PWC Mexico, Valle - 3 Feb 2014 - Task 1 - "TRICKY"

Pilots prepare under the Red Bull tent

Task similar to yesterday but strong Southerly blowing.

Today's task

After yesterday's surprise of police escorted bus to take off, DJ mixing tunes on take off, armed guards on launch, the tone was rather more sobre today as pilots concentration was more geared to the task in hand rather than the party atmosphere on launch.

Armed guards protect pilots on launch

Mexico leads the paragliding comp scene with their impressive sponsorship set up

A couple of reserve deployments today, one caused by a mid-air, fortunately no more than bruised bones, the air was rougher than yesterday, with Crazy Thermal doing it's "thang" catching more than one pilot by surprise.

First climb above launch looking down on take off

After a dreadful start, line over after catching my glove between the front and second lines of A's taking off then a line over a the glider reduced itself to a tangled mess, negative mindset to get off the hill and time was ticking. Finally last off, flying into a screeching thermal above launch to connect with Pinon, surfing up that and then onto Crazy Thermal to catch up with the gaggle 2 mins after the start gate opened - I couldn't fathom why none of the gliders were slow to start the race.

I later found out that everyone was waiting for someone to make the first move, not being able to slice through the inversion at 3200m, the long glide to the first turn point looked hit and miss with the southerly wind full on.  The field headed out to the salt lakes over the flats into the grubby inversion.  The field here split into two groups - those who bowed over the flats, and the others who followed the arrow straight to the salt plant.

Gliding towards the Salt plant

So the slow start from the field played in my favour, and I was back in the game. Taking a cracking climb with Nick Greece all the way through the inversion right to the top, whilst the rest of the field made an upwind dash low to the turn point, we enjoyed a 3M climb which enabled us to glide above the gaggle to clip the turn point and return to snatch the hoofing lee side thermal at the "Three Kings".

The majestic "Three Kings"

Climbing out from there with Tobbe Hinas, from there, forwards onto the plateau where our first glimpse of cloud for 4 days lay above our heads.

The southerly had turned easterly and was difficult to stay in the bitty broken remainder of thermals left over the hills.  The clouds forming, wind blown and dissipating before our eyes, I decided to push on into the valley to catch the front gaggle, whilst Tobbe took another line bowing round to the south.  My thoughts were to connect with the convergence in the valley similar to yesterday, however, this longer, more direct glide was to be my downfall.

Reaching the village on the other side with 50m to spare and not having enough slope to surf the treelined hill, I battled to find any lift that was useable, and to use the expression "I dirtied", at Elefante, after missing the convergence in the valley.

Finally abandoning ship sometime later, at 40+km, I landed in the small village in a field of horses. Packing up slowly, time for reflection.  Today would have to be my "Joker" card, and my projected selfish hopes that not many had made it to goal (not the case!). A long taxi ride home so as not to wait for the retrieve bus found me at HQ within the hour.

Windscreen religion!

Later, finding that many big names, Nick Greece, Pepe, Gav McClurg…, had also dirtied was to be my only consolation.

Tomorrow will be better ... for sure, and will need to get my head around that Elefante valley - I have a feeling we will be using it often this week.
Here's hoping for a task towards that big volcano in the distance that looked so inviting last week…. :-)

One of the many volcanos lined up across Mexico

Oh …uh... and just to end with, the PWC as with other organisations for Cat1 and 2 events are now using the new Conical End of Speed Section, deemed to be safer than ending a race at a 1 or 2 km end of speed section followed by a 400m cylinder or indeed a 200m goal line.  Taking into account the diagram which was used to explain the safety element of using the conical speed section (our ESS this week is ontop of a hill), some of us found it a little baffling as to how flying top speed full  bar into the side of a mountain can be safer flying to a goal line on the ground or indeed a vertical 400m cylinder!. 

When this new ESS Cone starts from ground level, how does that prevent pilots flying into the hill, particularly as they know they can surf their way back up it to reach goal? Clarification on safety element here, anyone?

Beats me!