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Jun
30
Written by:
Jeff Shapiro
6/30/2009 1:51 PM
We went up Chabre to the top launch to try to get off to the South even though the forecast was for Northwest winds. After we got set up, the task committee called a basket weave starting with a long leg to the west and then back to the main valley to zig zag around the valley before flying to goal at the Laragne camp gorund. The clouds looked good but we knew that over development was eminent.
Launch conditions were switchy and light with numerous cycles over the back before a light cycle would blow up the hill allowing 4 or 5 pilots to launch. There were some close calls which made pilots with less than stellar launch skills nervous. It seemed to be taking forever for the line to get off the hill. I was getting very frustrated (as many were) with the launch officials because they were trying to tell us when the conditions were launch able and when they were not. We know from experience what we are capable of in terms of launching and can judge for ourselves when it is dangerous and when we can get off the hill safely. They were consistently stopping people from launching because of a light (1 mph or less) wind over the back on the top sock even though the wind was straight in with velocity on the flags in front. Of course the sock on top would be blowing light down when a thermal was coming up the hill. To make a long story short, out of the three launches, mine was by far the slowest and by the time my team members were leaving the start circle to take the first start time (the best with the coming over development), I was still standing on top waiting in a line to launch! I pushed an hour before but was told that it wouldn't matter because the launch was being dictated by what the launch directors deemed safe. I launched in a frustrated mood, feeling in a hurry to get going after finally getting on the ramp. The directors kept switching pilots from the North launch to the South, not able to make up their minds, and I ended up running off without asking. I climbed out over launch fairly fast and glided over the back looking at my flight computer, pissed about the fact that it was already between the 2nd and 3rd start times. I got across the valley and climbed out to base with 8 mins left to the 4th start gate so I waited.
It was at this point that I completely changed my head space. I thought to myself, what am I so worked up for? Here I am. I am already out of the race for the day by default. I might as well do my best and enjoy the flight and from that point on, my day went really well. I raced off down the dark cloud street finding strong lift, dolphin flying for several clouds down the ridge line that lead to the first turn point about 40 k's or so into the mountains. I took a strong climb to base getting rained on and smiling. I flew as fast as I could to stay out of the cloud while going on glide. After that I felt like everything was lining up. the streets were dark and I took three climbs in a row where my last turn was at full rope and while flying away from the climb, I was pulled in to my waist, flying as fast as I could, just barely getting whited out by the cloud before popping out the side to fly to the next. Even though I was flying into a 10-12mph head wind, I was making good time and knew that the way back to the 2nd turn point would be fast with a tail wind. I started to catch slow guys from the 2nd, 3rd and even some from the first start times (that had been caught low) and watched Davis (from the first) and Dutch Rob land while gliding over the high pass to the turn point. About half way between cloud base and the ground I saw three Griffon Vultures climbing together about a half a k away. Griffons are huge birds with wing spans that are 6-8 feet across. I joined them for ten circles before they peeled off and I yelled a thank you while continuing to climb at 4 mps back to base. I ran into the mountains and got the turn point, turned around and started making really good time with a 12 mph tail wind. I had been flying with the same 4 or 5 guys for the previous two or three climbs and we all spread out a bit with me in the lead, heading for a ridge line to the North because the line we had just came from looked ominous with over development. I made it a little more than a third of the way to the next turn point when the safety director came across our frequency to announce that the task had been stopped. I turned around and circled down to the guys behind with my legs out of the harness to give the international signal (bicycle legs) that the task had been stopped. They waved and we flew in formation to the field where Davis had landed on the way to the first turn point (with around 5 others). We spiraled down from cloud base to land in a nice flat field with a perfect 10 mph breeze. Katie, our driver, was already there picking Davis up so it made for a quick retrieve.
A stopped task is a bit of a bummer because the rules are to go back 20 minutes from when the task was stopped and judge everyones distance. The problem is that my score is judged the same as someone that took the first start gate (because no one made goal) although my distance is much shorter because I was only able to fly the course up to an hour less because of the much later start time. If I was in the air and chose to take to fourth than it would be my screw up and my score would feel valid but because I wasn't even allowed to launch until after the first start had happened, there feels like an inherent lack of fairness.
For me, I have had a couple of bad days and it doesn't matter any way. I had an awesome day of flying in the mountains. I got rained on, flew with huge raptors and jumped ranges at cloud base. I get a bit caught up in the comp because I am competitive and because it has taken a lot of time, energy, commitment and sacrifice (by many) for me to be here but in the end it's all about the experience. I love my life and although the rules can be a bit of a thorn occasionally, I still value the experience and the lessons learned and feel like the luckiest and most fortunate man on the planet. My glider is going really well and for the time I had in the air, I felt like I had an epic run. I just wish I could have kept going for another few hours.
Looking forward to tomorrow
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