AGP -4: Padul (Escuzar)

Sunrise in Almunecar

Finally a day which (almost) lived up to our (high) expectations: cloudless, excellent visibility, a little cold, windwise again rather tricky ;-)
We headed again for Padul; and this time I was able to launch as well: windspeed was lower, but direction unfortunately not optimal. So only local soaring with little hight gain was possible. (Even the HG's sunk out...) Andy coud topland and take our car down,

Launch (on the fire clearings)

...just a glimpse of the Sierra Nevada...

large LZ along track to launch

A HG pilot who had sunk out as well recommended 'Escuzar' as an alternative with this wind direction. Andy found very few infos about this site on the web, but no coordinates or description of access, but in the end we found the track to launch.

Escuzar

Again the wind direction was suboptimal, so only Andy flew.

AGP -3: Rain, (Otivar), Padul

Yesterday: rain, no flying. I visited my friends Giacco and Rolfito in VdA (Valle de Abdalajis). Giacco turns 90 soon and had moved last summer from his nearby finca (where he had lived for the last 27 years) to an senior citizens home in the village of Abdalajis. He seems to be well (physically as well as mentally) and told me, that it is a good place and that they take good care of him. Rolfito is also well, apparently doing well and is pretty busy: his bike and walking tours are popular and well booked. See link. He's been living in VdA for 15+ years and certain is a very competent guide if you're into such tours.

Today it looked better, but it was hard to make up our minds about where to go. In the end we decided to go to Padul, but not along the faster highway, but via Otivar and across the montains. Getting to Otivar it looked flyable at first: some sunny patches, a little head wind a times. But waiting a little longer we noticed that the north component was pushing through.
We contined towards Padul, a ridge which with north wind should be flyable. But how different it looked since my last visit (in 1995!): finally we managed to find the road to launch.

Pano at launch looking North (towards Granada - on right side of pix)

As it was pretty windy (and also rather cold) I didn't want to fly. So I 'played' driver for Andy.
But even he elected to descend quite a bit below the 'official' launch in order to find a spot where wind speed was lower than on top of the ridge.

He had a very good launch and ridge soared until the cold 'made' him land...

AGP -2 (Sierra de Lujar), Cerro de Itrabo

Not really good flying weather, but at least not as bad as forecasted ;-)

As the chances for good flights loooked pretty slim today, Andy and I went on a 'site'-seeing trip: Sierra de Lujar (1860m).

Calahonda

On the way we passed a possible soaring site in Calahonda; but not enough wind and not the right direction today.

Sierra de Lujar: southeast face

Although there is a paved road all the way up to the antennas, it's in very bad shape (lots of big holes) and sometimes really steep!

Sierra de Lujar

Up here at 1860m the wind was too strong and not from the proper direction...
The LZ would be on the beach 12km  (a 1:6.7 glide) away.

In the end I could make a sledder from 'Cerro di Itrabo', a little higher up than 'Loma del Gato', from where Andy had launched yesterday.

Cerro de Itrabo

AGP -1: Lomo del Gato

ZRH-AGP: Mittelland

The long awaited 'escape' to the South / 'warmth'...

Well, it's not really warm, but at least 10°C less cold than at home ;-)

Almunecar: Lomo del Gato

Andy (who'll stay with me for the first week) could make a short sledder into the sunset. Unfortunately the fcst for the next few days is not too promising. Let's hope that the forecasts here are as unreliable as thos at home.

Almunecar

Arosa :-))

Almost like in the Dolomites: Hmax 3550m! Certainly this flight for me is in the top ten of my flights from the Weisshorn: excellent visibility, nice/ mellow thermals. Thanks Erich for your assistance!

900m over launch; Erich getting ready

Urdensee

Berninagruppe

Chur, Calanda

Homeward bound

Maybe a flight would have been possible to wait today later in the afternoon, but I didn't want to wait so lang, as the drive home would take me roughly 6 hrs. There is a flight on XContest, but TO was only at 1515... Instead I choose to drive not by the fastest way, but across 'a few' mountain passes: Passo Costalunga, Passo Nigra, Passo Stelvio/ Stilfserjoch (2757m), Passo de Foscagno into Livigno (Tax free area, where diesel costs only 0.85EUR/litre!), Flüela Pass and Wolfgang. Perfect weather until reaching Zernez: in America you would call it 'Indian Summer'.

45 hair needle turns (Tornante) on the east side

Passo Stelvio

Ortler

37 hair needle turns on the west side...

...all in all well above 100 hair needle turns..

'Indian Summer'

Lago di Livigno

Dolomiten -2

Another beautiful day here in the Dolomites, but again no flying due to wind.
So instead of doing the 'Sella Ronda' with my paraglider I had to do by car,  instead of flying up to Sass Pordoi and Piz Boè I had to take the cablecar and of course the Marmolada could also only be viewed from afar ;-)

Passo Sella: Langkofel (Sassolungo) and Val Gardena

Grödener Joch: Langkofel (Sassolungo)

Passo Pordoi (looking east): Lagazuoi

(Passo Pordoi)

Passo Pordoi: Cablecar to 'Sass Pordoi'

Monte Pelmo (from 'Sass Pordoi')

'Sass Pordoi': Marmolada

Passo Pordoi: right: Langkofel (Sassolungo); middle: Col Rodella

Dolomiten -1

Todays forecast for the Friuli region has not been very promising. But I could see on the webcams, that the region of Canazei had clear skies, so I choose this way to start my drive home. I knew from windy.com that there was a risk of too much wind... Beautiful drive across the mountains via Belluno, Passo Staulanza and Passo di Fedaia to Campitello.

Monte Civetta?

Marmolada (3343m) (from Passo di Fedaia)

Arriving the cable car for, just 2 PGs could be seen flying, but many pilots came down with the gondola :-((  But due to the excellent visibility I rode up to Col Rodella none the less just to enjoy the views.

Windsock at launch showning strong westerly wind

 But what a view! Well worth the ride - even without flying.

Sella towers, Piz Boè (3152m), Sass Pordoi (2950m)

Marmolada (right) (3343m)

When going down, one pilot could be seen flying: almost no penetration against the wind and it seemed to be a rather bumpy ride...
I'll stay for the night, but I'm not expecting to fly tomorrow, as there is still too much wind in the fcst.

Meduno

Last day here in eastern Italy (Friaul) / Slowenia: for a while it has been unclear where (and if) we could fly at all. Marco finally selected Meduno and he proved right again! Nice 2+hr flight under a sky with more then 50% cloud cover. 

Above LZ - Pix by Jessica C.

Jessica C.

Pix by Jessica C.

Pix by Jessica C.

Nice pix taken by Jessica C.: many thanks!!! Although 'only' flying for a little more than a year, she already has close to 300 flights (ca 275hrs) in her logbook: compliments!

Gigjote

No flying today due to wx, but 'at least' a nice 'Fiorentina' for dinner ;-)