woke up to an almost cloudless sky, but there was (too) much wind in todays fcst for Ager, so I decided to do some 'site'-seeing. And no, that's not a typo ;-)
Driving through beautiful landscapes:

Portell deis Terraders

Embalse de Escales

Castejon des Sos, the other 'must' site here in the Pyrenees is just 2 hours drive form Ager. After having looked at the LZ there, I also wanted to have a lookat the launches so I drove up to 'Pedra Blanca'.

Castejon des Sos: Pedra Brancas

Just as I was arriving, I saw some gliders in the air :-)) I was able to talk to their driver and was told that fo the moment the conditions would be good for flying; furthermore she told me that normally a ride up would cost 10EUR (with 4 pilots as a minimum). But my problem was: how would I retreive my car; walking back up was no option, as it's a 35' drive with an altitude difference of more than 1000m. I decided to fly and hoped I would find a 'Para'-taxi later...

Pedra Brancas

Liri

After I had retrived my car I headed back to Ager, but on a different route. Here I could visit another flying site: 'Tozal Gordo' (near Graus/ el Grado): but it was completely blown out.

Tozal Gordo (Pano looking South)

Benabarra

Ager

With the lousy wx fcst for the next days (week?) I've decided at short notice to 'head south'...
So I flew to Barcelona (BCN) (Thursday), rented a car and drove to Ager.
Remark: as I have said to Ruth after having made my desicion: the wx in Switzerland will be thus much better than forecasted and in Spain worse ;-)  (> see also XContest for todays flights.)

on the way to ager (near Igualada)

puppies (near Balaguer)

When I got to Ager (around 1800) I saw some gliders, but it was too late to make it up the hill.
This morning then(Friday) started out pretty nice: according to the fcst there should have been (too?) much East-wind and no rain, but actually during the morning we got just little east wind and a little rain. Anyway, a group of French pilots took me up to Coll d'Ares, the main launch, explainig me the different TO- and landing- options along the way (- thanks Roland!). As conditions permitted a launch, I took the oppotunity for a first flight here in Ager. There was even some light thermal activity but the flight had to be cut short due to some spells of rain.  

Coll d'Ares

Link to webcam on launch.

almost tame fox

Later in the afternoon it was clearing up nicely, but remained too windy... So I visited all the launches and landings.

Overview of the area ( I hope I've  gotten all the names right)

Weissenstein

Todays (excellent) thermal forecast for the Jura region:

(Hotel Weissenstein) ...already the flag indicates, that there is wind...

As Föhn was forecast in the Alps, 'everybody' flocked to the Jura and especially to 'Weissenstein', which is easily reachable by a gondola.

Finsteraarhorn, Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau...

BUT: unfortunately the wind was much stronger than forcasted and also out of a much more northeasterly direction :-((
Comment by Chrigel Maurer about the conditions (the SwissLeague was holding a task here):
Die Bedingungen sind schlechter als prognostiziert:
- mehr Wind (10-15kn aus NE)
- Thermik ist nicht angenehm und zu schwach für den Wind
 
Most pilots launched anyway (also my friend Andy), but an estimated 5% elected to go down using the gondola (me amongst them). Andy reported later that it had not been 'really clean' ;-)    But certainly some great flights were made today.

also some 'not so nice' launches could be seen...

Alp Scheidegg / XCBanner

Originally Andy and I had planned to go to Fanas, but as a pressure difference of 6hpa was forcast we changed our mind and went to Alp Scheidegg instead. (Up to 4hpa is considered to be ok for Fanas, with more the risk of the 'Föhn' breaking through is to big - at least for me). Remark (25.4.): not a single flight from Fanas has been uploaded to XContest...

Andy launching

Launch

But also here the influence of the (SW-) wind could be clearly felt; flying was ok, but not a big pleasure and the landing at 'Hüebli' again a bit tricky ;-)

LZ 'Hüebli'

...XCBanner...

XCBanner is available here: different languages, very lightweight, costs about 15EUR and is mailed from Poland. I have received mine in less than 2 weeks....

Alp Scheidegg

The weather today turned out to be much better than what had been forcasted even just a few days ago, so I went to the site closest to where I live: 'Alp Scheidegg' (abaut 50min by car).
Andy joined me at the LZ, where we parked our cars and then, after waiting only a few minutes, we could hitch a ride to launch - Thanks!!
Conditions turned out to be rather perfect for launching, but in the air it was somewhat 'strange': windy at times, bumpy in places... 

looking down to launch

over the LZ, looking towards launch

LZ 'Hüebli'

The LZ lived up to its reputation as being 'challenging' ;-) Andy even elected to top land and hitch down.

Fanas

Yesterday (SUN, 9.4.) while having lunch together with Ruth on the terrasse of  Skihaus Pirigen near Langwies I saw at least 25 wings flying high overhead; close to 20 pilots flew more than 200k; the furthest: Chrigel Maurer, 245km FAI-Triangle, launching from 'Vilan' (flight here).
So today, even knowing that conditions would be much less favorable due to the approaching coldfront, I found my way to Fanas as well...

just a few pilots on launch ;-)

looking east towards 'Chrüz'

 I started the crossing towards 'Chrüz' (for my liking) rather low, but the west wind helped and I arrived not too low. After a little scratching I was able to cross the peak and the wind pushed me eastwards towards Klosters. Climbs have been strong (up to 8m/s), but sink as well (up to 7 m/s). After Klosters it was finally easygoing to my planned turnpoint at 'Fergenhütte SAC': 3.5m/s climbing half accellerated :-))

near Chrüz

Here I turned back to Klosters and attempted to cross towards 'Gotschna', hoping to be able to continue towards 'Davos', but due to the wind I arrived rather low and spent the remainder of the flight just cruising arround.

avalanche barriers above Klosters

But considering the conditions it was an enjoyable flight for me. Back to my car in Schiers by train.