Europe 2021

After a one-year Covid-induced gap I'm glad to finally see family and friends in Germany again!

Flying conditions were not quite as good as in previous years. Big clouds, wind, rain and Foehn made for rough weather.

Leipzig Besuch

On this year's flight to Europe I had some amazing views of the coast mountains, my Vancouver backyard, and of the big mine near Kamloops. A friend from olden school days and avid foldboat paddler and his wife took me on an urban paddling tour past fancy houses, old factories and lots of graffiti. Leipzig's waterways have cleaned up very nicely! 30 years ago it wouldn't have been possible or pleasant to do this. Also met with another friend from University who now lives in California for a walk through the Auenwald, full with smells of Knoblauchkraut. Later we had a family meeting at an open air dance show where my niece and her group showed us some wicked street jazz moves. And I had my fill of fresh white asparagus (Spargel), one of the highlights of Germany visits in spring.

Euro Travel Tips and Surprises

Some things we discovered this year:

- The Lufthansa 'Fly and Rail' program offers reduced prices with flexible train tickets when flying to or from an airport in Germany. I found out about it well after I bought the flights but with a phone call still got 50% off the tickets from FRA to LEJ.

- A passport must be valid for 90 days after the return date. I thought it was 2 months. But this varies by country and of course also changes. Better check well ahead of every international trip.

- Hertz car rental: This came as a bit of a surprise... the driver's license needs to show that the owner has had a license for more than one year. There is no info about when a license was first issued on the Canadian one, so if it was renewed less than year ago it is a problem. Chances are 20% since licenses are renewed every 5 years. Get an international license (but they are only valid for 1 year... although its not stated on the license). Keep an expired license and bring it?

- New rules to get a SIM card in Germany: a German address is needed. Before activating ID identification is needed which is possible at a Post office or by submitting passport info online. If you already have an European SIM card hold on to it! On the bright side; there are no more roaming charges within the EU.

- Blau Cell Provider. We bought a prepaid phone/data plan. The plan has to be activated. If you do the activation when not on WiFi it uses data which doesn’t leave enough money to get plan. Activate plan only via WiFi!

- Welcome to the future rental car (Ford Focus): 4 cameras in the front, one in the back, line assist, distance assist, automatic high beam, automatic windshield wiper, blind spot warning in the side view mirror, doors open when key is nearby, so you can't check if the doors are closed ;-). We also couldn’t open back door from inside even with key. First time I saw heat wires in the windshield. And the car would display speed limit signs on the dashboard (occasionally also the speed signs that are attached to big trucks).

Euro Trip Report 2017

Our first stop is the 2260 m high Kronplatz where strange sights greets us: North American tippis and Nepalese yaks. So we don’t feel so much out of place? The Kronplatz is an isolated summit with launch potential in all directions. But it was windy and the air rough so we boat around for one or two hours and then call it quits.

Next day Emberger Alm: Smooth thermaling, almost too smooth, but very nice after yesterdays rock-and-roll. Unfortunately big and black clouds develop in the afternoon and we thought it is better to land. Apparently this summer wasn’t great for flying in the Alps, almost every day overdevelopment and showers.

First day in Tolmin at the LZ; what a surprise that the first pilot we see is Ronny, a Norwegian XC tour guide whom we know from our Valle de Bravo visits. Unbeknownst to us we arrived one day before the Nordic Open Championships started. Lots of pilots in town and in the air. We meet Hans an Iceland pilot who (according to Ronny) looks the most ‘viking’ of all. He greeted me with a big hug (‘Vikings love women… and husbands too’). I have a great flight from Kobala. Low clouds on Stol ridge, cruising along (almost) without turning. My first border-crossing flight! I turn around at the gap in the ridge and made it back too. Good thing: getting back to Tolmin from Italy would have been a major headache. For some added excitement I pushed a little too far east beyond Kobala launch. Pete watched from above as I slowly make my way back around the corner. But I make it! Nice to start the week in Slovenia with a 100km flight!

On the second day it took me a while getting away from launch and then again from Kobarid. Later I joined one of the competition gaggles and thermaled up the steep west face of Krn. Wouldn’t have ventured there without the other pilots around. A very 'alpine' feeling!

Competition pilots in the air

No-fly weather in the forecast for our third day in Slovenia. So we have a rest day and hike for 8 hours. Climbed our first ‘vowel-less’ mountain: Krn! ‘Bright’ landscape with all the limestone. First world war shells, barbed wire fences and fortifications everywhere. Only very few people out but nice to chat with three young hikers from Jena and the girl up at the hut. Made it back to the car just in time before the downpour and thunderstorm starts.

Day 4: Parawaiting for the north wind to stop. We can see the clouds pouring over the ridges north of us. Still pretty rough air along the ridge but a nice climb above the old Tolmin castle. On to Kobarid, two attempts to get away from there again. I think I know every tree on the hill east of Kobarid! Finished with a second castle soaring session.

Day 5: First flight from Stol. I followed Pete across the gap in the Stol ridge where I turned around 3 days ago. We fly all the way to Gemona. The rough air at the steep face at the end of the ridge makes me wonder if this flight ends in Italy. But we find much nicer air over the smaller hills to the south. The rest of the flight back along Stol ridge, to Tolmin and back to Stol launch is much nicer. I get some cool photos of Pete on his red Taska. But it takes work to get up again at Kobarid and back onto Stol ridge at the end of the flight. It’s a 98.7 km out and return, but 108 km open distance … so I think I’ll count this as my 4th 100 km flight ;-)

Too much wind for Kobala so we checked out Lijak on day 6. The Nordic comp also moved the task to this site. Cool to watch the comp guys from above but when they joined 'my' thermal I leave to give them some room ... ;-)

Bad weather in the forecast so we drive to the Adriatic coast on country roads to avoid the Slovenia toll highway, swim in the Mediterranean, wander the narrow streets of medieval towns (Koper, Izola and Piran), eat nice seafood and watch thunderstorm and lightening over the sea from a rain-less beach.

Back in the Alps again. The cold front brought the first snow. Hiking up to the 2600 m Kreutzspitze from the town of Kalkstein in the Villgratener Alps with some traces of snow on the ground. Even at the camp ground in the valley night temperatures dropped below freezing.

Kreutzspitze summit view looking southwest to some pointy Dolomite spires

One more flight at Emberger Alm, then a stop in Salzburg for coffee with friend from the olden old kayaking days. Another 5 hours of Autobahn driving to Frankfurt and then back to YVR again.

Usually we travel to Europe in fall when its too late for long crosscountry flights. But late August turned out to be an excellent time to visit Slovenia, with 2 of my 4 longest flights ever!

Slovenia Revisited - August 2017

Last year we visited Slovenia and enjoyed flying there (and even met some friends from Canada!) but after just two days the weather turned bad. So we tried again this year.

And what a surprise: the first person we met this year was a Norwegian paraglider pilot we know from Valle de Bravo. The Nordic Open were held at the same time we visited. This meant 140 extra pilots in the air but didn't cause us any problems since we launched before the comp started. And all the pilots in the air were great thermal indicators.

Slovenia is nestled in the south east corner of the Alps with white limestone peaks, towers and rock walls. The flying is centered around the towns Tolmin and Kobarid. Conditions were great when we visited in late August. Thermal strength and roughness was comparable to a strong day in the Fraser Valley and quite a bit mellower than Pemberton.

There are two main flying sites in the Soca Valley: Kobala near Tolmin and Stol near Kobarid. In Tolmin a van left from the main LZ around 10 AM (or whenever there were enough pilots to fill it). The main LZ is also where the site fee of Euro 4/day is collected (if there is someone on launch collecting the fee it’s more expensive). Getting up Stol is more complicated since only organized groups drive up. Contact for a ride up, accommodation or guided tours is Wolfgang at http://www.paragliding-adventure.com/en/index.php. There is also another paragliding outfit: http://www.jelkin-hram.com for accommodation and tours. For roughing it there are plenty of campgrounds around. We stayed at Kamp Siber near Tolmin.

The main flying route leads from Tolmin 15 km northwest along the Soca valley, crossing the valley at Kobarid to get on the Stol ridge. This ridge continues for 30 km into Italy. When flying to Gemona in Italy its better to make it back too as roads don’t continue through this valley and ground transport would take many hours. On our first day there were low clouds just below ridge height and we flew all the way to Italy and back with barely a turn. Another spectacular experience was thermaling up the steep west face of Krn, with 2244m the local high point. Out and returns of 100km are relatively easy. Longer flights are more difficult due to the terrain but pilots often add more zigzag legs to the route to extend the flights.

The launch sites in the Soca Valley don’t work in north or east wind, so we explored a third launch at Lijak. It’s the last ridge before the flats that eventually give way to the Mediterranean and resembles Bassano. There is a camp ground and a regular shuttle service up the mountain.

Pete returning along the Stol ridge and flying towards Slovenia

Tolmin with castle and paragliders

Europe Fall - Leipzig, Tolmin, Bassano

This year we decided to combine the yearly visit to Germany with a trip to Slovenia and check out Tolmin and Kobarid. The cities are in the Julian Alps, the eastern extension of the Dolomites. As the name suggests, it’s a limestone/dolomite range. The Soča river in the main valley is well known in the kayaking world for its turquoise whitewater. The highest peak is Triglav (2864m), closer to the flying sites Krn (no idea how to pronounce it… 2244m). Cloud base never got above 1800m for us and we didn’t see much of the big mountains. Nevertheless the flying was nice and good enough to go cross country (+60km for Pete with a little cross border flight into Italy and +40km for yours truly) from the Tolmin launch called Kobala. Sadly a front rolled through the Alps and strong west wind put an end to the good conditions after only two days. We didn’t get to launch from Stol (the launch near the town Kobarid) but got to check it out from the air when we flew over it from Tolmin on the days before.

Too much wind in Tolmin had us search for other flying sites. The go-to bad weather spot is Bassano in Italy on the southern edge of the Alps. But since many pilots are looking for a fly-able site it makes for dense traffic and fish bowl style flying. Just like on our first visit a couple of years back the fishbowl was very murky and the air so hazy that we could barely see the ground. The south wind may be the culprit as fellow Canadian pilot Daniel suggested. It didn’t help the crowded feeling that many pilots had their own opinion where the best lift was and different interpretations of ridge-rules. After getting tired dodging other paragliders and hangliders I tried my luck out front and found a nice thermal expecting everybody to rush over to join. To my surprise I was still alone after a 400 meter climb. Even the pilot next to me kept circling patiently in his zeros below.

On the way to back to Munich we stopped at Werfenweng near Salzburg to fly Bischling. A fun flying site! It’s like small Dolomites with limestone cliffs and towers of the Tennengebirge 5 km across from launch. Although it is a popular site most of the pilots are students in training who launch, land and return. That makes for good entertainment over a coffee from the restaurant next to launch while waiting for conditions to turn on.

Some of the great things about flying in European are gondola access, restaurants at launch and landing, lots of flying sites; but the crowds can be a bit annoying. And with the end of the tourist/hiking season many gondolas shut down or operate only on weekends, so it’s a good idea to check before making plans. There are no lifts in Tolmin and Kobarid (or in Bassano). Vans drive up to launch from the LZs. The vans can be busy and it helps to call ahead to reserve a spot. For weather forecasts we used Wetterfex.com.

Spain’s White Villages (Sept 25 - Oct 7)

After visiting various flying places in the Alps over the last few years we decided to try something new and check out Algodonales in Spain. Algodonales is one of the scenic Andalucian ‘white villages’ (called so because of the white houses) but much off the beaten touristy path. With its setting in a hills of the Sierra de Lijar and architecture Algodonales reminded us much of Valle de Bravo except for the lack of buzzing activity at all times and many groves of olive trees (the noise and the diesel stink of Valle was not missed at all). Although the town square restaurants are busy with diners late into the night (great food, btw… I recommend Schweinebäckchen = Carrilada), the rest of the town was asleep at night.

Turns out Algodonales was a great choice for flying. Peter bagged a +100 km out-and return and couple of nice triangles even with his not-so-aerodynamic hiking harness (we left the pods at home to fit the camping and via-ferrata gear which we didn’t use because the flying was so good). The main site has 3 launches for different wind directions (NW, SE and more challenging N). Although the launches are reasonably high (600 m AGL) the rest of the flying is a mix of flat-land and mountain flying as elevation differences in the surrounding terrain are smaller. In addition to good cross country flights scenic evening soaring flights were to be had. On one occasion we watched the sun set from the air, landing just in time to pack up and enjoy a nice cold ‘Lande’-beer before it got dark. The many big and friendly vultures make perfect wind techs. They are noticeably larger than our bald eagles and like to thermal close to our wings but apparently there has only been one collision in 20 or so years.

Several companies cater to PG pilots (accommodation, drive to launch and retrieve from XC flights, pick-up from nearby airports). We went with ‘Ganterfly’; very good and friendly service, excellent flying advice and generally a lot of fun with dad Gerhard and his two sons Carlos and Manuel. As Algodonales is pretty quiet compared to other flying sites in Europe or Valle de Bravo it may take some research and prior arrangement for independent flyers to get rides to launch (at least at the time of our visit).

There are several other flying sites nearby including beach flying on the Atlantic coast at Matalascanas and Conil de la Frontera. We flew Vejer, a ridge-soaring/thermal site just in front of a white wind mill and picturesque white town which is perched on a hill. Unfortunately we arrived to a full day of rain in Matalascanas and, when it didn’t stop raining at noon the next day, we left. People flew in the evening and on the next day a pilot on an M6 flew 100 km (two out and returns) on the amazing looking sand dunes.

Non-flying tid-bits of the trip: my suitcase didn’t arrive in Madrid (ironically it was my carry-on but I gave it up voluntarily for extra check-in)… but Carlos took pity and gave me a free T shirt! Temperatures were higher than I expected, often reaching 30oC. But at 2500 meter it was cold enough for double jackets, thick gloves and gaiters.

Gibraltar was worth a visit. Amazing caves with cathedral-high caverns draped with stalactites and stalagmites. Cheeky monkeys all over the place, running through the car, hopping over my lap and taking a seat on Pete’s shoulder. Driving through narrow streets of Cordoba was memorable. Pete was worried about getting stuck in the labyrinth and I set out on foot to find our hotel. But getting back to Pete and the car was a challenge, since my cell phone turned off navigation as I had already reached the destination (on foot). But success! Back in the car we had to put on ‘big ears’ (fold in the mirrors) and pedestrians had to step into door-ways to let us pass.

We didn’t have much luck with sightseeing in Granada and Sevilla: we were warned that visiting the Alhambra in Granada may require booking tickets ahead and yes, it did. When we visited Sevilla it was Monday, the day when some museums are closed or have limited hours and we didn’t get in the Cathedral. The line-up at the Alcazar was too long for our liking. But our visit of the Mezquita cathedral in Cordoba was a success. An Algo co-pilot (and also the hostess of our tiny hotel just across from the cathedral) suggested an early morning visit. Relatively few people visit the mosque/cathedral that early in the morning and as added bonus there was no fee. A friend warned us that one can easily end up paying more for traffic tickets than for the car rental. Pete tried hard but the limits are not very well posted – hope there won’t be a reminder in the mail.

Germany: Storks, Orchids and Asparagus (May)

In spring I took a trip to Germany to visit my family and catch up with friends.

A friend took me on a photo-tour to his favorite stork watching area north of Berlin and lent me his long lens. I liked it so much I had to order one myself.

The countryside was dotted with yellow canola ('Raps') fields, quite different from my memories of German spring time views. Interesting how eco-policies change landscapes.

With my parents we checked the limestone hills near Jena where orchids grow in great numbers.

An additional bonus of visiting Germany in May is that it is in the middle of Asparagus time and I got to feast on it. The white variety is difficult to find in Vancouver.

And I definitely won't rent a Mini again. Although I'm not prone to back problems and German roads are not worse than average, driving this car for 7 hours on one day left me with a back so sore I could feel it for a couple of weeks.

Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau

In September Pete and I went back to Europe for two weeks. In Germany we spent a week with my parents and visited family and friends in Leipzig and Berlin. Then we drove on to Switzerland and explored the area around Interlaken and Fiesch. We did lots of hiking, some climbing on Klettersteigs (one with BASE exits above Lauterbrunnen) and paragliding. The towering faces of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau were quite an impressive backdrop for our flights from First. I had just read the ‘White Spider’ by Heinrich Harrer, who was in the first team to climb the infamous Eiger North Face in 1938 and it was cool to figure out the puzzle of routes up this rock wall. We took the Jungfraubahn to the Joch and hiked over to Moenchshuette. Lots of Steinboecke and Gemsen were sighted. We also had a close look at the Aletsch glacier from its south side from Fiesch, a place we had visited with my parents when we spent a couple of weeks in Sas Fee in 1999. But we noticed that Switzerland was rather expensive compared to Italy and France.

A Week In Germany - June

Just back from a quick trip to Germany to visit family and friends. It was good to see that everybody is doing OK. Haven't been in Europe in early summer for quite some time and one big plus of a trip this time of the year: its asparagus harvest time. For some unfathomable reasons white asparagus is not very popular in Canada. But I like it and had lots of it during my visit. Also got my fill on classical culture: an open air concert of Beethoven's 9th. Impressive views of the Canadian North on the flight back... Big Slave Lake, Slave River, remote and still snow-covered country.

 

 

Dolomiti - Climb and Fly Trip

We went back to the Dolomites (our second time there after a guided tour with BlueSky in 2010, http://bcwetcoast.blogspot.ca/2010/10/dolomiti-italy-oct-4-9.html). A stunning area to fly with its tall limestone towers and snow covered peaks. But due to the huge crowds and strong conditions its also a risky area. Anybody who wants to fly there should be on their game and do some homework before the trip. There are amazing videos and pictures of flying in the Dolomites on the internet, but it takes special conditions for a flight like this and they are as rare as a powder day on the ski slopes.

It took us two trips to hit one of the stellar days. Too much north wind the day we arrived. We did a couple of short flights from Belvedere at Pordoi Pass (last day for the lift there to be open). Stronger north wind was forecast for the next day so we headed to Bassano for more relaxed flying (2h drive on narrow windy/winding roads over passes and through spectacular limestone gorges). Third day was one of the ‘powder days’. Pete launched from Belvedere, worked hard to get up and scored a sweet flight over Marmolada, Langkofel and Sella http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/830365. Due to driving logistics, I launched later from Col Rodella, where the air was crowded as usual. I also ran into another Canadian (he was wearing a 2012 Pembi Nationals T).

The next day the conditions changed again. Southwest wind this time. The inversion took a long time to resolve. We managed to launch earlier than most from the afternoon (south) take-off at Col Rodella, but were soon thermalling with about 200 of our ‘best friends’. Wind on launch increased and got gustier. Clouds were forming and lowering below the peaks of the Langkofel Group. After an hour in the air and seeing one pilot take a big frontal in the lee of Col Rodella and rapidly disappear behind it and another wing spread over the rocks at the bottom of the Langkofel I had enough and landed in strong valley wind. Pete soon followed. After we had packed up and walked out, another pilot crashed in town, behind a house just meters from where we walked. Thankfully ambulance and advanced medical services arrived quick and in full force. In total there were 5 or 6 serious accidents on this one day (more about this day on Paragliding Forum http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=59504).

Strong north wind the next couple of days, so we left our wings in the bags and explored some of the hiking trails and via ferratas. The latter are climbing routes equipped with cables, ladders and metal rungs originally built during WW1 for soldiers to move safely in steep terrain. They have become very popular all over the Alps and allow access to spectacular and exposed terrain (with some minimal climbing skills, a climbing harness and a couple of special slings). Despite the strong wind there were still several pilots in the air and we watched more close calls in the LZ where a strong wind gradient set up in the afternoon (one 70% collapse 50 meters above ground, one very bad tandem landing, and other less spectacular mishaps). Just 15 minutes later the wind died and another group of pilots landed in smooth conditions not knowing what they missed while the guy with the collapse was still pale (and hadn’t even had time to change his underwear).

End of the trip report, but since it’s been raining ever since we got back I had some time for more musings & ramblings. Hopefully more info about the conditions will reduce the strain on local ambulance and rescue teams… and on the local flying community … just imagine our sites would be invaded by 300-400 pilots for a couple of weeks each year!

Prerequisites for flying the Dolomites:

- Being comfortable in strong thermal conditions (think Pembi or even Golden).
- Good crowds flying skills (talking about >100 pilots in the house thermal) and solid nerves to fly with others who are in over their head and react unpredictably. IMO crowding is the biggest safety concern.
- Ability to identify wind directions in complex valley system and avoid associated lee/rotor areas.
- Healthy resistance to lemming effect. Others launching and flying does not mean it is ‘fly-able’. Bring along several plan Bs: there are tons of spectacular hiking trails, via ferratas of various difficulty, mountain biking. Most days flying is possible in Bassano. Lots of cultural activities too; museums, old houses, delicious grappa and cheeses to sample.

Observations/condition at Col Rodella (disclaimer: this is from a two-time visitor, no warranties on completeness or accuracy):

- Generally two competing wind systems, one over the Sella Pass from northern Val Gardena/Grödner Tal (north wind at Col Rodella) and the Val di Fassa/Fassa Tal wind (generally builds after noon, south/west wind at Col Rodella launch). Depending on general wind conditions these winds may compete during the day and can lead to variable and unpredictable conditions.
- Use the east launch in the morning then move over to the south launch in the afternoon as the Fassa Valley (southwest) wind takes over and the bowl in front of the east launch is in rotor. Famous videos of dust devils twisting up wings are from the east launch in lee conditions.
- North wind is bad (anything more than light wind) and creates big lee/rotor zones or problems lower down, even if the south launch is not affected. On the evening of one of our plan B days there was a strong shear layer 50-100 meters above the main LZ with strong N-N/W above and strong S below (our hypothesis was that it was generated by the north wind dropping down over Sella Pass, hitting the high ridge south of the LZ and being redirected just above ground level).
- West/Southwest wind can also be dangerous as it increases the already strong afternoon Fassa valley wind. This wind funnels up into the side valley west of Col Rodella and makes for bad rotor in the lee (behind lower canyon ridges, the Col Rodella cliffs, etc). This can also produce strong and gusty wind in the main LZ which thankfully is very large. These were the conditions on the ‘carnage’ day.
- Although the meadows near launch look inviting, top landings can be hard and cause severe injuries due to lee/rotor areas (a couple of days after our first visit a German champion pilot top-landed behind the south launch and broke his back).
- Worst days are the ones with some lift but strong inversions when nobody gets away and most bumble around at the top of lift. It may be possible to fly in relative solitude by staying below the crowds.
- Last but not least, this should be a no-brainer, get out of the way of rescue helicopters, even if other pilots don’t.

More from PG forum
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=42284
Info from the local club (in German)
http://www.parapendio-gardena.com/colrodella.html

Alpine Week - Last Week August

Compared to last year's Chamonix visit for two weeks, six days to explore the Austrian Alps didn’t feel quite adequate (and a day and a half of rain didn’t help either). But we had some nice flights and found lots of other things to explore.

We didn’t haul our wings to Europe in vain. On our way down south Pete and I flew for the first time in Germany, from Brauneck launch south of Munich. My favorite site was Bischling south of Salzburg, where I had a sweet flight crossing a couple of times from launch to the limestone towers on the other valley side. It was neat to fly so close to the jagged cliffs. Emberger Alm at Greifenburg in Austria's Kärnten region didn’t quite live up to my expectations. While Pete and Alex had a good XC flight on our first day, I sank out after crossing to the next ridge.

Unfortunately the weather turned bad and we had just one day of flying there before the rain arrived. We spent the next several wet days hiking (Obertilliach), via-ferrata-ing (very cool next to waterfalls in the tight canyon of the Pirkacher Klamm), exploring lakes, visiting Roman excavations (Aguntum Lienz), the Blue Sky home base in Sillian (hosts of our Dolomiti tour two years ago), garnet mines in Villach and, when the downpour started in earnest, several Konditoreien (Alex’ favorite rain time activity). Other interesting sights (Auerhuehner) and signs (Schwammerln sammeln verboten!)

On our last day in Europe we got in the air again at the Jenner near Berchtesgaden, above the super scenic Königssee with Watzmann Mountain towering behind. Family stories go that my grandmother visited here as a young woman and always fondly remembered the stunning mountain scenery. When I first heard about this there was little chance for me to ever see these sights. Leave alone fly over it with a fabric wing. But time changes ... almost everything.

Mt Blanc - Aug 19

Amazing! 50+ pilots top landed on Mt Blanc. Having seen the imposing mountains and having flown in Chamonix close to it last year I can imagine what this must have been like!

Maybe book European vacations for the last two weeks of August next year?

 
Mont Blanc from Stéphane Boulenger on Vimeo.

Chamonix, Sept 4-16

What amazing awe-inspiring scenery!

Like an all-imposing giant of rock and ice Mont Blanc dominates the views from almost everywhere. Although I have seen (and climbed) higher peaks, I have never been anywhere near such a massive mountain.

We lucked out with the weather, flew many different sites, tried new wings, did some short hikes and got even some via-ferrata climbing in. Didn't remember how much fun this was... have to do more of it next time we come to Europe – lots of exposure for excellent adrenalin jolts in a relatively save environment.

From Chamonix Sept

Since it’s posted already on our local flying forum, I will just recycle what I wrote there:

Fall flying in Chamonix is just like fall flying here. Mostly stable conditions make for scratch sessions and more or less extended sled rides. Valley winds can get strong in the afternoon. We even got a display of a solid Föhn-gust. Fortunately only a traction kite was up in the LZ and the kite-flyer got dragged all across it without damage.

But sled rides in Chamonix are of a different dimension. The views are gorgeous. Massive Mt Blanc and the needles of the many aiguilles dominate the scenery. Launching on a glacier, floating over crevasses seconds after getting airborne, searching rock cliffs for thermals, floating over the town with its many tourists and flower-decorated houses. Access to launches is fast and easy with gondolas and lifts (but some close in fall). Multi-day passes are well worth the money, especially in stable conditions. Pete did 6 flights in one day, probably half the costs of our 8-day pass. During our first week we stayed at the Flyers Lodge (http://www.flyers-lodge.com) in Domancy just outside the Chamonix valley, with Dennis and Gillian, who gave us lots of great tips on flying in the area.

We flew Planpraz (2000 m) across the valley from Mt Blanc on several days. On the final day Pete managed to climb to 2800 m and fly over the Brevent to Plaine Joux. From Plan de l'Aiguille (2200 m, mid station of the Aiguille du Midi gondola) we cruised over Bosson Glacier. To fly the Aiguille du Midi (3800m) you must cross an ice arête. It had a distinct knife-edge appearance and was topped by a stream of short-roped scramblers, posed perfectly to take everybody else out and down a 1000 meter slope should one slip. We gave it a pass. We flew from Les Grands Montets (3200 m) instead, where the launch is on a flat glacier a pleasant stroll from the gondola station (but watch for the crevasses), and where we got surprised by a massive rockfall from the Dru just around the corner (according to the news the mountain shed 12000 m3 of rock). Outside the Chamonix Valley we flew from Plaine Joux and Annecy (gorgeous limestone ridges and cliffs). Annecy Montmin launch is the most deluxe one I have ever set foot on with artificial lawn and terraced area for spectators (fortunately nothing too spectacular to see for them). And I have never seen so many people kite in the LZ as there (maybe 30?).

From Chamonix Sept

To mix things up we ventured on a couple of via ferratas. A via ferrata is a climbing route with cables, metal steps and ladders, making it possible to move through exposed and steep terrain at a fast pace (compared to belayed rock-climbing). Instead of ropes and assorted other climbing gear, only a climbing harness with a short rope and two carabineers (special via-ferrata set-up) is needed. I especially ‘liked’ the Nepalese bridge on La Curella which spans a 30 meter gap with just 3 cables, one to walk on and two higher ones to hold on to. Way more exciting than any paragliding I have done (and ever want to do).

From Chamonix Sept

Chamonix is definitely worth a visit (or several), but better in spring or early summer if one is looking for good flying conditions (and easy Aiguille du Midi access).

(Driving back to Germany on the Autobahn was definitely not a ‘Fahrvergnügen’)

Dolomiti Moments

Two magic moments of the Dolomites trip: The last flight from Pordoi Pass when the rest of the gang had already flown out to land but Pete and I stayed and played some more in the smooth ridge lift. Cloud level was just above us and the rising air was condensing at our altitude. Wisps of cloud streamed by as we were flying in and out of them.

The last day of our trip did not look promising for flying. Low clouds were hanging just above Pordoi Pass. For lack of better things to do (and since our pass was still good for one more day - compared to BC lift prices are an amazing deal: 35 euros for 3 days), we took the gondola up to Sass Pordoi into the coulds and fog. Magically, we popped out into blue sky and bright sunshine about 200 meters below the top station. What a sight! Like islands from the ocean, Dolomiti Kofels and Spitzen peaked out of the thick layer of clouds. Marmnolada, Langkofel, Rosgarten and in the distance even see the summits of the Ortler Alps and the Grossglockner.

Dolomiti, Italy - Oct 4 - 9

October 4 to 9 we flew in the Dolomite Mountains (Italian Alps). We went with Blue Sky Flugschule from Sillian, Austria. IMO money well spent, since lodging, food (lots of it, including delicious 5 course Tyrolean dinners), shuttles and site briefings were all taken care of.

In summer the Dolomites are a bit too full on but this time of year the flying is still good and the weather usually better than elsewhere in the Alps. The Dolomites are renowned for the dramatic limestone mountains, spires and walls. There are paved roads up to 2200m and lots of ski lifts, some going to over 3000m. The valley bottoms are around 1400m with lots of large fields available to land in. We flew from several launches, including Col Rodella and Belvedere in the Fassa Valley, with the impressive backdrop of the Sella Group, Marmolada and Langkofel.

The weather only let us fly four of the six days but we still managed to do 10 flights. I had 7 hours airtime, Pete had 11 hrs. He spent lots of time flying around the Langkofel with its dramatic 400m high vertical walls and spires. Unfortunately the cloud base was right around the top of the cliffs which made it hard to go any further (Pete's best flight). Interesting note - during our first day at Col Rodella there were 2 reserve tosses and during the second day 3 paraglider crashes, 2 of them lead to severe injuries requiring heli rescues (one rotored in and the other did a 360 that intersected the cliff). Although the air wasn’t particularly rough where we flew, care must be taken not to blunder into rotor from strong valley winds or convergence points of valleys (this can be a problem at Col Rodella launch – see picture of a dusty having its way with 4 wings on the SE launch).

We had hoped to get to fly over the Marmolada (one of the turn point in the X-Alps). It turned out that Max Fanderl (of X-alp fame) and 4 other pilots from Calgary had gone with Blue Sky the previous week. Max had had to climb the Marmolada on foot during the X-alps but managed to fly over this time.

There were lots of pilots flying here. Most of the time the lift was good enough to stay up but not good enough to get away easily. This made for some very busy air space complicated by the fact that a few pilots seemed to have forgotten the air rules. When it got to be too much we headed to some alternate launches to escape the crowds. One in particular stood out – Belvedere, right across from the Marmolada. The launch was a grassy knoll that rolled off into a steep cliff. A frontal would likely have been fatal. Quite focusing!

This was our first flying trip in Europe. It was interesting to see that the majority of pilots were flying DHV1-2 even with 10+ years of experience. The most popular gliders were the Swing Mistral, the Nova Mentor and the Sky Atis.

Pictures here (will add some to blog soon)

Europe bound

Off to Europe tomorrow, family visit and hopefully some flying in the Dolomites. Will have to see what the weather brings, but maybe we get lucky and get some flights like these guys had just 2 weeks ago?

Prague: A fill of European culture, March 11-14

Prague is located only a 3 hour trains ride from Leipzig, so we frequently visited the city when I lived in Germany. But after the German reunification I had been back only once and was disappointed about the huge tourist crowds and Disney World looks. This time I visited out of season. Crowds amassed only in front of the town hall astronomical clock to watch the dance of the apostles and at the old Jewish cemetery. The narrow streets away from main attractions were almost empty. And best of all was a late evening trip to the Hradschin, the old Prague castle. I could hardly believe that I had the gothic cathedral, the court yards and narrow alleyways all to myself and circled St. Vitus cathedral (construction commenced in the 14th century) a couple of times, gazing in awe at the tall gothic towers and flying buttresses. The gargoyles high above grinned just like in olden times.