Exploring Chalvet

Chalvet's summit, looking north

Chalvet is the mountain you launch from at St Andre. I must have been up it at least 200 times, but always to fly. Today was far too windy for that but lovely for hiking, so I explored some new paths and places on the mountain. My first visit to the summit and the Trou du Chalvet (a cave) - I've passed them so many times, but always been rushing to launch. I was really glad to see new sides to a familiar mountain.

Allos Quickie

A very fast flight to Allos - 30 Km in just over an hour, 5 thermals, buoyant glides under clouds. Some pics here - well, hopefully,I think it has taken me longer to upload 5 pics than to do the flight.

Spring in the high valleys

After some gentle rock climbing, I took a hike in the valley (around 1500m) of Chasse, surrounded my 2500m peaks. The snow is just melting, leaving snowdrops and crocuses. It's very scenic - green grass, blue skies, white waterfalls and all that jazz.

LZs

Ever since moving to St Andre, I've been spoiled for LZs. My normal LZ is a bailout for sailplanes and I don't think I've landed in anything smaller in the last 4 years. Today was threatening to over develop, so I headed west and flew in the Tartonne valley until the clouds suggested landing was in order. Raindrops dissuaded me from my first (enormous) LZ, so I took my second choice (still huge). I packed up and noticed that it was used for a parachute drop during WW2. Given navigation instruments back then, 'size mattered' - so even my second choice LZs are 'substantial'.
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