Monday, February 2, 2015

Dos

Today was a great day. Everyone flew, despite another hiccup at launch with the comp going on, we all took to the air and many gaggled together, playing at cloud base while waiting for it to raise enough to make the big canyon crossing towards Roldonillo. 
Colin on my tandem

Eventually we made the glide across and gathered on the other side, regrouping and climbing back up to the clouds. We wanted to leave the mountains and get started on the flats (the valley floor) to cross to the other side, namely the city Zarsal and beyond. The tandems all shot out front searching for the next climb finding a good one just past the city center of Roldanillo. 
The new tandem is wonderful. 

Eventually high clouds rolled over and shut down the lift. The tandem pilots; Rob, Brian, Matt and I each took a direction to search but it would ground all of us but one. I landed first, just outside the city in lush pasture land with my passenger Colin. 
Chris, also in my group, landied next to Colin and me. Shortly after that Matt landed with Colin's dad, Tom, about a mile away. Rob took his tandem farther towards the middle of the valley but also landed. Brad was busy talking on his radio to his group when his solo comp wing got a stuck tip (or cravatte as it is called) following a wingtip fold. He couldn't get the tip unstuck after multiple attempted to spin it and shake it free and landed as a result, uneventfully. At this point only Brian and his passenger Koyoko were still in the air acting as a guide for the remaining few pilots. Eventuality the others landed one by one. Brian landed his tandem leaving only one lone pilot left, Keawa who flew well beyond the next town of La Vitoria. Well done! 
We only waited a few minutes before being picked up. Nice!

We had a great talk led by Matt and dinner started with a lovely soup. 
I thought it looked like a swirling thermal, not surprisingly. 

Tomorrow is the last day of the local competition so we hope to have the launch back to ourselves soon after. 
Brian was the star guide of the day! And props to Brian's group member Keawa who had the flight of the day. 

Hasta maƱana
Marty