Valle de Bravo with the Gin Explorer: Part 9.

Note: The FlyinOrange has moved to: flyinorange.blog

Continued from Part 8.

Day 3.

Another task has been set, the intention to synergize upon that which has been taught thus far.  But before any flying can occur, laundry awaits.

Dry bag and portable laundry machine - the Scrubba.

With everything washed and hung to dry, I grab my flying kit and head out. Just shy of 0900 hrs I spot Marko's truck and hop in. The daily flying routine on replay.

Not long after 1000 hrs we arrive at the El Penon launch site. The crowd has grown significantly since the beginning of the week. Word has it that the surge in pilot count is due to the arrival of a sizeable Norwegian contingent on tour. More thermal markers.

The Norwegian Contingent.
Divided into a pair of groups based on skill, I assume.

Paying the group little heed, I pull out my wing, sort lines, and hook everything up. Laying the balled up wing + harness at the back of launch, I set about programming into the vario the way points I had written down the night before in class.

Launch->Diente (the s/w point at the end of the plateau upon which Crazy Thermal resides)->La Pila (on the flats to the s/w of Diente)-> Penitas (behind launch to the north east)->Sacamacate->Cerro Gordo->Valle.

Meanwhile the gaggle establishes itself out front.

Airborne and embarking on the days task.

The flight to Crazy and subsequently Diente are a non issue. Marko makes the call to have us turn around at this point and abandon La Pila due to uncooperative conditions - the atmosphere has become increasingly stable over the last few days. Climbs are fewer and further between. We risk bombing out if we push out on the flats this early. We could go into a holding pattern at Crazy, hoping for conditions to improve. But we are burning daylight and there are several turn points left to tag.

Next up is Penitas. But to get there we need to head back and climb out over launch. The air around launch can be turbulent around noon, by this point in the afternoon it can be a proper rodeo. I admit that some of the roughest sub 1.0 m/s climbs one could possibly find will be around El Penon launch mid afternoon.

3000 m. Over the back we proceed to Penitas. We are told to keep an eye out for the horseshoe shaped stable, it can be a good thermal trigger. Once in the valley we fan out instinctively, hoping to maximize the chance of finding a climb that will allow us to bench up to Sacamacate. I manage to climb enough to jump into the next valley north, only to have it shade over with convergence clouds. The combination of shade shutting down thermic activity and the convergence forming around me makes for some of smoothest climbs I have chanced upon since arriving. The climb rate is too slow to keep up with the rest of the crew, but in all honesty I am quite content to just boat around waiting until word is given that people are ready to be collected.

Back to Valle we venture and back to the classroom.

The flight.

Continued in Part 10.

Valle de Bravo with the Gin Explorer: Part 8.

Note: The FlyinOrange has moved to: flyinorange.blog

Continued from Part 7.

At 3500 meters, over the western edge of Crazy Thermal. Maguey bound.

We quickly cross and line up with the south face of the plateau. We will need to top up altitude before continuing on to the next turn point west of us, Divisadero. Ahead a pair of gliders begin to circle in the start of a climb. While bee lining towards them the leGPSBip starts chiming.  I decide to take this climb rather than push on to the pair (and risk being left behind by their thermal). Marko will later comment that my flying style is 'consistent and conservative' (I think it may also be a suggestion to use the speed bar more).

Having added another 300 meters in altitude, I chase after Marco and Ignacio flying towards Divisadero.

Ignacio (red 777 Pawn) and Marco (blue 777 Pawn) gliding towards our next turn point, Divisadero.

Watching Marco turn 180 degrees and head back towards us, I know the turn point cylinder is just ahead. Sure enough the Flymaster squawks indicating turn point reached. An about face, fly back to tag Maguey, and onto our next destination, Cerro Gordo.

Before moving to Cerro Gordo, let's recap the building blocks learnt thus far:

1. Crazy Thermal is the primary jumping off point for XCs done in Valle. Bench up to it via El Penon and The Wall.
2. The convergence is the west to east highway used to traverse the Mesa. It will establish early to mid afternoon and will vary in location depending on which wind holds dominance.
3. The pair of Sacamacate and San Augustin are the staging points to make treks to eastern side of Valle.

Now for Cerro Gordo. 

If one has already run into wind and crossed the valley dividing Crazy Thermal from Maguey/Divisadero, there is little need to back track across the same valley to top up again at Crazy Thermal. Instead, drive north cross wind towards Cerro Gordo. This strategy comes with a number of benefits:

1. You are closer to Valle proper, if you wish to make a run to the lake LZ.
2. You will invariably cross into the afternoon convergence.
3. Cerro Gordo, on a typically west wind day, lines up rather nicely with San Augustin downwind.

It is because of points #2 and #3 that that we are going to pay Cerro Gordo a visit today.

Through a rather foggy lens, the rounded hill of Cerro Gordo in the foreground.
The cloud line of the afternoon convergence forming above.

Ignacio and I reach the hill first with Ignacio searching for our next climb on the west side, myself on the east. Marko mentioned the night before that we will more often than not have to do a full circle around the mountain to find climbs as they will often not be where we think they should be. The rounded shape of the mountain means that the wind will flow more around it than over and will change the thermal dynamic from what we are accustomed to. 

Ignacio finds a climb in his search and I move further upwind to join it. We continue to circle while waiting for the rest of the crew to catch up. As I near the top of my climb, the clouds formed by the convergence spread and begin to shade out the immediate area.  I announce on the radio my intention to push on and point towards San Augustin. Marko warns me not to wander too far north as where I am heading to is known for significant sink. Not wanting to risk another trip into the white room, I refrain from traversing back to the southern side of the convergence. This proves to be a costly mistake.

While everyone else remains south of the convergence and glides with ease, my path along the northern edge puts me in -1.0 to -1.5 m/s sink. Not massive, but enough to mean I will be too low to capitalize on San Augustin and will instead have to grovel for lift near La Casa and the garbage dump.

And claw I do. Words from Matt Senior during an XC Course in Pemberton back in 2013 ring in my ears, "Do. Not. Give. Up.". The conditions are weakening in the waning hours of the day. Persistence and patience are the name of the game now. The group continues on towards the Monarca turn point while I hold here. I do not have enough height to do the trip there and back safely. 

So I wait ... and claw ... and scratch. Making the best of my predicament I edge my way south towards El Penon launch, hoping to close out a triangle.

Within half an hour the returning group nears my position and I set up to land at the airfield. Line up with runway 300 for a smooth into wind descent.

Even though I failed to make the last turn point, I am awarded with a new personal best for both duration and distance. In the words of an instructor from a CQB rifle course many a moon ago, "Congratulations gentlemen, you suck less."

Sucking less.

Pack up and it's back to the classroom for night number two. I hear we have Macready and speed-to-fly on the menu for tonight.

Flying done. Back to the books.

Continued in Part 9.

Valle de Bravo with the Gin Explorer: Part 7.

Note: The FlyinOrange has moved to: flyinorange.blog

Continued from Part 6.

Day 2.

Sunrise.

Recovered from a gruelling first day of flying and classroom, I finally get a chance to grab a few snaps of where I am staying - Araucaria Hotel Boutique. It came highly recommended via TripAdvisor (jockeying between the #1 and #2 choice of travellers to Valle) and the rates back over the summer for a Christmas stay seemed quite reasonable. One thing I picked up in Brazil was that if there are non flying days due to weather or illness, having a nice place to kill the day in makes things far more tolerable.

View of the lake from the pool deck.

Reception.

Pool deck.

Room.

The staff are great and the room is both clean+spacious. The addition of a small closet safe is an added bonus to stash passport, cash and the netbook. The main gripe is the lack of interior ventilation, which means condensation build up over night (short of leaving a window open and having the noise of the street filter in) - condensation that will work its way into a charging video camera (causing fog up when at altitude). Also by the end of the first day one learns to give the corners of the mattress wide berth to save shins from repeated smacks into the granite platform.

The plan set the night before has me meeting Marko at the Church @ 0900 -  5 minute walk from the hotel along the lake front road. From there we will collect Al/Xiaoting, then Ignacio, and finally Enrique. A quick stop at the gas station (near the airfield I landed at the day before) to get water and up the mountain we will venture.

The Church.

Appears that this is a common meeting point for pilots looking for rides to/up El Penon.

Vendor setting up shop for the day.

Five to nine, Marko arrives. Along the drive to the hill, we pick up the remainder of the crew before stopping at the gas station.

Arriving at the turn off from the main road to the mountain sits another congregation area for pilots looking for a lift. Prime real estate for one thinking of capitalizing on the boredom (and caffeine dependancy of visiting pilots).

Shipping container coffee bar conveniently placed at the turn off to the mountain. Those chairs are surprisingly comfortable.

Shade, the most use I will ever have for a HG (aka logistical nightmare).

Up top, the routine begins - pull out wing and sort lines, ball up, place at the back of launch and cover it as best you can to keep the suns rays off to it.

The info board/site rules @ El Penon launch.

The flight plan for today is going to build upon yesterday. Where yesterday we stopped our westward trek at Crazy Thermal Place, today we will continue on with a valley crossing to Maguey.

I am amongst the last to launch and quickly slot in wth the gaggle. Prior to this trip, anything more than 3 gliders in the air and I'd consider the site crowded. After yesterday, anything less than a half dozen right next to me and I start worrying I might be in the wrong place.

Climbing gaggle.
About to slip in behind the white/orange Advance wing.

Pushing upwind to join a stronger climb with Marko on the blue/yellow 777 Pawn. Yes, an EN-A wing.
It is pretty clear by the end of the course that even a school wing can do respectable XC's here in Valle.

30 minutes later our group congregates in a climb over Crazy Thermal and is ready for the valley crossing to Maguey.

Continued in Part 8.

Valle de Bravo with the Gin Explorer: Part 6.

Note: The FlyinOrange has moved to: flyinorange.blog

Continued from Part 5.

Topped up at the Crazy Thermal Place, we now begin to trek north east towards the convergence with an eye on our next turn point, Sacamacate. Sacamacate and it's northern neighbour, San Agustin, act as a jump off point for XCs heading east ward (key point # 3).

The convergence line visible via the shadow of the resultant clouds.

As we would later learn, the daily convergence will vary in location based on which wind is more dominant. The cloud line will give one a good idea of where to look and a sudden change from tail to head wind will announce the precise location. It goes without saying that where there is a convergence, there is lift. In the case of Valle, this lift band acts as a rough east-west highway across the mesa. The cloud from this lift band will shade out the thermal generators to the north which can in turn result in areas of significant sink. To avoid such a potential pitfall, Marko recommends that we travel along the southern, sunny side.

Today the convergence has set up more towards the south, precluding the need to transition to a turn point/top off spot to the north of Crazy Thermal Place called Cerro Gordo.  This will make for a fast transition and the only thing we need to concentrate on during this leg is staying out of the cloud.

Sacamacate to the right.
Just to the left of midline is the baseball diamond shaped field - La Casa.

Arriving at Sacamacate, our group begins to work the climb required to cross the small valley and continue eastward. Unfortunately ambition gets the better of us and a trip to the white room results.

Of note, ears on the Gin Explorer flap a remarkable amount and the wing rolls side to side quite readily.

Now back at cloud base (and then some), we are ready to transition to the next turn point - Quintanillas. The day is now in full swing with a 4000m cloud base, quick climbs, and fast flying. The out and return with Quintanillas is little more than a formality at this point.

But the epic conditions come at a cost - frozen hands across the board and hypoxia for myself (if the developing headache and nausea is any guide). Marko suggests that we try for San Agustin but the response is lacklustre. I announce on the radio that I am going to put down in the airfield just south of the gas station.  I am joined by my fellow pilots a short time later.

The flight.

We pack up and head back into town. Everyone is famished and I need to check into the hotel.

End of the day?

Not even close.

Once fed, we head back to Marko's for the start of the theory portion of the course. 15 hours of theory, according the syllabus. Now this is a proper XC course.

In the classroom, Marko explaining the valley winds and the mechanics of the convergence.

9 PM. Heads are filled, we call it a day.

Continued in Part 7.

Valle de Bravo with the Gin Explorer: Part 5.

Continued from Part 4.

Our intrepid party of free fliers, having launched, transitioned to El Penon, and climbed the Wall are ready for the next piece of the Valle de Bravo paragliding puzzle - the Crazy Thermal Place. This south western edge of the mesa is an excellent collector of thermals from the valley below, thermals that mix and churn in the wind feeding the daily convergence. If a pilot can make it here and top out the oft time chaotic climb, XC options open up  to the west and north. We will learn as the week goes on that Crazy Thermal is the first of the keys to flying XC in Valle.

The 777 twins: Marko (blue) and Ignacio (red) approaching the Crazy Thermal Place.

As we approach the area, we fan out with Marko in the lead to maximize our chances of finding the next climb. Little more than minute passes when we come across a massive region of lift and begin to circle.

As we continue to climb, Marko spots one of our group struggling. Pulling ears Marko drops down to assist. By the end of the course Marko will have saved each of us from what would have been a sure trip to the deck.

Cloudbase. Direction is given to drive north towards the convergence (the Second Key to flying Valle).

Cloudbase.

Convergence bound.

Continued in Part 6.

Valle de Bravo with the Gin Explorer: Part 4.

Note: The FlyinOrange has moved to: flyinorange.blog

Continued from Part 3.

Finally the opportunity to do what I came here for - to fly.

Marko, having given our respective kits a once over, provides a run down of the day:

• Wait for a respectable mass of pilots to launch and watch to see if many are able to climb out. If not, wait until either the launch conditions start to test our comfort level or some of the herd begins to transition from the house thermal out front to the rock face of El Penon. 
• Once launched, immediately turn left to catch the tail of lift from the thermal kicking off from the foothills below. 
• Drive into wind and join the gaggle. 
• Once above 2800m (for the high EN-Bs), consider transitioning and aim to hit the south west edge of El Penon. Additional turns above 2800 nets additional options.
• If no climb is found right away upon arrival, soar the rock face. 
• Once above the rock, move onto The Wall. 
• Ridge soar up above the lip to then thermal and get enough height to jump onto Crazy Thermal Place. 
• It goes without saying, if someone finds a climb within glide while soaring - race to them. There is no shame in pimping off of other pilots.
• Once everyone is above Crazy Thermal Place, we will play follow the leader to learn the XC building blocks of flying Valle (especially the interior of the Mesa that The Wall and Crazy Thermal Place form part of).

Sounds like a plan.

Waiting for conditions to strengthen.

11AM. Word given to start getting ready. As we close in on noon, expect conditions to become ... challenging.

One never before flown Gin Explorer.

1130. Laid out and ready to give it a try. First pull up turns into an abort due to a cross gust. Assistance from Marko's retrieve driver enables the Explorer to be reset for a second attempt.

Second pull up is good and we're off.

Looking good.

And so starts the first XC of the trip.

Following Marko's instructions, I turn quickly left and catch my first climb.

First climb looking down at launch.

Stair stepping up the climb, I gain enough height to join the gaggle thermalling out front.
Kelly's rules of thermal etiquette are fore front in my mind.

Slotting into the climbing gaggle.

The climb topped out, time for the transition to El Penon.

Next stop - El Penon.

Arriving at El Penon, I begin to work in and then away from the face to locate the lift band. Denis Cortella's suggestion on how to safely fly close into a ridge (weight shift away and apply inside brake to counter the turn) is going to see some application today.

Getting cozy.

Adding meters. Just ahead is Ignacio on a 777 Pawn.

Topping the rock along with Alasdair on a Nova Mentor (I think a 4).

To The Wall we go.

Al and I cruise along The Wall, about to discover the 'G-Spot'.

Arriving at The Wall, we continue to follow Marko's instructions and set up to ridge soar until we crest the lip and locate a climb. Along the way the legendary thermal trigger known as the 'G-Spot' makes its presence known by awarding Al with a frontal collapse and myself with a right asymmetric.

Once above the ridge, eyes are keen to locate any hint someone has found a climb.

Cruisin' for a climb.

Less than a minute passes and a climb is found.

Xiaoting (top) on the Air Design Rise, Al (middle) on the Nova Mentor, and Ignacio (bottom) on the 777 Pawn.

While we begin to work the thermal, Marko above us spots that one of our crew needs a hand. While still in a carve, Marko pulls big ears and 'cores' away + down. This is the first time I have seen an instructor or guide abandon a thermal to help one of the students struggling to locate lift. I cannot overstate the positive impression I am left as a result of this 'sacrifice'.

Marko (above) pulling ears to drop down and lend a hand.

While Marko helps out below, those of us who have crested the climb move onto Crazy Thermal Place to go into a holding pattern.

Al (left), another wing, and I approaching Crazy Thermal Place.

Continued in Part 5.

Valle de Bravo with the Gin Explorer: Part 3.

Note: The FlyinOrange has moved to: flyinorange.blog

Continued from Part 2.

0500hrs - up and prepping kit for the transition to Valle de Bravo. A WhatsApp message from a flying counterpart, Ignacio, who generously offered a ride indicates he might be slow in exiting Immigration. Looks as if his flight from Argentina was 15 minutes late and is stuck behind a trio of flights from LAX, SFO and ORD. 400+ people swarm the Immigration queue.

2 hours later we meet up and hook a shuttle to his car. A short diversion to Ignacio's apartment to drop off his travel kit and we are off to VdB.

The elevator exits straight into the apartment. Very nice!

Racing along the toll way, Ignacio points out a white Dodge Charger following a high end SUV in the left lane. 

"Private security. You do not want to get between them."

Good to know.

After a quick stop outside VdB to gather Ignacio's flying kit, we meet up with Marko and my fellow participants. Among them are Al and Xiaoting Jones - a Brit/Chinese couple who are much like I - travelling the world with PGs in tow. I came across their blog a year ago when looking up info on Steve Barton and XC Brazil. Small world, it would seem. A hilarious sense of humor and Xiaoting's spitfire-esque nature leads me to believe I've lucked upon some great flying mates for the week.

With introductions taken care of, we pile into Marko's truck for the ride up to launch. Near the top, Xiaoting points out the recently built snack stand and the washroom facilities (with running water AND soap). Looks as if the locals are keen to make Valle de Bravo *THE* must visit winter flying destination.

El Penon launch site rules.

Snack bar.

Washroom.
It is cleaned throughout the day and lady who does so appreciates your tips.

Up top, the launch's namesake rock stands in the distance.

Climb out, glide to here.

My photo taking excursion is cut short by Marko's request that we pull out kit for inspection. It appears enough external course students have shown up with incorrectly installed reserves that Marko now pops over every participants reserve container to double check everything is good to go.

Equipment checked, forms filled out. Now for a briefing of the flight to come.

A fairly simple flight - launch, grab the first climb and bee line for El Penon. Keep mind to stay out of the lee while ridge soaring to the top, then hop over onto the Wall to grab a climb and buzz over to the 'Crazy Thermal Place'. From there XC we will go - basically it is follow the leader for today. Marko mentions a key good trigger point along the Wall, named the 'G-Spot', but climbs can be rowdy. With house thermal names like this - I gather subdued flying we will not find.

Time to break out the Gin Explorer for her maiden flight ...

Continued in Part 4.