Approx. 15km/hr winds from W with upto 3/m climbs to Cu at c2500m. Not a bad day to cross the pass for a flight towards Avila.
The developing low pressure will likely bring Cbs over the next few days curtailing flights by mid afternoon. Congestus clouds likely today in mountains and Ambles which is one of the reasons that may stop us from crossing the pass

First trip 10.30. Wind on the hill since 8am

Not a good day with too much wind to safely fly paragliders. Maybe a chance late afternoon at Lastra del Cano. More moderate wind over days to come

4 flights in weak thermals and light NW drift. To the Cemetery at Casas del Puerto for mysef and Alberto on the 3rd flight.

Forecasts seems puzzling with isobars giving more easterly winds and the computer models more W. Light W to our W in Bejar, E on the plateau behind Peña Negra and S in Avila. Thermal strenght supposedly weak.
yesterday the day turned out far better than forecast with good climbs to above 2300m, allowing the hero of the day, Alberto to make an out and return to near the Quarry and back.

Certainly complicating tomorrow, though still looks feasable for flying.

First trip up hill at 10.30am
Best guess is that we will find winds NNW around Peña Negra and more NE towards Pass. A route similar to Albertos or if the N dominates then a trip towards Barco

Check out the live tracking page.

Yesterday oly one flight due to increasing wind. Today looks more interesting, but only for local soaring. No XC potential. Increasing winds above the inversion.

First trip at 10am for a top to bottom.

5pm:
A quick top to bottom then straight up for another which turned out very nicely. Top of the table for Alberto who flew beyond Villafranca the back. 3m+ climbs with around 5-10km/hr NW- N wind.
My first commercial tandem on my new Magnum 2 this evening.
Tracking testing seems to be going well, with buttons changing colour from flying to landing correctly, except somtimes when flying close in on the mountain.

21:14
Nice evening conditions, though light and poor restitution.

Less wind this morning but forcast to reach around 20km/hr later in the day. Poor thermic conditions with a blue thermal base little above the hill at the forecasted 23ºC. I believe the temperature will go higher and at 27ºC large Cu build ups will occur (base at 3000m) with possible storms in Ambles and the mountains.

Today we should hope for an early flight around 11am for those who have not flown much, and then try for a better soaring flight before 2pm.

Yesterday no tracking as not all the group were here and a few technical glitches. Today the experiment continues (though we won´t be going far)

After yesterdays poor thermci conditions, the next few days offer improving conditions. A weak cold front over the far N of Spain doday with a weakening high level trough may give us some buid up o larger Cus.

XC direction towaqrds Avila with winds around 15km at take off level and termal tops around 2300, though potential climbs to near 3000m if the temperature reaches 28ºC.

The next few days are looking clearly flyable, thug thermic conditions will be weak. Especially good for our low airtime pilots this week.

Today we hope to run the trackers see this page.

Back to 30ºc + heat, leaving a rather poor run of UK weather, though it was not all bad. I took along a new Skywalk Cayenne 4 (S) which I had been hoping to get some decent airtime on. I had also tried getting my hands on some other new C class gliders but most demos were at an event in Ager.
On the first day Paul Russell and I met up with the Avon crowd at Westbury for a non sunshine but highly thermic 2 hours of great flying. My first English pint and a bag of pork scratchings with Pete Douglas and Alex Coltman. (Thanks Pete, a very memorable pint indeed).
The next day we braved rainshowers to visit Ubley, one of my favorite sites ever, though now in dispute with the new landowners. A hike up with Ken Wilkinson, Ian and Paul R, though only myself and Ian flew. A nice hour getting to the low cloudbase of scutting low murk.
Saturday Paul and I drove up to stay with Bryan and Pat Hindle at their hillside house on the E face of the Malverns waiting for Big Sunday. I was so excited on Sunday morning I pretty much ran up to launch. Loads of familiar faces up there and also familiar voices on the radio throughout the day as we flew towards the SE Wales sites. The rather deep cumuls soon formed snow showers at altitude and by the time we reached the Skirrid their was little sun to be had. I managed to get high near Abergavenny and flew across to the Blorenge and went a little south while waiting for Bryan to get up along with a few others including Tim Penreath and Ken Wilkinson who was doing a triangle from the Blorenge. At this time rain and shadow along the high ground made it look like we might land at Abergavenny for an easy train ride home. Paul had already landed at the Hay Bluff, havig taken a N route around the airspace E of Pandy. However, there was some brightness opening up S of the Black Mountains, so we made our way towards Brecon. Bryan got behind after getting sunk out near the snow flurries and I met up with Guy Anderson briefly near Brecon. I spent an hour more flying from one bit of good sky to the next, dodging the snowfall and bomb outs in the wilderness to finally land after 6 hours and a little over 100km with TPs at Sennybridge. The glider was exceptionally easy tio fly and light and precise My Zippy harness is finally beginning to feel a little more normal, and for the following 3 hours of hitching and walking, the lightweight of my new gear was a great relief. Back at Pat and Bryans by 9pm and it seemed that I did not turn on my tracker correctly, so no track log or live tracking (Pat was following our progress throughout the day… according to the trackers Bryan and Paul had excellent XC flights, but I was at take off all day!). ( The photo at the top is by Colin Hawke as we were crossing the River Wye)
Rain for the following days, though we did pop in to see the Mayor of Malborough and TV sites officer, Alexander Kirk-Wilson and later have little unsatisfactory stint at Milk hill.

Weather looking good now here in Piedrahita for the weekend and week to come. Loads more toys to try (my new Tandem wing and Tandem harness) and a Factor 2 demo. However, I was so delighted with the Skywalk I have bought it and look forward to the next 6 hour epic with it; though without the cold and snow next time I hope.
Bryans flight and hitch and Train ride to Hereford below.

Light wind again but having swung to the SW may make Peña Negra inviable till late in the day (when we must be at the airport). Possible option at Pedro Bernardo. Still under influence of low pressure with trough to our west.

Keep calm and carry on. Relentless rain…….but the wind is now right!