Monarca 2010 – Task 4 55.6Km – Nice to Scratch

On the road up to the launch today there were high cirrus clouds and the sun was scare. I expected it would be a long time before we started. I wasn’t feeling too great this morning, not because of my flying, but the trots caught up with me after a week eating here. Not sure if it was a bad beer or a bad sandwich but we will find out tonight as I am testing the beer once more! By the time they called the task it was gray sky everywhere. I couldn’t imagine anybody going far today, never mind making goal. Since it was a right hand day I thought I would launch early and fly around and practice my right hand turns. To help me, I put a couple of liters of water in my right hand side pocket of my harness. That sure did help as when flying straight I had to compensate with a little left brake so it was working.

They opened the launch at 11:20 for the yoyo’s like me and I took off at 11:35 and joined a small gaggle circling in front of launch. Nobody was high at all, probably around 500-750ft over launch. Keeping my head on a swivel stick and focusing on the pilots around you makes you loose sense of how high you have climbed. I thought I was just boating around launch height but in a few minutes I had gained about 750ft and joined the circling gaggle. It split into two after a while and that became a little fun because when you completed a circle you were now facing the folks in the other gaggle. It took me a few seconds to realize the gliders in front were actually coming at me! Just a small movement to the right and we were fine.

I saw a glider get some lift a little further out in the valley and pushed out. I climbed a few circles with him and then I headed off to the Penon leaving launch at about 8200ft. I got to the Penon quite low down and headed for the rock face. With little sun on the face I expected it to be more of a bluff soar like Whidbey and that’s exactly how it turned out. The wind was coming from the South and hitting the rock face almost square on. I flew about a wings length from the rock face. Gentle beeps proceeded to fill my ears and I started my figures of 8 flying in front of the rock. Just like being back at Tiger!. I headed out past the Penon and got a  lot of sink so I headed back and started the merry little figure of 8 dance again. By this time quite a few gliders had also given up getting high at launch and started making their way over. I gave Mer a wave as she passed me by on the inside. I started to climb in the slot that took me quite high up the face. I hate doing full circles near that rock so continued my soaring technique. 

Almost at the top I headed off to the spines that lead up to the wall. Steve and Arun told me they had been getting up on the first spine that takes you to the wall face below the little hut on top of the wall. I had been using the second spine further out on previous days so took their advice. It worked a little but not a great deal so I headed off to my spine. That was working and I started my figures of 8 again. The little gaggle that had joined me at the Penon had continued to soar all the way up to the top and were now circling right around the top of the Penon. That was certainly not for me, no matter how mild the lift.

By now I had reached the top of the wall and was just boating along the top edge. Goal! Well at least my personal goal of getting up over that sucker.I felt pretty good as I did have a few very lows save on the way up. Looking down on most of the field brought a wry smile to my face as for the past few days they have been looking down on me. I looked at my watch. 25 minutes to go before the start. Now what to do. I flew back and forth along the ridge and got a little higher, flying half on to the mesa and half off into the valley. I did this for a few lengths then got bored. Some of the others gliders had crossed across to Crazy Thermal but weren’t getting high. I decided to go the front of the Crazy Thermal wall and ridge soar there. I had done that last year and its was quite fun. So I left the lift I was in while other folks tried to scratch their way up the wall! By this time the sky was even a darker gray. No chance of going anywhere far today so just have some fun and see what happens.

Crossing to the Crazy Thermal wall I got big sink. Bummer. Almost reaching the wall I had to turn away as there were no bail out landing sites. I headed back towards the bottom of the Penon thinking I could scratch my way up again. but it wasn’t to be. On the way back I saw two gliders scratching low below me then they hit each other and reserves were pulled. Both were ok but I thought to myself who wasn’t looking where they were going? That seemed to be needless.

I landed at the field next to the school where I had been quite a few times last year and got the professional wing packer school kids to pack my wing. These little boys are good!

By this time, I counted only 70 wings in the air and the race was just about to start. So half the pilots had already landed. Not bad Iain I thought to myself.

When I arrived back in Valle only 20 pilots were still in the air although everyone was doubting whether anyone would make goal today. In fact it turned out they flew 30Km. Quite a feet considering it was all overcast.

Hopefully the weather will be a little better tomorrow and I get to fly like I did on Monday.