Made to feel very welcome by Christian and Momo, we put up the tents settled down for the first night.
Monday dawned bright and clear with a gentle westerly wind. We met the team and had the briefing under the tree by the club house. Forms filled out, and Rhodri was the first to launch in the K21. He returned after 2 hrs with Christian and spoke of amazing climbs and mountain views. Dylan followed with the same, and then by 4.30 it was my turn. Over 2 hours later we returned to the site. Having tasted my first experience of thermals of +5 meters per second (or 10 up in old money). The local mountain is the Blanchere, covered in evergreen trees with a small quarry which seemed to kick off some thermals. The routine was a launch to the south, fly fast to La Blanchere and then climb it like a ridge, until you pop off the top. Then nose down and head off to Le Malaup, which looks grey and forbidding. Christian started the climb within the “walls” of this mountain, and then handed to me. The lift seemed to only work close to the mountain, and flying for the first time next to this 1,561 m mountain was awesome. Again, after a few runs, we popped off the top into stronger lift and climbed before heading out to La Jouere 1,886m – a place we came to love, with its 3 horses on the ridge, leaning into the wind. This ridge is long and gentle, but that afternoon it worked so that you joined low at the North end, and flew along the ridge to the south and east, climbing steadily , pass the horses, do a couple of thermal turns before setting out for a 10k dash at 150kmh . There were gliders every where, all racing along at high spend, with the FLARM lit up green most of the time. Occasionally bleeping frantically and showing red, as a glider sped underneath us with a separation of a few wing spans. Headed NE to Dormilouse 2,505m and then cross Le Lac de Serre Poncon to pic de Morgon at 2,327.
Fabulous views of clear blue water with the mountains all around. Christian showed me some of his favorite “thermal generators”. This is where the wind funnels into a rocky crevice, and we dive into it, then being blown upwards at incredible speeds. He had my doing turns tighter than I felt comfortable with and so very,very steep !! nearly 3 hours later we retunred to La Motte, exhausted and hungry, but already looking forward to the next flight.
Mtgne de la Blanche – Wyn not quite sure about the next peak, as it is a bit close to the cloud
Tuesday was much the same. Wednesday we had a storm, with local flooding, and spent the day watching videos, and occasionally looking at the North Hill web cam, to see our home club enjoying some nice summer weather!.
Dylan in wave – near Seyne
By the end of the week, we had all flown in the 21, and to ease the training load, Momo and Jean Claude took Dylan up in the Twin Astir and then the Janus.We all learnt a great deal, but most of all, it is a most beautiful place to fly and it is great fuuuuuuuuuuuun, and the feeling of 10 up, or Dylan’s little wave flight to 3,800m or 12,500’ will be remembered for a long time. . As for my flying, well, it is a little less imprecise than before I left. But I practiced fast entry into thermals from 150kmh, so from all the great training at NH, at least some of it stuck. The yaw string is still a bit of a problem though! - Wyn
Next year –
Christian has promised (tempted) us all long trips to Mont Blanc and Dylan has already signed himself up as the winch man for the holidays. We plan to join him for at least 2 weeks in July and perhaps another week in August!
Maybe a gang from NH would like to go? Can not recommend it enough!!
Wyn & Marie-Noelle, Rhodri and Dylan
