Another Van load in the Avila valley with a number of us at Avila, (Tim, Andy and myself) along with the rest beyond the 40km mark.

Excellent evening flying later after the retrieve.

A great day with nice climbs to 3400m with pleasant Cu.  around 9 over the Pass and a van load in Avila including Alan and myself on the tandem.  Nice evening flying conditons also. A PB for Tim.

An early flight at Chia, with a few of us staying up then running from the clouds forming over take off.

Later a downflight at PN around 4pm, then an evening soaring flight around 7pm.

Quite a stable and overcast day early on which cuased most to do an early bomb out.  Taking of a little later Hugh, Pete, Luke managed to climb out, Hugh making around around 25km, but Steve W going on to make a great flight landing around 8pm at 112km.  An evening flight in very light conditions for Jamie, Chris and Mike, with Mike making a fast landing in the official popping his shoulder out (later put back in  nicely thank goodness).

Sunday night gave us tremendous storms and Monday was too unstable to fly. Tuesday the 27 nice conditions were most had a good valley flight, with Jamie making it to just hort of Avila.  Wednesday, so far, the big day, with Steve  Watts just short of of Segovia (hours plus flight), Jamie at 101km, Fred and myself about 9km back from Jamie, Brain around 80, Hugh at Avila and Mike at Blacha the Avila valley.  Thursday the 29th a difficult day with wind not coming onto PN untll after 3 and then turbulent  so we had just an evening flight.  Friday and early thermal soaring flight at Chia but landing by 2pm due to storms.

A great finish to a very good XC week with our Belgian (and Dutch, Irish  and Swedish) group.  Once again nice Cu at 4000m and light winds with some nice convergence lines.  We had a nearly a vanfull at Goal.  The competition (Liga Nacional) aslo had a great day with 160km goal on a line more to the north (through the airpace corridor). Here in the Photo is Peter, Jens, Tim and Gert.

Goal group with Segovia Cathedral behind

Comp task

Our route

An amazing day.  Light winds at launch and a take off from the PN rock to avoid the competition.  Quick climb outs to near 4000m and we set off on a trip towards the NW and the south of the Lake and Guijelo.  turning there, and in a nice group we headed east norht of the Piedrahita valley to go to the Pass and then back to Piedrahita.  Jen continued over the Pass to beyond the bend in the road, coming back to the Pass.  All in all a tremendous day. The competiton also had a great day with a 60km FAI triangle and 70 in goal.

A number of the days tracks

A remarkable day with most of the team well down the course to Goal.  Today we flew over the Bejar range, getting low at the ski station then runnng the mountains and flats beyond Plasencia.  Belgian Steve, Luc and Peter in Goal with most of the others scattered around Plasencia.  A Classic day with climbs to around 3400 and nice Cu.

Track to goal (Belgian Steve)

Peter and Steve at Goal

A complex day with early SE wind with cloud too low to go to Chia. However, blue in the Piedrahita valley and some of the group climbed Cerro La Cruz (small hill next to and NW of Piedrahita).  Most got decent climbs from the small hill and flew untill the clouds became to problematic.   After the storms later in the afternoon a short evening flight.

We planned for a short goal flight to Barco as the forecast showed some stronger NE winds later on.  Leaving the hill around 11am most of us got there.    The wind in the end did not get to problematic and we had an magnificent evening soar with restitution lift right across the valley.