Whilst the others had a "well deserved" rest I (Rowan) was put through my paces for another day. This is my second trip to the La Motte du Caire, with a gap of a year. Two steps forward one step back springs to mind.
Flying in the mountains is hard. Remembering a dozen French ridge and mountain names and various French phrases for taking off and landing for a monolingual Englishman is challenging. As is learning to deal with 8 knot thermals next to and amongst the jagged, inhospitable, spires of the towering mountains. Taking off in a perspex greenhouse and fighting to get away from a winch launch in 30 °C with beads of sweat rolling down your face is testing. So you might, as I have, ask, is it worth it?
I fell in love with the mountains the first time I visited them, it might be because I grew up next to the sea. People, often, are attracted to landscapes that are in contrast to that of their home. And the French Alps are in stark contrast to the flat bay of Exmouth. I have fond memories of hitchhiking across France as a young man into the alps. I fell in love with the mountain air, the crystal clear glacial rivers and fresh French bread drenched in honey. (French bread is so much better here)
To fly amongst the majesty of snow capped peaks, to soar high over the alpine rock-scapes, to bear witness to the thermic power of its ridges and rock faces is an awe-inspiring experience; and all the while I feel that I'm growing as a pilot.
Rowan
Flying in the mountains is hard. Remembering a dozen French ridge and mountain names and various French phrases for taking off and landing for a monolingual Englishman is challenging. As is learning to deal with 8 knot thermals next to and amongst the jagged, inhospitable, spires of the towering mountains. Taking off in a perspex greenhouse and fighting to get away from a winch launch in 30 °C with beads of sweat rolling down your face is testing. So you might, as I have, ask, is it worth it?
I fell in love with the mountains the first time I visited them, it might be because I grew up next to the sea. People, often, are attracted to landscapes that are in contrast to that of their home. And the French Alps are in stark contrast to the flat bay of Exmouth. I have fond memories of hitchhiking across France as a young man into the alps. I fell in love with the mountain air, the crystal clear glacial rivers and fresh French bread drenched in honey. (French bread is so much better here)
To fly amongst the majesty of snow capped peaks, to soar high over the alpine rock-scapes, to bear witness to the thermic power of its ridges and rock faces is an awe-inspiring experience; and all the while I feel that I'm growing as a pilot.
Rowan
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| Rowan in the highly visible MC |
