Standard protocol whilst flying in the
southern French Alps is to use the thermals generated by the sun facing slopes.
The anabatic winds created by this rising air causes a
valley breeze strong enough so that the south facing ridges also work dynamically.
A light northerly gradient wind interferes with the valley breeze and can make
conditions really tricky requiring a more analytical approach to choosing where
to look for lift. If this north westerly gradient wind gets even stronger it is
known as Le Mistral by the locals. When the Mistral blows it overpowers the
valley breeze and chops the thermals to bits but it also opens up a variety of
new ridges that can be flown dynamically and linked together to create XC ridge
flights to the areas where the wave is best.
The winch launch into the NW wind is lively
and the winch driver invariably calls for ‘corrige route’ (correct towards the
road!) and the pilots call for more or less speed as the glider climbs through
the rotor. It sounds scary but it’s soon over and you head for the ‘ravine’
which is a large NW facing gully on the lower levels of Blachere, the mountain
by the air strip that propels you skywards as you start a series of ‘eights’ to
maximise the lift before switching to circles as the mountain top is reached.
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| Matt steers MC, La Motte's inconspicuous K21, towards Le Gache |
1450m and you jump 3k to a west facing rock
face of Jouerre that climbs from 1300 to 1890m in about 1km. You join the ridge
just above the top and as you follow it you climb, faster than the ridge
climbs, and at the top head west 3km to a pair of vertical west facing rock
faces nicknamed the Camel because from the airfield it just looks like a couple
of humps. Don’t stop here, just turn south and run the ridges to the Gache – a
massive and very well known north facing, ochre coloured escarpment that just
‘goes like a train!’ You can stop there and climb high, just soaking up the
views to the north in the crystal clear air before heading west over Sisteron
town in search of the wave.
Getting into the wave usually involves
tight turns in rotor thermals that are humongusly rough; Dave Rilley once
described flying the rotor thermals in Cerdanya as like wrestling with an
Alligator. Well the alpine Alligators are just as energetic as their Spanish
cousins and just as reluctant to let you get into the wave without having a bit
of sport with you on the way!! Although once established well worth the
struggle, the air becomes silky smooth with off the clock climbs. During the
week the team managed to climb to just beneath the airspace at FL195 the local
ceiling at Pic de Burre from where they could glide into the higher mountains
sightseeing and collecting OLC distance points before returning to La Motte.
The views from that height are just breath taking, the Mistral brings with it
crystal clear air and Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn dominate the distant
skyline. Boring…. Time for tea.
-JB
-JB
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| Into the delirious burning blue |
