With a 4,600m cloudbase forecast and light north west winds, Steve Ham (FlyPiedrahita) set a task to Segovia. It was a slow start because of lots of high level haze, but we were able to launch from Peña Negra at about 15:30. I was right behind Steve right into no lift at all, so we headed straight over to The Big Spine to save the day. Thankfully finding a broken one kept us in the game, and it turned into a decent thermal that took me to 2,800m and Steve a few hundred metres higher.
When at the pass I got to 3,800, but after heading to the north side we got another thermal which took all in it to above 4,000m. From then on it was an easy ride to Avila, mostly above 3,000m, often 3,500m, and sometimes above 4,000m.
Knowing I needed to be below 3,200m, I decided to glide the last few km rather than topping up, but my cunning and devious plan had a flaw. Loads of heavy sink. Soon I was down to 1,500m and despite the hint of a low save at the Antenna I was soon on the deck.
Radio problems meant I only found out that I was not alone in hitting downed at Avila, so unfortunate no one of our group got to Segovia that day. Alan, Rob, Steve Newiss and I had a nice beer in a bar that Rob landed next to, and when Steve joined us he called Martin Bunford to join us virtually. We picked Tim up on the way back, as despite bombing on the first flight he had another go and made it across the pass.
Негізгі бет A 4,200m Piedrahita Cross Country
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