Flying in Ager

So day one I just settled for a flight in the Ager valley due to instrument problems.  IF the PG shops open tomorrow I might buy another Compeo+ if they have one.

Today however with Gordon and the training groupies arriving we all fly a practice task.
Start Ager Camping 5km start
TP1 Sopeira 35Km
TP2 Benavent 40Km
TP3 Castekk de Mur 20Km
Goal Vilamitjana 8Km

Take Off at Ager (top of the ZigZag road) and Lake to the west of this huge south facing ridge

Climbing out after TP1 at the end of the lake

Over the GURP. No really thats its name! Turn point 2 is over the lake and on the far horizon which is another cliff face

Crossing the Lake after a long glide with nary a blip on the vario.  The red cliffs is an alternative route but having used it once I opted for the front route to the lower hills just behind the Goal field.

Far side of the lake and some week lift.  Nice view towards Tremp the local town.

Approaching Turn point 2

Crosisng another lake towards turnpoint 3.  Can you spot the hotel Terradets on the far side of the the lake?

Just before turnpoint 3. Sadly not in shot on any of  my photos....the glide had been 12 to 1 up untill then and I need 12.4 to make goal.  However as soon as I turned to Goal I was getting 22:1 which meant I would be coming in high. Oh Well....

Goal down there somewhere...

Ager 2015

So after leaving Wednesday morning I've finally arrived in Ager.  The picture is from the pool terrace of the hotel Terradets.  Very civilised unlike the campsite and not costing much more either.

Hamish has proved himself as Mr Unreliable yet again.  I arrive at Jim and Kate's house NW of Tolouse to find no one in.  Fortunately the presence of the dogs suggest they will turn up.  Unfortunately no Hamish who's still back in England.  Not only had he not told me he'd not got round to planning anything.  He'd not told Jim and Kate when I/We would turn up.  He's also forgotten to tell Alex and partner that he was going away and hence wouldn't be there to house sit the Elms.... How to piss off three separate groups of people by failing to communicate anything to anybody. 

Fortunately Jim and Kate are happy for me to stay whilst Hamish gets his act together and works out what he's going to do.  Given Thursday and Friday was wall to wall cunimbs in both Northern Spain and consequently southern France I gratefully accept and leave the final leg of the journey for Saturday morning.  Meeting Tim and Darren as soon as I arrive on Ager.

So flying tomorrow hopefully.

New car old site

Collect a new car yesterday morning so was fairly late by the time I was anywhere near westbury.  In fact so late I met Babs enroute as she left to follow Tim who was heading to goal at Eastbourne.

Flying was further delayed by the air ambulance collecting a kite boarder who had broken his hip.  When they finality left Louisa and I had a half hour of bouncing around low in the rough air in the white horse bowl.  We did finally get up and Louisa took the opportunity to top land.  I hung in a little longer but not a lot.... The prospect of a second session in the bowl didn't appeal!

Whilst the BOS is away!

So the BOS of in south wales guaranteeing atrocious bank holiday weather and Nev has convinced me to join an early start at Milk Hill on the Monday in the hope of a 305km goal.

Inevitably the weather doesn't meet expectations with a 2 hour delay due to the high cloud and zintillions of PG's in the light southerly breeze.

Nev, Ollie, Malcolm and Nigel are flying before I finally decided to join the circus.  No PG's on the back ridge by this time as they have all walked over to the front ridge in the lulls.  Nigel lands soon after I take off leaving Malcolm and I to work what we can.

A few reasonable bubbles later and I'm also on the front ridge with Nev and the floppies.  The wind is picking up as the floppies are getting more static.  The good news is that the thermals are better on the front as always so I'm soon drifting off downwind on my own.

I make the mistake of going downwind to a long line of cloud instead of heading east to Marlborough.  Inevitably the clouds are shutting down again and I dribble past the east side of Swindon trying to stay airborne.  Eventually a good climb gets me back to cloudbase but there is the little problem of Brize completely blocking my route.

Cross and slightly into wind to the next cloud works, but soon have to move on.  Fortunately there seemed to be good areas of lift which means I finally reach the corner of the airspace.  However I'm not very high and despite all the lovely conurbation and the A34  buzzing with traffic nothing works and I soon end up grounded in a huge riverside common at Oxford.

Fortunately Hamish was willing to rack up his Volvo and fetches myself and Nev.  Nev gave up on the planned route and went the other way  but decided to stop at Cirencester to ease the retrieve.

Must remember to mount up the camera next time...

Beltain @Butser Stone age farm

So Wendy has gone all pagan and dragged us down to see the burning man.  Everyone loves a good bonfire?

Consider the cobwebs well and truly blown away

To say the air was 'lively' today would be an understatement.  Good 30 mph and very thermic.  Once clear of the hill some very pleasant boating in the very fresh air and sharp thermals to 1400'.

Not bad for Christmas Eve.  Waited until the clouds went away before trying the landing it was every bit as 'lively' as the ridge.

Nick had a second flight but it was a lot less buoyant by then and no smoother on the ridge. Left before Greg Emms flew on a flex...Don't intend to leave it 6 months before the next flight.

Wicked

Just been to see Wicked icked shame they won't let you take any pictures as it's an excellent show...