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Storm Dodging
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"The weather today will be feminine...
Hot,
Moist
and
Unstable".*
We were warned at briefing about the development of storms
in the higher mountains - as usual, it was not possible to be specific about
where they would appear, but an early launch was advised and we were told to
keep our eyes open for growing clouds.
Not wanting to face a struggle on Hongrie in this heat, I took a high launch today to the
Gourras, and got away via Blayeul to the parcours and on to the Barcelonnette valley.
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Clouds had already built up to the east of the valley,
where it had also started to rain. I carried on to the eastern edge of the
col de Vars and into the St Crepin valley via the strikingly beautiful lac
des neuf couleurs - cloudbase was 12,500ft at this point.
Ariane was flying with Serge, the club's course
instructor, in Duo Discus Delta-Golf. On hearing their intention to reach
the Glacier Blanc, I decided to try to join them there. Big mistake! In
trying to avoid the rain on the eastern side of the St Crepin valley, I hit
the sink on the western side. None of the obvious thermal sources were
working and I quickly found myself running back to St Crepin airfield,
having lost about 5000ft in my scrambling about.
I managed to find a climb in the least likely place, over
the sunless lee-side of the tete de Vautisse, which got me breathing again.
By now the storms were getting larger and more numerous. I needed to get out
of the valley fast.
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Barcelonnette Airfield
Lake of Nine Colours
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Auribeau
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I jumped from Furan to Clotinailles and then Guillaume, where
I climbed as high as I could to push through the rain on the way to Gap
airfield. Further panic was not required as I reached Colombis in the
sunshine. A climb at Monserieux kept me airborne and I enjoyed the rest of
the day playing with the thermals further south at the lac St Croix. There
were still storms in the area but they were widely spaced and easy to avoid.
It was almost indecent at the end of the day to abandon the 9000ft cloudbase
and 10 knot thermals for a landing back at base.
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Meanwhile, having demonstrated to Ariane how to get away from
8500ft at the Glacier Blanc, Serge pointed Delta-Golf at Vinon where it is due to stay for their regionals competition. Ariane completed her journey
back to Sisteron by
car, courtesy of El Presidente Christophe Alexandre.
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* |
This joke was originally told many years ago by Sami, a
former Sisteron instructor. Normally, of course, I would condemn such sexist
remarks out of hand but, as Sami was a small black man, I fear that in doing
so I might lay myself open to charges of racism. And, indeed, sizeism. **
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** |
This is
political correctness in action...
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