PWC Mexico, Valle - 5th Feb 2014 - " HOKEY COKEY!"

thermaling above the startgate

Above the startgate

Today's task an 89km race to goal.
Really interesting task today in that it resembled more of a cross-countryflight rather than a race, with a remote goal in the Elefante valley.

With the start gate some 6km away, pilots were eager to get airborne as soon as time permitted.  Cautiously pilots waited in the same house thermals (Crazy and the Wall) until the clock started at 12h40pm.  With conditions weaker than usual, base was at 3200m, and no one was particularly eager to lead out.

One large gaggle formed which split into two groups as the start and the first cylinders were the same turn point.

2nd, 3rd and 4th turn points were all the same waypoint, with a first entry a 400m cylinder, then you had to fly out of the same cylinder and fly in again to take the same waypoint this time with an 8km radius, and then further in again to take the TP at 400m cylinder. In/out/in/out shake it all about!!!

This did baffle a few pilots (myself included) when programming the GPS.  My understanding of how to do this was not questioned as I presumed that the GPS would understand what I was asking it to do, however I was fooled, and although a Pilot is extremely clover, you do have to give it the right instructions for it to understand what it is meant to do.  And indeed, this did not occur, so disappointingly, my recorded flight ended at some 39km! I do stress that fortunately I was not the only foolish pilot today!

However, I had a great flight, and after getting stuck at the Three Kings for a lonely while after a small group landed on the way back from the start, I took a rough and bitty climb low over the trees and the plateau, and made a dash to connect with a small conical hill. With a 65km tailwind I headed full speed low over the plateau and the trees towards a distant conical hill.
A risky manoeuvre which had my feet out of the pod and my right hand out of the handle and free to chuck my reserve to dampen my tree landing had I not found any lift.  On a head-on course with the hill, all I could do was wait for the singular bleeps of my vario to confirm that there would be something.  I connected and without even a squeak from the vario, I last minute violently pulled break to turn into the first of several beats before being able to catch any bubble consistent enough to "S" bend my way to the summit.  Close call.

To concentrate, I pictured in my mind "S" bending above the trees at the base of the Dents de Lanfon in weak lift and cranking the glider round to lean in with outer break to maximise anything I could get.

Patience and perseverance worked, and my glider and I worked the hill until we found the core.

It was hard to work out which direction the wind was coming from which meant that there had to be convergence somewhere to cross the valley towards Elefante.

A few broken clouds made it easier to gauge what was happening and leaving just before cloud base, made the wide crossing as the valley floor appeared to rise to meet us the further and higher we flew. Here I joined up with the gliders in front of me and flew for a while accompanied which made climbing easier.

Conditions started to deteriorate at around 15h30 and I looked at the clock. The sun was losing its heat and the sky was hazy as the sun set lower and the wind increased on the rising terrain.  We were flying at over 3000m, but in some places almost only kicking trees to remain airborne.

I set off alone in search of the elusive and invisible last cylinder  before either  the conditions shut off completely or the task landing time arrived, and claimed by 72km before being "the last to land" on the course line. (Thank you Tom Payne).

Valle de Bravo and HQ at sundown

5km short of TPG04, I landed in a very swish private estate just outside Valle, neatly ploughed fields, horses and a cobbled driveway leading to wrought iron gates and the main road.

Hoiking my 30kg pack over the fence, I caught a retrieve bus passing on the main road back to HQ.  All very easy.

The track log on my GPS confirmed my failure to input the right commands regarding the cylinders of TP49, so I sadly scored almost nothing for the day, however, I did came away with a great sense of achievement at having flown the majority of the task, in some pretty windy, rough and turbulent conditions, and even having enjoyed the challenge.

So, my conclusion of the day: a rotten score and physically spent,  but an exciting and enjoyable flight nonetheless.