January 2009

Monthly Archive

Friday, 2nd January 2009

02 Jan 2009 | : Flying

Geoff over Santa Brigida.

Very unpromising forecast, but not raining, not howling, so just about acceptable.

We took a trip out to Santa Brigida and found a pilot from Berga already there. He took off and did an extended top to bottom. Geoff got his kit out and had a slightly longer flight, but nothing to write home about. I didn’t bother. I prefer to have longer flights than it takes you to walk back up the hill.

Thursday, 1st January 2009

01 Jan 2009 | : Flying

Geoff flying at St Brigida.Having failed to fly on the last day of the year, we wanted to start of the year on a more positive note. Forecast was much better so we went to Santa Brigida, where Tanz was already on launch. It was a little westerly, but he took off and managed to maintain for a while. Geoff got off second and top landed shortly after when it got scratchy. I got ready, but a big cloud came over from the back and blocked the sun for a while. When it came back out, I took off and soared around for 25 minutes, when all of us in the air went down. The wind was changing and I had to land in the alternative landing field which allows for a W/WNW landing.

I got a lift back up with Vincent and Roger, but it had gone north at the top. Vincent had brought Cava but no glasses, so we had to improvise. Roger was committed to doing the first flight of the year thing too and did a stunningly good forward tailwind launch, to applause all round. Vincent it off to Valle de Bravo tomorrow. Lucky devil!

Geoff’s comments: this is definitely the worst year for flying we have had since we’ve been here. Poor everywhere in Spain really, even in Algo. Still, the skiing is the best we’ve had in Spain.

See photos of today.

Wednesday, 31st December 2008

01 Jan 2009 | : Walking

Folk round here have a thing about flying on the first and last day of the year. We managed to fly on the 1st January this year,  so we were determined to fly the 31st December as well.

The forecast was identical to yesterday. Sunny southerlies and looking good on paper. I had my doubts though and thought it would be a complete repeat of Tuesday, and lo and behold, 11am the winds started. We went out to show willing, but on getting to Olot, we could see the duvet effect and it was howling, so we wrote the day off. We headed up towards Rupit and looked at the 500-odd trees that have come down along the road.

We bumped into the family in the village and had a snowball fight and a play in the local playground. Afterwards Geoff and I went for a walk along the river. We only had limited daylight left and we got trapped between two sets of fallen trees and had to shift them in order to get back, but it was a nice little adventure.

Then off to my parent’s for food, silly games and lashings of Cava. Happy New Year!

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