Blog for ZREA

The forecasts said stable and lower cloudbase. We waited long time at the take off before the first pilot started. It wasn't lifting well. Finally I went out, but wooow, scratching and struggling to stay "alive". I am not happy to thermalling with 20 others at same level, but somehow I could take to way to the pass. Here I was struggling big time. I met Urs and Philippe (swiss team) and together we get high, but I wasn't patience enough and boomed out right after the pass. I know I could have done it better, but interesting day.
Long retreive day, because two of our team members flew far...

today is another day in "heaven"

Monday was cancelled, we had welcome dinner in the evening.
Second flying day seems to be good (Tuesday), but too much clouds and shadows made difficult to stay up, especially in the beginning. After the pass (The pass), whole Avila valley was in the shadow, but few clouds working a lot. I am very carefully with clouds and I step out of the lift long before the cloudbase. BUT, this cloud sucked a lot, I tried auto rotation, asymmetric collapse and spiral opposite, hard spiral dive, big ears and finally after long hard work I could get down. Phufff, after that I was little bit shacking and I had to eat my lunch to calm me down. This episode made me very “scared” and I avoided other clouds, by this time there were no sun anywhere, and I landed shortly after. I landed not so far away from where I landed last Sunday. When I am thinking other pilots boomed out very early, I feel very happy about my flight.

By the way, I flew with 3 big eagles in same thermal. I love to study these birds closely and it is privilege to fly with them.

first day here. Very nice thermals, but also sink. I had bad moment at take off area, hard work to stay up. Finally i got 3800 over the pass, where everybody says it is difficult to get over. Well not this time. I had nice time in the air after and landed happy not very far from Avila. Good day.

See my flight here.

Result page here

Task 2 I boomed out very fast, it means I had to land after 17 minutes…Little frustrated, but it was difficult conditions.
Task 3 was cancelled.

Task 4 I had one more great day in Fiesch, but I lost the others on the way to first turnpoint (B12). He he, I don’t have the same guts, but I flew with a pilot who had Mantra M2 all the way to goal 53 km. We had a great flight together; we helped each other to stay high. Though, I was very low at one point (B61), but the Mantra M2 waited until I had climbed enough to continue. After more than 3 hours we arrived to goal right before time ended, and we had to shake hands and introduce us self.

Here is my flight

Here is the result -- Here are all tracklogs

Piedrahita (SPAIN) here I come !!! I will go next Saturday for XC Open, I cross my fingers for nice flying conditions.

I remember friend told me two days ago, ‘The greatest XC-flight is when it comes as a surprise’. Sure it did yesterday even I didn’t had good feeling before take off in same time I had big headache, blocked sinus (tette bihuler), sore throat, GPS problem and no planning on the map…. The first 10 km flight was a victory for me that day, but I continue. After Grimsel pass (B21) on the way to next turnpoint (B62) I was low with a lot of headwind and thought I had to land…until, until I hit THE monster thermal. I call it monster because it wasn’t very nice to me, but I kept on going with 2 other pilots around me until we topped it (3500 m). Huuuh, my pulse was high, but I was happy to hold on and happy I was able to keep my glider over my head. Next turnpoint (B62) just on the other side of valley, I glided over and took the point and heading back to the monster again, but this time I was prepared. Same Rock’n roll in the thermal and I topped it again.

After this I had one middle strong but nice thermal, fast up – like an elevator, it is nice to have good and efficient thermal. At this time my sinus and headache was disturbing and I decided to go for landing after crossed the valley. But, I got new nice thermal and I was too tempted join it…Ok, too much altitude to waste, so - ok next turnpoint.
Next turnpoint (B10) was much further than I expected and therefore I took a not very smart line. It was windy and thermal drifted away and I didn’t want to stay around. On the other side of valley I was scratching the trees until I got enough height to take a drifting thermal, not so bad as before. This was the second time I wanted to land because of my blocked sinus, but as before I got too tempted of a nice thermal to continue. OK, why not try to take the next last turnpoint (B62)…?
This time I was too tired of the monster thermal so I took a straight line to avoid it, I only had 40 minutes left before task time ended, it is sink or swim (briste eller baere). On the way to goal I planned to land before the ridge, it was no way I could get over the ridge and to goal. BUT, there were 3 pilots in front of me showed me it was lifting at the ridge. I had to try, and it did, I did get up again, I even had thermal on the top of the ridge. Wow the goal is in sight; I screamed of full joy and I almost had to cry. It was lifting big time over the landing and I had to spiral dive to land. I landed and kneeled for minutes, I couldn’t stand up because I was exhausted (some pilots thought I was praying ho - ho); Almost 6 hours in air, more than 100 km and first time in GOAL, personal record in time and distance. I couldn’t believe it was true, I couldn’t believe I was able to do it today!!! Thanks to a wise man words; ‘If you want to make goal for the first time, stay high, don’t push speed’. And thanks to all pilots showed me the lifting thermals and motivated me to continue, without you guys I think couldn’t have done it!!!!!
Here is my tracklog from GPS.
Photo from Martin Scheel.
Fiesch is absolutely beautiful place when you are high.

By the way, David Dagault (OZONE designer) flew from South of France and landed in Sion – Switzerland more than 300 km yesterday. Congratulations.