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Jul
4
Written by:
Jeff Shapiro
7/4/2009 3:18 AM
Well, the comp is over and the last two days were exciting. Two days ago, we drove up to Aspres with the hopes of getting a task in and we were encouraged by the forecast that the chance for over development was much less than the day before. When we were driving up launch, the clouds were already getting big and we were doubting that the forecast was correct. Again, I suited up early because I really wanted to get in the air and because I was really keen to try to have at least one or two days where I felt fast. The task was to be a basket weave of the valleys and included 7 turnpoints. It was going to be technical, fast and important to try to do as well as possible if the US team was to stay in decent position (or gain some ground back).
I launched and climbed out, jumping down the ridge to the west to try for a good start position. Soon, the entire feild was there and it was to be one of the most aggressive and tight gaggles of the comp. Apparently, there were two mid airs (with no serious concequence) and now, I wish I would have taken some photos because it was such a spectacle to see the intensity of the large gaggle. I was too focused (and intimidated to take my hands off the bar) to pull out the camera. While the group fought it out I took advantage of being one of the higher gliders and jumped with my team across the valley to the south for a different line out of the start circle. I was surprised when the group did not come with us. When we got there (joined by around 12 other guys) we climbed out and were in great position for the second start. Many had taken the first, being convinced that the day would over develop. It turned out that our line was better and we made up time by racing back directly over the Chabre launch and catching many from the first start at the first turn point.
I felt for the first time this comp like myself and having strong climbs and fast glides started to gain confidence. I got the first turn point high and had a good line with the leaders to the second. The groups were thinning out, chosing slightly different lines and I was with a group that I was really enjoying flying with. I dove into the peaks with my good friend, Swiss Nick, and we were rewarded with a good climb (5mps) to base. I topped out with Dustin who had taken the first start just above me. He wisely gave advice to top out for the long glide back across the valley toward Beaumont, which is back to the north of the Chabre launch. By the time we got there, the clouds were getting big and the lift was really strong. I felt like we had better go very fast to beat any chance of them stopping the task and we blazed into the peaks, tagged the turn point and came back to the last climb at the edge of the range. My last climb was very strong, ending at base and I pulled in to stay out of the clouds until flying away while just barely getting whited out. I had to glide across the valley to the next turn point, all of the way back but further to the south to the last over a ruined castle and then final glide the short 2 k's into the goal feild.
My 6030 told me that I had this entire glide to goal by 2500' and I was stoked because there were only a few in front of me and most were from the first start. Maybe today, I would have a good result, I thought. I glided through the turn point and noticed the embedded thunder storm behind the turn point, semi startled about how big it had gotten. When I turned to cross the valley to the castle, I was greeted by a pretty substantial head wind. My vario claimed that I still had plenty and I started to best glide. I made it about half way across when I sarted to doubt. The wind had built substantailly on the ground and was increasing fast the lower I got. The more sink and head wind, the faster I had to fly to try to be at best glide. Also, the closer I got to the turn point, the closer I got to the range which was creating a huge rotor. To add insult to injury, the turn point was on top of a small hill and the only passage if you were low that didn't include scraping over houses was to the left (down wind and worse rotor). The problem was that the castle sat on a small hill that over looked a river bed on the other side (about 500' agl) and although it was perpendicular to the direction of the increasing wind, there was a strong ventury down the river creating a very powerful rotor. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was dropping out of the sky with a 4-1 glide ratio at less that 2 ks from the castle. I would barely squeak over the ridge, hoping to ridge soar the castle on the other side and glide into goal. In the end, I got crushed by the rotor and had avery exciting landing in turbulence that no one should have to land in. I managed to pull it off, turned around and watched in horror as all who were following suffered the same fate. Olav Opsinger broke his entire control frame and Carl Wallbank dumped hard, breaking a finger and gashing his leg bad enough to go to the hospital for 40+ stitches. Davis ended up landing in a feild a few k's back and almost had to fight a farmer and his brother to extracate his glider from their feild. It ended up working out because I later found out that they had stopped the task a few minutes before I landed because of the thunder storm and although I didn't get arrival points, I still ended up scoring for the team which felt good.
Yesterday was to be the last task of the comp and the weather looked like it would cooperate. The task commiittee called a 100 mile triangle through the mountains in a similar path as the first day. The wind was to be stronger as the day went on and the lift was to be strong. The Chabre launch was hot and rocky but we set up on top because it would give us an opportunity to launch from either the north or the south. There were up to 25 km NW winds forecast but at Chabre, light cycles come up the hill making it possible to launch both sides as well as creating strong dust devil conditions.
I launched to the north and climbed to base quickly, followed by a few glides and climbs to hook up with the team up the ridge line to the west under a big dark cloud. As often happens with 30-40 minutes before the start, we all tread milled to cloud base and out from under the cloud to not get sucked into it, losing altitude before re entering the lift to gain height and position again. The game is to time it perfectly to be on the lead side and at cloud base in the seconds before the start. Our team took a great start and left with almost the entire gaggle.
I took a line deeper in the mountains with about 15 guys and flew mostly with Mario Alonzi (sp?) from the French team. We had a good run and got to the first turn point after strong climbs and fast glides after which we turned to climb with the gaggle that took a line to our east climbing off the toe of the range. My group stayed mostly together and as we approached Aspres as Dustin got on the radio and warned us that Aspres launch side was turbulent, contained a lot of strong sink and to get there high if that was what we were going to do. I topped out watching gliders head that way and drop out of the sky. Instead of following, I took a hard right and flew to a peak on the opposite side of the valley (to the south east), again with Mario and we were rewarded with a nice climb. We jumped one more peak on that side of the valley, got high and then made the transition to the largest peak in the area (Peak de Bur) where we got to base in a climb averaging 5-6 mps. The glide to the second turn point ended with our group fairly low and Davis who was just behind would land with many others. I climbed in the middle of the valley and was pleasantly surprised to see OB just above me.
The wind was very strong and cross/head making the last leg time consuming and difficult. I reached 25-2600 m several times but every glide into the wind ended with me being low on the peaks. In the end, a little more than half way to the third turn point, I had to dive into the lee to look for lift and got a serious flushing to a nice mountain top town with a couple of other pilots.
Belinda and Davis were close behind and we drove a bit further toward Sisterone to pick up OB who had landed on his way to the third as well. It required concentration to not be really disappointed in my performance here but I did my best, learned numerous lessons about how to fly in the big and complex Haute Alps and gained valuable perspective. Manfred Rhumer (3 time World Champion who landed before the first turn point on this last day) said, to win, you must first learn how to fail. Only then are you able to be prepared to succeed.
I just returned from the awards ceremony and it was great to see Alex Ploner crowned the World Champion. It was also cool to see Dustin and Zippy in the top ten flying their WW T2c's. It's a huge factor in their success to be flying such a well designed wing. As for us as a team, we were interviewed for XC mag this morning and we all expressed the sentiment during that interview that this is just a beginning for us as a team. We are a very young team and we will continue to grow and become more cohesive. We are pushing each other so that the group improves collectively. All these guys inspire me to do my best and continue to get better. Hopefully, in Monte Cucco, we will still be improving and make a strong showing towards the podium.
On our way to Chamonix for a day of flying before heading to Dusseldorf to fly back to Canada followed by a drive back to the States.
Cheers
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