Cloud on the hill till around 2pm, then good thermic climbs, but due to the depth of cloud we tried to avoid most stronger climbs. Later generally overcast with spread out Cu, but getting good around 6pm with good climbs in the increasing sunlight.
To attract attention to next years World PG Championships, the Vuelta Ciclista de España started a leg in Piedrahita this morning. Quite a circus with a huge security presence, helicopter, TV, Umbrella girls, displays etc. After starting outside the Palace, and with a lap up to Pesquera and back we saw them pedal off towards Toledo for a 200km + day. Not so for us though as stormy weather has kept us on the ground. Maybe a flight this evening.
A very nice first flight with light winds and large areas of lift. The sky however form early was showing cirrus and wave. I had fun skimming around our house and the bottome of the big spine at around 100m for 15 mins before finally getting up. Paul had problems getting down, which he wanted to do as he is another victim of the bug going around this week. Alan being flat out with stomach cramps (his vomiting the other day on the tandem may not have been just the hangover). A good second flight, with Peter taking my place in the air.
Plenty of horrible nastyness with the weather due over the next to days
Temperature over 30ºC and light winds, though it looked as though it was going to blow up when we arrived at launch. As it happened, light N with strong climbs to around 2600m+ Our group was strung out between Santiago and Santa Maria, with only Paul and I plodding on to San Lorenzo then comming back to land at La Aldehelula.
Very good evening flying with nice smooth thermals and an easy run to the Corrals and back.
After a top to bottom in the morning we climbed easily on the XC flight, though a large congestus cloud behind launch started to drop rain. Due to this we moved out into the blue of the valley, finding nice climbs and making our way to the NW. I was flying tandem with Alan, who had drunk too much the night before. As he felt sick (various vomits) we came down returning from Villar de Corneja. Colin landed with me, with Stije returnng to Piedrahita and Paul left alone to cruise around the valley.
A pleasant evening flight once again.
Another airport run and another day looking at epic skies from the centre of Madrid. Didnt get back till 8-30pm, in time to see the fireworks (we are in Fiestas) and to hear the tales of daring do.
A fantastic day with hardly any wind but big easy climbs to 4000m. Fantastic Cu in streets along the Ambles valley, but we turned at the Pass. Paul Russell, veteran of Piedrahita of about 15 years and our very best client, headed along back to the NW along the N side of the valley with me. I had a commercial tandem customer, by this time shivering and quite fazed out. On reaching the Salamanca road I flew south to Piedrahita to land after 2.5 hrs. Paul and Jakob and Wouter carried on to Barco, Paul arriving back form there about the same time as I landed around 6.30 after another tandem. An epic day for most. Jacob made 100km, going from the Pass, to Piedrahita, to Barco, back to Piedrahita, and then back to Barco. Time went over he pass, then to Barco, then back to Piedrahita. See his flight on //xcc.paragliding.pl/module.php?id=21&l=pl&contest=PL&date=20100911&reference=bf2bd6c4e35e33df
Another exceptional day forecast for tomorrow, though I will be spending it in Madrid doing airport runs. I hope Pete and Paul will make the most of it.
A blue day with slow conditions again. We started out going toward the corrals to the E, turning around after 6km then going towards Barco. Never getting more that around 200m above the top we finally got some bigger climbs as we reached the Barco valley. Paul bombed Nr San Lorenzo and I decided to go over the back of the Lastra ridge to the high mountain behind Bohoyo, followed by Wouter. Very scenic and gentle, we finished in the Valley of Navalonguilla. Tim did a similar flight to yesterday, returning from near Barco to La Aldeanueva de Santa Cruz.
Very good evening soaring once again.
Quite stable conditions with a light N wind and climbs to only around 2200m without Cu. I flew a tandem passenger to Barco, Tim also making Barco and back to La Aldeauela de Santa Cruz. Paul and Adrian bombed after Santiago, the rest landing around Piedrahita. Nice evening conditions again.
Classic post cold frontal day with superb visibility and strong climbs and good Cu development.
Very nice flyng in the valley, though we left it till later to go over the pass. I had crossed the valley, enjoying the conditions when I found that some of our group were already down towards Villafranca keen to go over the pass.
I met with Paul on the way, who had got a low save out of El Soto, then Paul and I crossed over the pass to the N, watching the others come in form the S side. Quite breezey on the other side, and initially weak thermals. Wouter landed S of the bend in the road a long way from the road, so Paul and I decided to land near the van to navigate back to him. As often happens, as soon as we decided go down we hit lift to 6m/s just about everywhere.
The evening flight gave mega lift, with the Cu not dying down till after sunset.