Christian wanted the K21 at the launch position right after the morning briefing so he could do a couple of cable break practices with Rowan. Once those had been completed they put the K21 away and pulled out the club's Pegase so Rowan could become the first English person to utilise his freshly minted EASA licence to fly solo in a French registered glider from La Motte.
Meanwhile, as the rest of us were uming and aaghing about when to start launching, the thermal winds eventually starting stirring the hot valley air and we volunteered David J's LS8 to front of the launch queue. The thermal god of Blachere was not in a generous mood, swatting down both
David and Phil before allowing the rest of the grid to climb their way
up the side of it's mountain. Rowan was lucky or skill-full enough to come off the winch straight into a thermal and get away easily and wonder what all the fuss was about.
Matt camera'd up M5 with the hope of getting some footage of the high mountains and wanting to get there before the batteries died, set off in the direction of Guillume and the start of the King's Road on the shore of Lac Serre Ponçon. JB following about 10km behind missed one of the climbs en route and had to put some of his previous training to good use and scratch his way up again after arriving in the weeds.
The Kings Road is the name given to the approved route North from Lac Serre Ponçon to Glacier Blanc over the Ecrin Massive. The ridge line is like the bones of some giant contorted spine, jutting peaks like vertibrae creating ever higher obstacles to climb over before being able to move on and rib like, the ridges branching off, create spectacular steep valleys on either side which provide escape routes to the safety fields of St Crepan in the East and Pellafol in the west.
 |
| Looking North up the Kings Road |
As we worked our way ever closer to the towering peak of Barre de Ecrins, to the south east of La Motte we could see a massive cumulonimbus cloud forming and we decided that it would be prudent to head back towards the club. Luckily all our hard work climbing up the Ecrin had us easily on final glide for home and it was a long cruise out over the Gap valley into the gloomy void under the anvil's shadow.
 |
| 150º degree view from the south western edge of the Ecrin |
It was, however, still soarable at the club which was only just in the shadow and Rowan, who was under orders to stay local, was up at 3000m keeping a wary eye on conditions to maximise his his first solo in the mountains. Phil and Matt having arrived back found a strong climb over Early Morning which enabled a short foray out to the west, into the sun where conditions were still stonking before landing back at La Motte and de-rigging the gliders in case the forecast hail made an appearance.
 |
| Gliding out of the gloom |
 |
| Into the Epicness to the west |
After the usual post flight wind down over drinks and nibbles, Rowan concocted yet another culinary feast which we enjoyed on the club's veranda, while watching the sun set on another day of firsts.
