Hi Everyone, we've got a rest day today, and so I've finally made it onto the blog.
You probably have read about the tragic accident yesterday, and all I could add would be 3rd hand, so I won't comment any further.
The last 6 days have been gruelling - eat sleep fly was about all I was capable of doing, oh, and then I needed some energy for the odd walk out. It's an amazing area to fly in, but the air is rough as guts, especially in the area in front of launch and at the start gate. Bright will be a breeze after this ...
7 more tasks seems both a lot (and the weather is so consistent here that this probably really means 7 more tasks), and then it doesn't seem a long time at all before we're leaving.
I am glad I'm missing out on the heatwave in Melbourne though!
Anyway, thanks to everybody who posted, and thanks also to those silent supporters that read this, it means a lot that you are following what's going on here.
Antje
Saturday, January 31, 2009
life's an adventure
hi all. writing this in a much sobered mood on a much needed rest day. long day out for me yesterday decking up in the high ground after 55km practically on the top of a remote peak when i got flushed with no glide out. i spent the afternoon and evening drinking with the locals in a tiny mountain village and then got a ride with the SOL beer truck when it came to make deliveries. many remote beer deliveries later i finally found our retrieve and got home at 1am on a day that was tragic for all of us. an epic retrieve pales into insignificance compared to the price others paid on this day. our thoughts go ut to stefan's family, team and close friends. such a top pilot at the top of his game, and such a nice guy too, a big loss for us all. a very sobering atmosphere here today with everyone just forgetting the racing for a while and lying low out of respect for a friend. take care all when in the air, the edge is often very near. gav
Friday, January 30, 2009
When seconds decide us.
Hi all,
I write this rattled by the death of a pilot today. Out of respect for his friends and family I won´t mention his name however it all shall be revealed in time.
We all respect that the nature of the sport has it´s inherit risks but it´s not until you witness the final seconds from joy to finality that certain renewed perspectives are drawn.
We were in the 2nd transition from the start gate when most of the pilots were pushing along the rock face they call the ¨wall¨. The aforementioned pilot was about 50m in front of me on my line when he copped an assymetric collapse that turned into a pretty benign cravat. He is a very experienced test pilot and handled his direction with no real problems. His main concern was the height loss and lack of landing options as he was sinking out in front of the wall, no doubt giving reason for pause to throw his reserve. Besides he never looked like he would loose control of the situation provided height remained on his side. I can´t be sure what his intentions were from here but after I made a full turn in the strong thermic lift coming off the rock face to get a renewed perspective of his circumstance, he was already lying lifeless on an steep incline weathered into the rock. I then attempted to loose height to land on a small bald rock edge overhead. An extreme landing at the best of times, however in these strong thermic conditions, very dangerous. His position was radioed in immediately and within minutes there were people on the scene from a direct road from launch- about 1km away.
Discussions with another eye witness described him making initial contact with the rock face from which cleared the wing of it´s cravat. The strong thermic updraft then turned his wing up and over towards the cliff.
Our thoughts and condolences goes out to his family, friends and team members. We are blessed each day we reflect on the positive experiences this sport brings. We are also blessed that nature has such an intimate role in the lives of paragliding pilots. Our successes and experiences in this sport are only in a small part a design of our own genius. The balance is owed to nature. What awesome hold it has on us...
...
Antje and I made goal. Unfortunately James and Gav landed out. Well timed rest day for the competitors tomorrow then a new canvas for some of us.
Shane.
I write this rattled by the death of a pilot today. Out of respect for his friends and family I won´t mention his name however it all shall be revealed in time.
We all respect that the nature of the sport has it´s inherit risks but it´s not until you witness the final seconds from joy to finality that certain renewed perspectives are drawn.
We were in the 2nd transition from the start gate when most of the pilots were pushing along the rock face they call the ¨wall¨. The aforementioned pilot was about 50m in front of me on my line when he copped an assymetric collapse that turned into a pretty benign cravat. He is a very experienced test pilot and handled his direction with no real problems. His main concern was the height loss and lack of landing options as he was sinking out in front of the wall, no doubt giving reason for pause to throw his reserve. Besides he never looked like he would loose control of the situation provided height remained on his side. I can´t be sure what his intentions were from here but after I made a full turn in the strong thermic lift coming off the rock face to get a renewed perspective of his circumstance, he was already lying lifeless on an steep incline weathered into the rock. I then attempted to loose height to land on a small bald rock edge overhead. An extreme landing at the best of times, however in these strong thermic conditions, very dangerous. His position was radioed in immediately and within minutes there were people on the scene from a direct road from launch- about 1km away.
Discussions with another eye witness described him making initial contact with the rock face from which cleared the wing of it´s cravat. The strong thermic updraft then turned his wing up and over towards the cliff.
Our thoughts and condolences goes out to his family, friends and team members. We are blessed each day we reflect on the positive experiences this sport brings. We are also blessed that nature has such an intimate role in the lives of paragliding pilots. Our successes and experiences in this sport are only in a small part a design of our own genius. The balance is owed to nature. What awesome hold it has on us...
...
Antje and I made goal. Unfortunately James and Gav landed out. Well timed rest day for the competitors tomorrow then a new canvas for some of us.
Shane.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
...more day 5
Just read Gav´s post as I haven´t seen him yet tonight so congrats there. I had dinner with James as he was back early as well. He was dissapointed to miss the 2nd turn point but took a responsible attitude not to push it into trees which rewarded an accompanying pilot. I haven´t heard from Antje so hope to update you when I know more. My day, again hard and fast. 4th to first turn point. 1st to 2nd turn point. On the deck before the 3rd. Moved off line away from the convergence line that put me on the deck yesterday only to find another hole. Interestingly, yesterday´s line saw the whole pack high and far. It´s a difficult one to read as it moves constantly however there were better clouds forming on the route I took. A deception that is common according to locals.
A more dissapointing side of the comp is the amount of cloud flying that is going on. The concensus is that it´s too difficult to deal with so the organisation are only prepared to keep bidding that pilots to not do it. There are consistently 500m or greater gains in altitudes for pilots who maintain their lines in strong convergence lift on long glides, skying out through the sides of clouds at the end of these lines. The other concern is the amount of tree landings. There is an average of about 2 to 3 per day. Some are unavoidable through loss of control over trees however there are many who are putting themselves out there in up or in circumstances. Average of 1 or 2 reserve throws per day as well but that can be expected given the trimmings of most of these protos.
Aside from that huff, it is a very pleasant place to be both on and off the ground. Thanks guys for your postings. Your support doesn´t go unfelt.
Another day tomorrow then one of rest.
Shane.
A more dissapointing side of the comp is the amount of cloud flying that is going on. The concensus is that it´s too difficult to deal with so the organisation are only prepared to keep bidding that pilots to not do it. There are consistently 500m or greater gains in altitudes for pilots who maintain their lines in strong convergence lift on long glides, skying out through the sides of clouds at the end of these lines. The other concern is the amount of tree landings. There is an average of about 2 to 3 per day. Some are unavoidable through loss of control over trees however there are many who are putting themselves out there in up or in circumstances. Average of 1 or 2 reserve throws per day as well but that can be expected given the trimmings of most of these protos.
Aside from that huff, it is a very pleasant place to be both on and off the ground. Thanks guys for your postings. Your support doesn´t go unfelt.
Another day tomorrow then one of rest.
Shane.
day 5
just 1 more day till the rest day, were hanging for it, i've racked up 20hrs and 400km in 5 days and everyone is starting to drag. heavy head cold for me today so early to bed. big one today, 114km out to some pretty far reaching terrain. i fell 16km short so a bit bummed with my 4 1/2 hrs and 98km. maybe 40 or 50 in goal today so sorted out the field a bit, a 30km head wind back to the mesa plateau hammered us. lots in the trees today. feeling better about my flying tho, slow the first couple of days but today i kept with the lead gaggle for 85km which in this field i'm chuffed with, headwind then scattered us to the wind, litterally and half of the top ten didn't make goal either so will shake things up a bit. rough day for the aussies and kiwis today with none in goal, hard day tho i must admit. finding it very hard to crack the top half of the field. we'll keep on at it tho.
now for sleep, sweet sleep. gav
now for sleep, sweet sleep. gav
in the air
couple of shots of our time in the air, nice big start gaggle from task 2 i think, nice start with my buddy anders barheim from norway. and check this out for a launch director, don't mess with any man holding an automatic rifle.
pics of valle
about time to get some picture up i reckon, our home for 3 weeks and our haunts. the taco man is gold, $1 for a taco, 3 and you can barely walk, doesn't come any better. our street where our terrace house is and the red bull mobile DJ hummer, wouldn't be a comp without it. yesterday was pink floyd day, nice.
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