Hessiche my last day

The Hessiche champs overlaps with the Bavarian Open so I have to leave this one before it is over.  I would like to stay but there will be several other comps in this valley and more opportunities to fly here.  Also the Bavarian has prize money that has attracted many more good pilots.  You learn more flying with pilots better then you so the decision is easy.

 

The weather looks good again so a task has been set that boxes the Drautal (Drau Valley ?).  Up and down one side of the ridge before crossing at the west end, and running down the south ridge east, then back to Griefenburg goal.  I wish I knew more of the mountain names but they are all in German and my language skills SUCK.  I barely passed English let alone a second language.  Like the other days pilots potatoed on launch just watching the windsock blow STF in.  In anticipation I set up on the far side of launch to give myself options.  The HG launch ramp is on the far left side but there is room for at least 2 or 3 other gliders to the right.  This is where the PG’s take off from, and Kevin when the potatoes don’t want to go.  I took off in a moderate 5 to 10 cross which is cake on this ultra wide very steep launch.

 

On course the lift was strong and consistent.  Clouds dotted the ridge again making it easy to see what areas were working.  Mostly the south west facing fingers had the fat areas of lift but any high peak or saddle could be hiding a rocket train.  Some of these tight strong thermals had a respectable pucker factor to them.  I seem to be able to hook into those very well and better then I could on my old glider.  It’s a tough call how much to let the wing slow down because it is so narrow, but you want the extra speed for the inevitable dump when you fly across one of the edges. 

 

Up and down the north ridge was pretty routine until it came time to cross south at the west end of the valley.  The opposite ridge didn’t have nearly as many clouds as the north ridge and the key trigger (that was also the turnpoint) wasn’t showing any white halos.  The last thermal before leaving was rougher then the last few so I was impatient to cross but stuck it out for some extra altitude.  I am never quite sure what kind of winds I will hit on glide and with the big crossings here best glide usually is the way to go.  It seems more important to arrive with max altitude then to arrive quickly.  Lucky for me as I was gliding across the valley the turnpoint trigger started to crank back up and fill in some haze domes.  My timing/luck was perfect and I got right back up to about 3000 meters again!  The south ridge is known for less reliable lift and lee side turbulence over its highest peak but not on this day.  Flow was coming up both sides of the ridge and drifting predictably with the north wind.  Some dolphin flying and 2 short climbs and I just cruised off the end of the high ridge at about 3000m.  The 5030 said I had goal after the last turnpoint by a safe margin but I had built up some extra to allow for complications in the smaller valley where the last turnpoint was nestled.  It’s a narrow low valley about ½ to 2/3rds the height of the main ridge and has a lake running down the middle from end to end.  The last turn was the bridge in the middle.  The winds switched direction and velocity on me a few times gliding around the corner and once in the low valley the air was pretty bumpy.  Plenty of height to spare I just blasted through it and zinged into goal. 

 

Kev