The forecast looked really good; top of lift maybe 3000m, light winds, blue sky; a local club gave it 4/4. Nothing suggested an early start was needed, I had plenty of work to do, so I arrived on launch at around 12.20. I ate my lunch as people started launching and got off towards the back of the group.
Big lift (quick climb up 1000m) then big sink (1:1 or 2:1 on full bar). Headed N and got stuck at L'Allier. I yo-yoed between ridge height and 200 m over but couldn't build the altitude for the next transition. There were maybe 8 other pilots in the same boat. It seemed like an inversion around 1900m was making life hard; the wind was also stronger than forecast (probably because it was trapped below the inversion).
I could have tried to make the transition low, but generally the next ridge (Charvet) is normally more stable than L'Allier so I didn't see the point. I could have waited until the inversion broke or I found a strong enough thermal, but I was getting fed up. So I decided to fly S back along the ridge to launch and then come back - I was sure things would improve by then and at least I'd have the feeling of going somewhere.
Back at launch, I got a nice climb and noticed that there was a building cloud on the route E to the Crete des Serres. So I changed plan and headed there and had a nice ridge run to the Pic de Chamatte, turned round and landed at La Mure. I went to see Ray and drank a beer before he dropped me back in St Andre.
Back at launch, I got a nice climb and noticed that there was a building cloud on the route E to the Crete des Serres. So I changed plan and headed there and had a nice ridge run to the Pic de Chamatte, turned round and landed at La Mure. I went to see Ray and drank a beer before he dropped me back in St Andre.
Not the route I intended to fly, and a little disappointing compared to the forecast, but it was a very pleasant 2.5 hour flight!
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