Nice light winds from the NW with climbs to 3200 but with few Cus.  Very pleasant themic conditions, much smoother than previous days and a real joy to fly.   I flew tandem with Julian, and we crossed the pass with an easy route to Avila.  (many other free fliers reached Avila).  Unfortunately our group bombed along the route upto the cemetery, so I turn back and landed at Amavida for a quick return after 2 hours flying.

Good evening flying, though too off to the North to be really good.

Today the wind came on the hill while we were away doing small stuff on a small hill at La Garganta de Villar.  When we arrived at PN around 2pm there had been an accident by a spanish pilots, so with the helicopter etc we did not fly.  However, the evening flight was very very good, and the first for a while

A light wind forecast and it looked as though it would come on Peña Negra….however, at 12.30 gliders started comming over from Lastra high, so by 1pm, with the wind still not consistently on the hill, we went ourselves to Lastra.

As expected, pretty strong there.  I took off and was hoofed up some 400m without turning, then climbed quickly to 3400m.  Most of the others did not like the look of take off conditons, but Martin, Wolfgang and Hans all took off and flew to Piedrahita.  Conditions were very strong, with climbs and sink around 5-7m/s.  Epic looking clouds and convergence beyond the pass.

For the evening we all got off at Lastra, but things rapidly went west.   Four of us got round to the West face and went over the back low.   I made a curious XC  back to home never getting above 1530m, and skimming over the Santiago pass with a long flat glide back to the home landing field.  Great fun!

We have now started to fill our first date to La Palma.  At the moment the flights by Thomson are quite reasonable.   If you are interested in some interesting winter XC (though very much thermic out and returns along the western side of the volcanic mountain that is La Palma)

Saturday was a day of storms, though things sorted themselves out for the evening, but we missed the very short window of wind on the hill.  The last day of the Basque/Andalucian hang gliding league tomorrow, so good luck to them.  It is not often we see so many hang gliders rigged at launch these days.

A fantastic day, with a climb out to 3500m direct after take off for some.  Nigel and myself led to the Tornavacas pass, Nigel taking the same route home, myself bombing on trying to cross the valley to the N.

Michael landed up short of the Tornavacas pass, as did Catherine after around 28km.  Liz landed nr Barco and Bill went much further north to Navamorales.

After 5.5hrs in the air, Nigel landed back at home just as we were preparing to go up for the evening flight.

An early flight, but possible to stay up, though big Cbs brewing behind take off so we went down early.

A fantastic day with Bill, Liz, Nigel, Michael and myself flying to the NW.  Great climbs with largish Cus to over 3000m.  Initially we set off to Barco, but then went NNW to the edge of the Lake.  On arriving over the city of Guijuelo we met up with 100s of Vultures……¨vultures above, below, infront and behind ¨ according to Nigel.

We then set off to the west running to the North of the Sierra de Francia.  Liz wound it down at Guijuelo, a little nervous of the strong lift under the clouds.   Nigel, Bill and myself bombed at Monleon.  around 60kms, but Michael, who was behind and taking more care in his climbs wen overhead and flew to around 80km (even then he could have got further, but we curtailed it to get back in time for an evening flight for those who had less luck.

To get one in before possible strorms we went to Chia for the morning flight.  Bill and Liz climbed out very well and went of along the road back to Peña Negra.  Catherine and Manuel also got some height above  the bomb out boys in the landing (me, Nigel and Michel).

We later flew form Peña Nega  with lovely smooth climbs to around 2800m.  Unfortunately we all bombed after around 15kms, only Michael carrying on to Barco.

The Stormy conditions seemed to have moved towards the Med, so hopefully we will have good conditons for the rest of the week.

Today Art and his wife Chris finished up to return to the USA.  Art is a project manager for Khuns Bros in the USA and had been sent over to help us out with the construction of our new home.  We had been in a very stressfull position, as the workers who had been contracted and by the new spanish representative whom we had paid turned out to be less than competent.   Luckily for us, the supplier, Kuhns Bros, have behaved in an impecable manner and have sent out their star worker to get us back on the right track again.

Art has been working alongside Juan Carlos and his team, a local builder and also a paraglider pilot, to try to get the roof framing completed and correct many of the errors committed by the other crew.  The last week or so we have had temperatures generally above 30ºC, yet Art has been putting in 9 to 10 hour days with remarkable skill and diligence.  He has been an authentic hero for us and we shall always remember and be thankfull for his visit.