38!

Breakfast at 8:00am today. Brian, Farmer, Dawn, Jim, John Dudley and I had plates of fresh guava and pineapple and a juice that none of us liked. A hot croissant-like roll with a hidden stick of the white cheese inside was a nice change too.

After breakfast we loaded up for our two-day adventure. John opted to sit this one out as he is nursing a sore ankle from a hard landing earlier in his tour. We hope fly to Ansermanuevo, a city 45km north of us that has a launch. The plan is to try and top land to see if the lodging on launch is all that, or just give it a fly by. It would be more expensive to stay there as opposed to down in the city. Food options are better below as well. We plan to meet in the town center for dinner should we get separated. 

A cockatiel like one I had years ago was close to the edge of the bird cage and allowed me a close up shot. Here's to you, Skippy. 

Nice fire truck to wave to on the way out of town. 

I've been taking my meds and my knee feels much better. The flight today might offer a bit more rest for it as I tend to walk too much when I don't fly. Go figure. 

Jim, Dawn and Brian on the way up. 

I'm writing this on the way up the hill. I'll write more after landing.  I got to sit shotgun and Farmer rode in back with the other guy who arrived in the truck that our driver had. 

Dawn, then Jim took off first then Brian and Farmer. Last off I grabbed a big climb out at the house thermal and wound it up to base. The others were moving on and I caught them at La Union easily and we all crossed to the gauntlet section.  Farmer arrived first on the other side and pinged out in front of as as we arrived.  I didn't feel much and pushed through his leftovers with Brian. Dawn and Jim stayed in the light lift and got high enough to cross above me as I fell through the cracks below Brian. 

La Union. Just before I got low. 

Eventually everyone got back to base, but it took me a long time down low to get back up.  

Back on course Brian an I got up out front and crabbed accross to the others who went deep and then north some more. We were all together more or less super deep on the higher terrain with abundant clouds above marking light lift with a few stronger cores.  I found a nice climb just in front of the main spine that Dawn and farmer took, got high with Jim on my heels and Brian further back.  I took the glide to the end if the ridge and chose to head out front for the next crossing. Big mistake. 

Almost to "goal". 

The rest gathered together and topped off the climb and easily glided to the next peak where they all climbed to base and went on glide for our destination. I managed to piece together my transition low and use the terrain leading up to their climb with the help of some birds. Finally I found a big thermal and it boosted me to where Brian had just left, following the others. As I topped off I shot some more video and cherished the last leg of our days journey. 

Aerial view of the launch we top landed. 

Farmer led the charge to top land our goal (the launch area overlooking our target city) and everyone else followed suit. Jim was next and tweaked his foot a little on his landing. I was last to land on the beautifully groomed, grassy launch overlooking the small city of Ansermanuevo. 

It was surreal to see other pilots taking off as we stood there congratulating each other.  Luis Rosenker was on launch too, as it turned out. What are the chances of running into a Team USA support team member for Honza on the Red Bull X-Alps earlier this year?

A relaxing end to the day, for sure. 

We were all taken by the sheer beauty of the new locale. 

Matt and Brian walked over to the lodging option to broker a deal for the five of us to stay the night. They returned a short time later having caught a ride in a local jeep and ferried us across back to our new digs. Wow. 

The view, the rooms and hospitality are all fantastic here. Unfortunately there's no food service so we hired a jeep from town to pick us up (after a lovely dip in the pool) and take us to a nice dinner spot, grocery store, and back up again. 

Tomorrow Eduardo will pick us up, ferry us to launch and then take Jim back to La Union direct after we launch to get that sore foot looked at. 

Dinner was really nice. We sang happy birthday to Farmer, shopped and rode up in the dark to our hotel in the sky while lightning lit up the clouds to the east towards  Bogota. 

A couple rounds of pool kept us entertained as the cicadas wailed into the night, accented with distant thunder and no rain here at all. 

There is no wifi, no cell coverage, no worries. Back to civilization tomorrow. 

Cheers,

Marty