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| Welcome Back
to the Ecrins |
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Pelvoux and the Glacier Blanc
Low cloud over the Ecrins
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Slowly, slowly the weather improves. Less cloud than in previous days meant that the St Crepin valley was once again open for business, although the method to reach it was (for me anyway) rather technical. Hongrie didn't deliver a good thermal, nor did la
Blachere, near la Motte, and it wasn't until I reached Malaup at around 4500ft that I found the first decent thermal. Now at 8000ft, I was able to reach Colombis (at 6000ft) and then Guillaume (7500ft). Round the corner towards Clotinailles and then a long hard struggle at Prachaval before getting away into the the higher Brianconnais
cloudbase. Phew...
Now working between 10,000ft and 12,000ft I explored the Plampinet area and getting as far as Mt Thabor. I looked over towards the Vanoise and decided that the cloud was too low and unstructured for me, and that a landout would probably result, a view later confirmed by Bob in L58, who landed at Sollieres and required the services of a St Crepin tug to get him home.
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On my way back south, it was unusual to be flying at 11,500ft surrounded by a large amount of lower-level cumulus. I needed airbrakes to descend beneath the cloud to the level of the tete de Lucy and Guillaume. From there I met up with Ariane at Dormillouse and we pair-flew along the parcours under a very dark, spreadout sky. Happily there was still enough energy reaching the rocks to keep us airborne as far as the Montagne de Coupe, allowing us to both get back home with height to spare.
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One of our new Lasham chums, Howard Jones, was being led around the Ecrins by Mike Young
(who had taken off from Grenoble). After a bit of a struggle under the spreadout Howard finally landed at Seyne,
leaving Mike to make his own way home. Sadly, Seyne doesn't allow tugs so a longish road retrieve was required. |
Malaup from the top
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Pegasus Party
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In summary, a better day but still not up to normal Sisteron standards. Highlight of the evening was a bring-your-own barbecue at the Pegasus (the old Sisteron clubhouse), complete with a night-light equipped model aircraft display which, against the starlit sky, was magical. |
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