A poor forecast today with strong SE early on.  However, Peña Negra worked its magic and the wind came on by 1pm.  An early bomb out of me (Steve) near Santiago, but much of the rest of the group flew down to Barco.  Still too cool and stable for it to be decent and interesting for good XCs.

Monday was a not flying day with strong winds.  Tuesday, quite ok, but just a dash to Barco at 20km, though some nice evening flying.  Today, Wednesday we took an early trip to Alba to see if we could fly the small site there, but would have been better to stay local.  NE can be a tricky wind here, especially when it runs cool and with an inverted air mass.

Opening Ceremony yesterday in Brasilia for the HG Worlds.  Here are the British team sporting my T shirt design I did for them.  Jenny the Team Manager also made one up for me with my name on the sleeve.  I did make a minor HG Brit Team event about 30 years ago (Bleriot Cup) so proudly have my embroidered Brit  Team badge somewhere.  It was my unfulfilled ambition to be on a HG Worlds team.  Well now, at least I have the T shirt.

Best of Luck to the Team.  I will be watching closely on the blog and FB page

Yesterday most of our group bombed at the Pass, though the sky had an incredible look about it with good Cu , though some towering towards Avila at the end of the day.  Today our guys flew around the valley, though I did see a glider landing at 80km on my way back from the airport

A Very strong thermic day with climbs to around 3400m.  Convergence along the Avila Valley marked by Cu up until Munogalindo, the turning point. Well done to Jorg and Neil, also Helen, Laurence,  Stu and Hans over the Pass to the Avila Valley

Light wind day and promise of a big evening restitution so we went for a relatively short goal of 55km to Avila to ensure all the group would fly in the evening.  8 over the Pass and along the valley with 6 to the City goal.

Evening conditions remarkable with a huge lifty glass off allowing the whole range to be flown and generalised lift across the valley.

 

Another big conditions day with very strong climbs to 4000m and light winds allowing a variety of XC options.  Jorg probably the best with a flight to near Sotalvo castle south of Avila and back to Villafranca.  Tin Tin and Stu in Avila and others spread around the Avila and Piedrahita Valley.  I had one of my best heights of the year in the Avila valley on the southern mountains allowing me a quick transit back towards the pass and back to the home valley.  Long range forecast looking good.  Looks like it is going to be a great August as was July.

Conditions looking similar today.  More detail at 11am briefing.

A long slow day with no tailwind but 5 personal bests and 7 over 100km and in goal (and Stu and Niel a little beyond).  Nice conditions with some Cu and convergence  exactly as predicted by RASP which allows us the flatland cuise from Avila to Segovia.

Today also looking very good.

Airport run for me yesterday, but flying at PN, in quite windy conditions.  Only Pea crossed the pass to land in strong wind at Amavida.  Paul,( not in our group this year) flew a fantastic flight of 258km.  Bravo to him and to his ever patient wife and retrieve driver.

Most of the group, feeling a bit flown out, did a bid of valley flying.  Only Singas, Luc and Joerg went over the Pass, with honours of the day to Luc.