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Frozen lake, Valgaudemar
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I spent much of the morning grid-squatting, watching for
any signs of growing cu-nims over the higher hills. It still looked good at
1pm so, hoping for the best, I took a launch to the Gourras. Cloudbase was
high locally, reaching over 9000ft at Blayeul, but finding myself
looking down on cloudbases to the east, and seeing other gliders
fleeing the rain from the parcours, it became clear that there was little
future in heading further east.
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Klaus is at it again
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As I dropped through to cloudbase near Colombis, I could see
that the western edges of the Ecrins looked clear, and the storm over Cheval
Blanc was not moving west, so I took a climb over the mast and jumped to
Chabrieres. I ran up the ridge to a cu pinging off its northern point, and
carried on towards the pas de Cavale. I remained nervous about crossing
through, since the anvil from the Cheval Blanc storm was now racing across
the Sisteron valley, and I felt confident that stormy unpleasantness would
soon follow. I am not sure this would have bothered Klaus Ohlmann's little
train, which I saw scraping the ridges in the opposite direction. There was
some good strong lift around, so I took a look at the Valgaudemar and then
headed off towards the pic de Bure which, unusually for this week, was not
wearing its anvil hat.
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By the time I reached the pic de Bure, I could see darkness
spreading westwards towards the airfield. It was rather disappointing, but I
felt the need to exercise some caution, especially as Ariane and I had a
rather important engagement during the evening that could not be missed by,
for example, me landing at a rain-sodden Gap airfield.
As is usually the way, after I had landed back at base the
storm gave up its threats and moved away to the south.
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Behind the pic de Bure
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Last of the Melting Snow...?
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