One Thermal Flight

Today's forecast was excellent for flying - except the wind was 180 degrees from the wrong direction. Ever curious, I wanted to give it a try. After a long wait on launch with the wind over the back, I got off in a tiny puff, turned left and climbed 2300m in a single thermal. Easily the highest I've been in St Andre… 

I decided to use the unusual wind direction and head towards Digne or Le Brusquet. Everything went well until just before crossing the Montagne de Coupe. I thought I had it easily on glide, but the valley winds on the Bleone knew better. In the alps, valley winds overcome meteo winds almost every time. Just as I was due to pop over the last ridge, my ground-speed plummeted, sink and turbulence were everywhere and I was looking for a safe place to land.

I think (maybe apart from a couple of hike and flies in the winter) this is the first time this year where I didn't chose to land. Sometimes the choice has been reluctant (cold fingers, a meeting to attend, to simplify retrieves) but today the choice wasn't mine.

Pics and tracklog.