A bit of a hotch-potch of a day. The forecast was hot, sunny and light south or south-easterlies. Oriol suggested Sant Pere de Rodes or Bellmunt, with Santa Brigida as a backup. Problem was that there was fog at the coast. By 11am, Oriol thought it would burn off and we arranged to meet at Palau Saverdera, the meeting place for Sant Pere de Rodes, with Peter coming along too. Peter lives closest and he said it was still foggy at 11.30am but the top of the ridge was just becoming visible. We were driving along debating what to do when Rolf and Dolores, our hang gliding friends, passed us on their way to El Mont. We decided not to chance the coast and turned around to say ‘hi’ to the hangies, many of whom we haven’t seen in a year or more.

The wind in the bottom landing field felt stronger than it should and orographic cloud was sitting on the launch at times. The cloud seemed to be coming from the east and we were not sure it was the right place to be. Rolf and Jordi offered us a lift up, but this would mean we would be stuck at the top and if it wasn’t flyable for PGs, we would have to wait until all the hangies were rigged and off before we could get a lift down. Or, if it was initially windy, but we thought it would be better later, then we would have to leave the hill or risk being stranded at the top if it didn’t drop off. Either way, we decided to go to the “guaranteed” option of Santa Brigida.

We got there later than anticipated at about 1.15pm. Oriol had called us to say that it was off to the east, but someone was happily soaring, and as we drove up, Oriol was getting high. It was indeed off to the east on take-off and the other pilot was Albert, who had been flying for the last hour and a half. Oriol came to top land as he wanted to have a chat about his new Impress II harness and wanted to compare his set up with mine. Geoff launched and had a little fly, but came in after about 15 minutes, saying that the thermals were not yet fully formed and it was bumpy. Oriol had relaunched too and as he came along the ridge, the windsock swung round 180 degrees and he was now in rotor from the hill. Luckily he saw it and immediately flew out, spiraled down and landed fine. It stayed between 90 and 180 degrees off for the rest of the time we were there. Occasionally a thermal would bring the wind on again and Ferran, who had walked up, would get excited, but the flag at the bottom and that on the monastery would stay decidedly off.

This has happened to us once before, when the wind spontaneously changed. Although then the wind had been off to the west, I think the conditions when this is most likely to happen is when there is an element of east in the wind. Because of the way the valley winds work, Santa Brigida works best when there is strong north wind at the coast. When there is a westerly component, it can be very good too, and the ridge to the west doesn’t produce rotor unless it’s so windy it isn’t flyable anyway. But in an easterly wind, often the wind flows down the valley behind and then flows round the back of the hill. This isn’t an issue when the wind is weak – the thermals and warmth of the ground in front will overcome the backwind easily, but if the wind strengthens, then the valley wind enters as a NW wind. Not good, but at least we now have a clearer idea of how this can happen and we can avoid the hill when the wind is forecast east.

Geoff wanted to wait it out for a while, since I hadn’t flown, but even if the wind had come on again, I didn’t trust the conditions and eventually we gave up and went to the fair in Girona instead. St Narcis is a ten day festival, so we spent some hours looking round the rides, stalls, listening to a great funk/jazz band and having junk food. One thing though… why is it that wherever in the world you go to a fiesta, there’s always a pan pipe group? And why are they always dressed as native American Indians and always butcher Simon & Garfunkle’s ‘Sound of Silence’? Maybe they’re actually the same band, just persecuting us?

See photos of today.

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