Piedrahita - day 3: Over the pass!

Blue sky! Its a classic looking Piedrahita morning, the day is looking good. :-)

After the morning flight and the usual cup of tea it was up to take off for the main event. Everyone got off in good time and we were soon thermalling up ove the main big spine or out in front. Steve led the way (of course), with Bryan, John (JK), and I following, Gavin joining us from out in the valley to cross to the quarry spine. Sadly JK got low and lnaded out while I thermalled up above him. Thus today had loads of height above the quarry spine. Steve and Bryan worked up high above the ridge behind, while Gavin and I climbed up together above the pass crest. Bit of a N wind so we crossed over the south side, watching Steve getting drilled down, looking for all the world like he was going to land on top! Oh we of little faith - he got a good climb on the lee side where Gavin and I joined him for the next climb. Bryan, of course, comes in from nowhere, high above us! I'm sure he has a secret pass sky teleport system...

The four of us floated about ther for a bit before heading off, picking up thermals off the villages at the foot of the mountains. Bryan and Steve got a bit low and had to head south-east to get to some triggers. I went out to the river line and started to pick up reasonable thermals there. I could see Bryan and Steve getting a good climb out. I continued zig-zagging along the river line getting thermals and drifing off to the south before gliding back. Slow but steady progess. Eventually I saw Bryan, Gavin and steve heading ove, though in the case of Steve it was ahead of me, speeding off towards Avila!

Towards the Y junction (around 7km short of Avila I guess) I took another thermal to make sure of the glide into the landing fiels. I need not have bothered! Going on glide at around 2700m, I continued to climb all the way to Avila, getting there at over 3000m, getting good views down into the bullring and it would have been easy to carry on. But the day was slow and there was the evening flight to consider, so I headed out to find sink to wind down in, while Bryan glided in beneath me to land. I soon joined him and Steve. Gavin had landed back along the valley having crossed to the road line to find no lift.

Then I found out that Tony and Carolyn had also managed to climb out over the pass. Carolyn having patiently worked the thermals ove the head of the quarry spine, before getting small bits of lift to get her out into the Avila valley, landing a little way along the river line in the middle. So six over the pass - a great result!

Flight details are here.

Back for the evening flight. This was a geat way to unwind after the XC battles of the day and a chance for some nice sunset shots. A fine day indeed, rounded off with a good meal courtesy of Puri at the house.