Day 6 Tour 3

Now That is whst i like to see, the sun!

Breakfast included fresh fruit, some sort of open face tamale, croissants with ham and cheese hiding inside and fresh juice that I couldn't identify.

Leaf cutter ants have decimated the tree next to the stairs at launch. They walk past the steps in a constant stream carrying little green leaf parts back to their lair. Awesome to watch.

Matt Henzi dropped by from Roldanillo. 

He top landed next to his friend Bianca, had a short chat and then flew off again on his (identical to mine) ice peak 6 glider. Style points. 

The clouds were pumping and everyone was up at hanging out at cloud base today. It was our best day yet. Most pilots made it well into the middle of the valley, many flying to Zarsal and beyond.

I had my entire group with me over Zarsal and we got above 8000' when I pushed out with Randy and Marge close behind me towards the chicken sheds on our way to La Vitoria. We sunk like bricks and landed shortly after, watching from the ground as the slower pilots found lift where just minutes before we had searched and found none. 

Randy on the bus to Zarsal.

In the end John G, and Clyde landed there too. Juho and Chris both got up and away as Janelle  and Sarah (from Rob's Group)  struggled to find The climb. I grabbed  my radios and grave some radio coaching from the ground until they were high again when Rob took over from cloudbase. They both had personal bests today. Super cool. 

John, Marge, myself and Clyde rolling. 

After our short trip to Zarsal, the Cipri rolled up and we all jumped on.

Flacko rolled up with a cooler full of drinks and Marge bought us all a round.

Thanks Marge!  Her son Josh landed near La Vitoria, with a sum total of less than 5 hours airtime to date.  Sweet!

Janelle. Landed near there too, and rode busses and a motorcycle to get back. Adventure!

The west wind blew in, the sky turned grey and everyone stayed safely on the far side of the valley having flown and landed out near Cartago, Obando and La Vitoria. Perfect. 

We sat around the pool and discussed the fabulous day, reviewing and sharing our accomplishments and lessons learned. Tomorrow is our last day to fly. It looks to be another epic day.  I'm so happy for, and proud of my group. This was such a great day for so many. We are going to have an early breakfast due to the bicycle race tomorrow.

Gotta get to sleep now,

Sueños dulces!

Martín 

Day 5 Tour 3

A misty and early breakfast meet time today due to bicycles racing today. 

A bicycle race that closed down main roads last year is happening today once again.  Fortunately many of the cyclists are staying at the hotel, making it impossible to not know of the event. 

We moved breakfast up to 6:15 and loaded at 7am. 

Fruit, pineapple juice, eggs (sunny side up) and yogurt made for a high energy start to our early and grey day. 

The roads are a little wet going up to launch so I am hoping for sun as usual but it seems it may cloud up with all this available moisture. 

Launch was misty and clouds rolled through blocking the sun. It made for s cooler hike up, but I am hoping for more sun. 

Janelle (launching), Randy Juho, Chris, Marge and I all eventually got into the sky but shade and weak conditions once again tested everyone's resolve. A light rain and downward wind on launched delayed a few instructors who stayed to usher off the last pilots. 

Dave turner on tandem with Jef. 

The threat of rain and over the back winds forced those who were low to run for the flats just to be safe. By the time the last of us launched and got to base, others were too low to make the next transition to the flats having left precautionarily. 

Rob (above) and Dave and I got up and across to Zarsal with two of my guys (Chris and Juho) with us. Chris charged ahead and got to Zarsal first, heading north to La Vitoria ahead of us. Juho and I made our way with Rob and Dave while we heard Bianca and her pals on the radio mention that were changing course from going south of Zarsal back to the north due to rain falling that direction. 

Conditions improved and we tried to rendezvous with those on the far side of the valley at La Vitoria. Juho and I arrived with Rob and Dave at La Vitoria whole Chris was there waiting for us but getting lower. He got back up and Rob and Dave headed back to La Union reporting light wind on the surface.  

Juho and Chris, high over La Vitoria. 

Rather than complete the "box" and follow them back (having flown to Roldanillo, Zarsal, La Vitoria and back to La Union),  we opted to stay high, and try to wait for Bianca, David and Brian Howell to meet up with us. 

We wated quite a while and moved north to Obando. Eventually the rest caught up to us there and now we had a nice gaggle to fly with. 

Together we had some great climbs and made it all the way to Cartago, turning back to avoid airspace restrictions. We all got low on the glide back and landed along the highway, all but Bianca who got a last climb and flew nearly back to Obando, the last city befor La Vitoria. 

I landed next to David and we packed up and got a ride at the main road in the back of a vegetable truck. The driver and his pal were very nice and we stopped for coffee and pastries at a nearby panaderia, before dropping us off at our hotel in La Union. Nice!

Tomorrow looks really good.  Can't wait!

Caio,

Martín 

Day 4 tour 3

The day looked nice enough, but I'm hoping for significantly more sun. 

I had a massage last night right before bed and it was amazing.  Playing with my 8 and 9 year olds really took its toll on me in the month before arriving here. Fortunately Martha is skilled in chiropractic, deep tissue, and who knows what else. I had no idea how messed up my poor neck shoulder and back has been. She gave me a full hour and I felt like new after nearly coming to tears with the needed work. She assured me my next visit would go easier for me. I completely trust that to be true.  I will see her again the day after tomorrow. 

Last night while I was sleeping better than ever, at around 1 am Juho woke to a burglar stealing his two phones, computer, sunglasses and headphones!

He gave chase and then ran to the reception to summon the police. This is a first for our many years staying here. The police examined the video surveillance and asked for some money from Juho to expedite the apprehension, driving to the suspects residence and recovering all but the headphones. Marité and her mother Teche talked with the police and wanted better results and a refund of the "bribe". 

Juho wasnt the only one it seemed as several of the Swiss pilots, also staying at the hotel reported missing smartphones that have not yet been recovered. 

Boris was driving for Flacko today as he is home with some bruised or cracked ribs after stumbling and falling against a branch while trying to help rescue our treed pilot from yesterday. He was ok and met us on retrieve later today. 

I'm flying tandem with a newer pilot named Joe today and am taking nothing for granted as usual.  We have many incidents so far and virtually no injuries. We will be on high alert to keep it together for the final days. 

The day looked the best so far this week. 

Brian took to the sky first on tandem with Juho since he had been up all night. 

Marité and Crhris launched soon after and the day officially started (after longer than usual waiting again today).  Many others launched and then the sky darkened and made soaring difficult and forced everyone to be patient once again

Once the sun came out again, big cloud development grew behind our mountain to the north, threatening to rain near or on Laa Unión. 

Joe and I finally launched late with Rob and Dave, waiting on an up cycle to get away from the hill. We went right to cloud base and moved into position on the end of the ridge as the others who had been low and struggling finally started to climb out in the now full sun. 

Dave reported rain as did Randy who is in my group. I asked that all pilots top out their climbs and glide to the valley to avoid getting too close to the growing clouds behind us. 

Everyone pushed out to the flats and some landed right away while others got weak climbs that eventually allowed some of us to continue on to Zarsal.  Brian and Juho landed on the bumblebee tandem and kept us appraised of the deteriorating sky and wind conditions on the surface. 

Janelle landed below me and Randy opted to spiral down to keep her company though he had the option to climb out and go on glide with the rest of us. A few others landed as well just to be safe. 

We had Zarsal made and could have continued on, but opted to spiral down after reports from Brian confirmed that the west and/or a gust front had started on the other side of the valley with wind gusts of 25mph.  We landed uneventfully ahead of the wind and rain at the military base. 

Day 3 tour 3

Today started off cloudy, but I was optimistic that we would return to sunny conditions.  It didn't happen. 

Yesterday while retrieving pilots that landed out, Flacko and his wife discovered a dog that was tied to a fence near one of the pilots who landed there. It was barely alive and hardly able to raise its head. The owner agreed to let them take it after Flacko offered his sunglasses in trade. They took it to the vet in Roldanillo where they gave it an IV and began to treat its many problems. We took up a collection at last nights dinner and raised enough to cover the bills for its care. A glass half full of alcohol was nearly full of ticks removed from the poor animal. The prognosis was good and we all felt sad and happy at the same time for the abused dog. 

Dave Rob and yours truly driving up. 

A young foal greeted us on launch as she dies most days. 

One of two playful dogs on launch remind us of our poor dog recovering in town. 

The sky opened and closed with clouds all morning, forcing us to wait and be patient.

Janelle got the kinks out of Randy while we all looked on wishing we were sitting there in his place. Lucky guy. 

Eagle instructor Chris Klontz was the first of our group to launch. 

It was murky but soarable, and we all eventually launched and flew out to the far right spine (spine 2).  

The sky cleared a little and a low level north wind increased and started drifting pilots off the spine. We cautioned our pilots to stay on the windward side or run to the valley. One pilot hit a lot of sink and wound up below and behind the spine in the lee. He flew out to escape the turbulent rotor but ended up losing control, throwing his reserve and landing without injury, some 30' or so up a tree. 

Dave Turner spiraled down to a safe spot near the pilot to render aid after hiking over to him.  I stayed in the air to relay information via radio as everyone started landing and checking in safe. We had everyone safe on the ground finally but one other pilot precautionarily landed in a tree as well, due to a last minute hazard when he got close to his landing spot. He chose some trees instead of hard to see powerlines. A wise and safe choice. 

A local cowboy rode up on his horse, took out a machete and his rope and went to work on the first pilot. Three local farmers helped the second.  A few hours later everyone was down with their gear removed and in one piece.

 After careful inspection, minimal repair was rendered and a reserve repacked, making all equipment ready for tomorrow. 

Yuho landing last at Oscars LZ, our makeshift command center for today. 

Some much appreciated pool time was enjoyed by all as we made our way back to the hotel, grateful for being safe after some edgy conditions. 

Dinner was delicious and we were all feeling fortunate and happy.   

Unfortunately our rescue dog passed away today, and we found out after dinner. The news hit me hard, and I find myself quite emotional about it. I try to console myself with the hope that the dog at least felt loved in its final moments after so much suffering and neglect. 

I miss my family and my spoiled little dogs at home. It is a hard night to fall asleep though I feel very tired. 

Hasta mañana,

Martin