October 2010
Monthly Archive
Sunday, 24th October 2010
The zoological marvels continued last night as I found a baby Moorish gecko sitting outside on the window sill when I was talking to my mum on the phone. It was mega cute, with its tiny padded toes and titchy ringed tail. We don’t usually see them in Castellfollit and I couldn’t take a photo as they scare easily and I didn’t want to be responsible for it jumping from the third floor in an attempt to get away.
The forecast was terrible with rain, wind and thunderstorms forecast, but as usual, it was completely different. Despite the cloud this morning, there were blue patches most of the day and it was sunny from mid-afternoon. Most certainly flyable, but we worked instead. The forecast is pretty exciting for tomorrow… There’s a severe weather warning for the coast, where they predict storm 8/10 gales, with winds in excess of 125km/h and waves over 2.5m. If it was high pressure it would be flyable at Santa Brigida, but with low pressure in charge, we might get some pretty strong winds here too. I’ve brought the washing in just as a precaution and Geoff’s already fretting about the satellite dish.
Then to Rupit for a very pleasant dinner with my parents, and some new friends of theirs – with whom we know a lot of people in common. Small world…
Saturday, 23rd October 2010
The forecast was for a cloudier day today and we woke up to grey skies. By 11am the sun was shining and we decided to give Bellmunt a chance. On a Saturday we assumed there would be loads of people there, but there were no cars in the normal parking place. Two pilots launched and did ok, so we headed up too. On top it was deserted, but the wind was on and it seemed very thermic – the sky was certainly getting better by the minute. I took off first and thermalled around for a bit, getting high-ish over the edge, but then losing it and going down. I found a broken thermal in the valley, but couldn’t work it and went down.
Meanwhile Geoff was debating if it would be more sensible to come down for me or just to fly and sort out the car later. Being the weekend, what’s the problem? Should be loads of people out! He had a similar flight to me, thermalling up to 700 feet above the take-off, flying around, working something in the valley much better than I did and then losing it and going down. By this time I was standing by the roadside hitching. Bearing in mind it’s a dead end road that only goes up the mountain to a monastery/restaurant, I thought it would be easy to get a ride back up. However, the few cars that did come by were locals who live on the hill and none of them were going back to the top. By the time it got to 4pm, I thought I’d better start the 2 hour walk back up and left Geoff hitching at the bottom.
My entertainment on the walk was to count squashed praying mantises. It would appear from my limited research that they love the hot tarmac and they stand side on to the traffic, as each one was squashed in the typical praying position. I did come across three live ones, including a male (never seen one of those before, so very exciting), which I harassed off the road and into safety. I was standing in the middle of the road poking one to get into the undergrowth when Geoff swung round the corner chauffeured by a local hunting for mushrooms.
I thought I’d never hear the end of his going on about his hitching prowess. I did point out that it wasn’t a fair contest, since not one of the cars that passed me was actually going where I was trying to go, but Geoff dismissed that, saying his secret weapon was his pilot sign. Apparently, without one everyone will just assume I am one of the many hookers you see on the main roads here, so I’ll never be successful at hitching. Of course you don’t see many prostitutes in the middle of nowhere, in sweaty t-shirts and jeans holding a radio and with a severe case of helmet hair, but I’ll take his word for it. Another great excuse to let him do the hitching while I sunbathe. Ha!
Friday, 22nd October 2010
Judith 22 Oct 2010 | : Beach, Flying
It was south today, so the chances were it would work at all the local southerly sites. We had a phone round to check what others thought and dismissed Berga and Bellmunt and narrowed it down to Sant Pere de Rodes and El Mont. Geoff likes to be beside the seaside… so Sant Pere de Rodes it was. We met Mike, Oriol, Johnny and Enric in Palau Saverdera and then headed up the hill. The clouds only seemed to be marginally above the hill and seemed to be coming from the east, but Oriol convinced us that it would be great by the time we had carried up.
The wind was on, so we got off as soon as we could and conditions were excellent. The clouds were all working and I thought for the first time that it might actually be possible to get to the beach. This has been an ambition of ours for years, but it’s normally a summer thing and in the depths of winter there’s not a chance.
We all got high, but Johnny and Enric chose to land in the official landing field, Oriol flew all over the place but had to get back home early and Geoff flew to a cloud that didn’t work. Mike and I headed off to Roses. I had sussed that the clouds worked when you were high and close to them, but it was difficult to thermal up when you were low. I stayed high until there was another cloud to go for and then I progressed. When I got close to Roses, I wasn’t sure I could actually make it onto the beach and there’s nowhere to land in Roses, other than the monument and I wasn’t sure it wasn’t closed for the siesta and I didn’t want to be locked in for the afternoon. I headed for the final cloud and it worked and I got to the beach with far too much height. A little flying over the sea and snapping photos later I landed to a round of applause from all the people sitting at the bar I landed in front of. I had a tourist to help me get the sand out of my wing and then Mike turned up. He had landed short, but only had a 10 minute walk to meet me. We had a nice beachside beer before Geoff came to pick us up.
Great day and another long held ambition achieved.
Thursday, 21st October 2010
Geoff writes: we were planning to go to Sant Pere de Rodes today, but the forecast changed a little, and it looked like the sea breeze would come in fairly early. So the only guaranteed place to fly was Santa Brigida. Having been there three days in a row, we decided not to bother, and stayed in and worked all day. Very productive, and it means we can go out for longer, to more interesting places, if the forecast is OK. In fact, the forecast for tomorrow is such that every site locally should work, so – if it doesn’t change – we might try Berga.
It’s getting a bit chilly in the evenings, and we might need the central heating soon.
Wednesday, 20th October 2010
Judith 20 Oct 2010 | : Flying, Work
So the plan for today was to go to Sant Pere de Rodes. The forecast had the tramuntana weakening, and it could be good for the north side. In the event, the strong north wind continued and it was supposed to cloud over in the early afternoon. A few people said they were going to Santa Brigida, but we’ve got a new policy of not flying Santa Brigida three days in a row, so we don’t get bored of the place too soon, and we settled down to a day’s work. By 2pm the cumulus looked really good and it’s better to make hay while the sun shines, we’d regret it if the weather turns bad again, too nice to sit inside, etc.
Oriol phoned us on our way out and told us the cloud streets were epic and it was a good XC day, so we put our foot down. We met Nani in the car park, as Oriol launched for his second flight and got high. We drove up, but by the time we got ready, the lift wasn’t as good. It was still very thermic and I flew for a short while, but it seemed to be getting weaker and then less chance to go over the back, so I landed when Roger arrived, so I could say hello to him. I flew again, but my heart wasn’t in it really. Too tired and we have flown Santa Brigida three days running now. I know I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth and should be grateful for such a hugely reliable winter site, but I am looking forward to flying somewhere else tomorrow.
Tuesday, 19th October 2010
Geoff 19 Oct 2010 | : Flying, Webcasts, Work
Geoff writes: another warm, sunny day, with Tramuntana winds, which means, of course, Santa Brigida. We went out fairly late. In the morning, we finally finished the RHADS webcast – about the airspace restrictions and negotiated corridors when flying in certain directions from the Peak District. We also did another few hours work for the JISC conference, which could, quite possibly, be our biggest yet. It is certainly turning out to be one of the most complex.
Then, finally, off to Santa Brigida. It was really nice to meet another friend from here, Enric, who we haven’t seen since last spring. Johnny and Alistair were also out, as was Peter, a new pilot, who lives near here. Plus two French people we had never seen before. So, mostly foreigners, and one Catalan!
The thermals weren’t quite as strong as yesterday, but still there, and it was very easy to stay up, and get reasonably high. As usual, when the thermals died, there was still plenty of dynamic lift, and Judith had the last flight of the day mostly hands off. I drove down, and we all had a pleasant beer together in the landing field.
Another fun day.
Oh, I almost forgot. Judith reminded me it’s our anniversary (of our first date). It’s really just a one night stand that has dragged on for 5475 nights….. we were going to go to the local restaurant for a meal, but got back here and found it now closes on Tuesdays. So it’s a (special) night in!
Monday, 18th October 2010
Geoff 18 Oct 2010 | : Flying, Work
Geoff writes: a morning of work (the conference is rapidly getting closer!) then out to fly. Very warm and sunny, windy at the coast, probably windy inland, windy in France – the wind was the Tramuntana, though, so a great day to go to Santa Brigida. And so it turned out, flyable there probably until dark. Lumpy thermals when we arrived, but got better later on; then the evening was pleasant ridge soaring, though by then we had had enough and decided to go home.
We met a few old friends, quite a few locals out for a change (given that it is Monday), though most of them launched in one of the few sink cycles. Also saw one of our old hang gliding friends, who also now flies PGs. And Johnny brought Alistair, a sky diving friend, who also flies wing suits and speed gliders. Obviously crazy! He’d done a lot of ground handling of paragliders, and today waited until the thermals had mostly gone, and then had his first paragliding flight – and did incredibly well, once he remembered he was paragliding and not sky diving. Even managed to top land twice.
So, all in all, a very enjoyable day.