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| OK, Let's Just
Fly Anyway... |
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On the parcours
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We had taken the previous two
days off, in light of the storms that had been forecast in each of the
morning's briefings. We then learned at today's briefing that while Ariane
and I been exploring some very dodgy mountain roads using our 4WD, a local
expert in his ASH had flown to Cervinia and back. It was, therefore, a
grumpy old John that crept out of briefing determined to ignore yet
another stormy forecast and rig anyway. And I'm rather glad I did... |
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| A technical getaway was required
this time; a valley breeze (the first of the holiday) had set up and many
of us launched onto Malaup and the tête de Boursier. Eventually a thermal
came along that gave me enough height to cross to the Cretes de Selles and
a juicy cloud over Aujour. Then I took further climbs on the Ceuse and the
lower regions of the Pic de Bure, which got me across the col de Bayard
and into the western Ecrins, where a 9-knot climb to 11,500ft confirmed
that I was away. |
Glacier Blanc from le Barre
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In the Ecrins
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I entered the St Crepin valley close to the
pas de la Cavale and, because cloudbase was now over 13000ft, worked my
way to the glacier Blanc from a south-westerly direction, rather than
following the usual route of the western side of the St Crepin valley
itself. To the north and east a huge Cu Nim had cast its shadow over the
Queyras mountains. I did hear some enterprising soul passing through the
col d'Etache near Bardonecchia, but from where I was looking that area
seemed to be swept by showers. I decided to stay with the sunshine over
the Ecrins, and headed back south to run the parcours all the way to Aups,
south of the lac Ste Croix, where cloudbase was a healthy 8000ft.
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Aups
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Back north again I decided to pay one last
visit to the mountains before getting ready for the long journey back to
England, working my way back along the parcours along the edge of a most
impressive Cu Nim that had set itself up across the Mercantour,
Barcelonnete and the Queyras. At the valley of Orcierres Merlette I
decided to call it a day and headed back to a storm-free Sisteron and a
last landing.
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