Hirzer: Klammeben

Pano on launch (Klammeben, 2065m)

Sun, (27.10.) Last time I have flown here more than 20 years ago (together with Andrea Rö in Sept'04); glider at that time XIX Form3. As this has been the first decent day after a long period of wet weather, there was still too much humidity in the air, so cloudbase has been just at take-off level (Klammeben). But some weak thernmals permitted extending the flight to almost 40'; more would have been possible, but as I have been travelling with Ruth I just flew, as long as she was riding the cable car back to Serfaus,

great autumn colors

looking back to launch (at cloudbase)

Prenn (1400m/ middle station of cable car)

looking East into Passeier Valley

Polar lights in Arosa

The webcam on the Weisshorn in Arosa has recently been upgraded and is now taken also night pictures in excellent quality: here of the rare polar lights on 10.10.24.

 

Scheidegg - GndHandling with Leeloo 2L (modified risers)

A short trip to Alp Scheidegg - between Föhn and warm front...

Here I mentioned, that I had returned the 2-liner Leeloo to Michael. Meanwhile he has further modified the wing and that by now he is rather satisfied with the glider. He also made a modification to the risers, so that it should be easier for me to hold a collapse or make big ears. The 'deal' now is that I will keep the glider over the winter and fly it in 'calm' conditions, hoping that with some more flights I'll get used to the performance of this wing. In March'25 I'll be seeing Michael in Levico (iCamp) and then I'll decide if I'm keeping the wing. I know I've said this already twice before ;-)

modified risers ('blue ball' on outer baby-A)

As I was only ground handling today, I have not been able to try this modification, but it looks like a good improvement.

At first no wind at all, then finally the west wind set in and for a while ground handling has been possible. I had just finished packing up when it started to rain...

Scuol - days 3 / 4

Sat (21.9.) I had made again an attempt to launch from Schlivera (as yesterday) - Marco even offered to carry my gear up to launch - but in the end I had decided against it (problems with my back...) So I rode the chairlift back down to Motta Naluns. Unfortunately conditions here remained the whole day just a bit too weak to permit getting high enough (contrary to the pilots who had launched from Schlivera.)

As conditions didn't improve during the course of the day, we (Marlies, PeterN, ErichP) decided to try to fly to Sur En, where they had parked their camper vans. Peter and I arrived there with some altitude to spare, Marlies and Erich had to land along the way...

Camping Sur En

Sun (22.9.) Today didn't look very promising with very low cloud base in the morning. 

Schlivera, looking South

As I felt better than yesterday I decided to hike up to Schlivera, which today I managed to do without major problems: more or less an extended sledder with a few turns in the weak thermals above Motta Naluns. Later the wind turned more towards the west, so for the second flight we went to Prui, which is better exposed for this wind direction. 

PeterN

Some weak and broken thermals allowed for some turns near launch. Then everybody glided towards Tarasp, where rather unexpectedly a nice (but weak) thermal allowed for some circling and even some climbs (Thanks to PeterN for showing me this thermal!); same again near launch :-)) In the end the day turned out better than predicted...

Schloss Tarasp

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)