Solo Bivy Jan 20th-22nd 2014

Solo Bivy Jan 20th-22nd 2014

I awoke to find a fog enveloping Lakeside, Pokhara, Nepal.  During my morning run I ascended above the fog to find a Crystal clear sky, it was one of those rare mornings where the air is so clear you could see the glacial details on the Annapurna range.  After a simple breakfast at Sun Welcome I got a call from Amrit, manager at Mountain Flyers, telling me that I had a tandem on the first round.  I work with a great group of pilots, my Coworkers; Tom, Primos, Om and Laxman are generally positive people and help make everyday enjoyable, it is a pleasure to come to work and work with these guys day in and day out.  My job is wonderful, but any job can be good if it cultivates a positive caring community of people.  Inversely even the best job can suck if your surrounded by negative people who poison the mood with bitching, criticizing and whinning.  It is each and everyone one of our responsibilities to bring positive vibes to situations we encounter, if we want the outcomes to be positive.  My passenger was a lovely Nepali woman who was overjoyed to fly, we got above Sarangkot, a good sign for the day, and she loved the roller coaster ride on the way down to landing.

Tom, Primos and I decided to share a taxi up to Sarangkot for some solo flying fun.  Tandems have not been busy lately so I have been packing camping gear in my solo kit, in the hopes that if an interesting night or two out present themselves, I can take advantage.  We were like school children in the taxi up, looking out the windows noticing the day was blue but people were getting high, it looked like it might be a good day to fly deep into the big mountains.  Most days that are good at Sarangkot are too cloudy and shady to get into the big mountains, but this day was looking sunny and blue.  Walking onto takeoff I saw Ivan Ripoll suited up and about to launch, he had a grin on his face due to his excitement to fly the big stuff.  I told him I would try to catch up, unlikely considering his skills, and began to get my shit together.  

After take off it took me three times alternating between the house thermal and Torrie-Panni to get high enough to head to Dicki Dande.  The Sarangkot ridge can be very hard to get off of even when its working well in the mountains, even getting off of the Sarangkot ridge should usually be perceived as a success, the day typically gets easier from there.  At Dicki Dande I found Tom dicking around.  After 20mins we were high enough to work back to the wall and around to the main peak, where we found Stan Radzikowski.  It was hard work to get to peak height, and when Stan dove one bowl further back I followed him.  Stan I and I could'nt make it work any better back there, he worked back to the main wall, while I went another bowl deeper.  That bowl did not work any better, but I kept hearing Nick Greece in my head saying “if in doubt, go DEEPER”.  Soon I was on the last bowl before the terrain swooped back to Annapurna 2.  I spent about an hour on this bowl, gradually getting lower and lower.  Finally I decided to sidehill land in a wide open Buff pasture.  

Night one Camp

While packing up a few men carying bamboo came to greet me and watch me fit my flying and camping equipment into my modest sized backpack.  They looked on amazed as I walked up into the mountains rather then down to the nearby village.  I had been frustrated by my inability to get high during the flight and decided that I would hike to higher terrain for a big flight the next day as opposed to launching low and risk sinking out.  I hiked for about an hour that evening along a well maintained trail through gullies and forrest.  When I came to a three walled shelter I stopped and made camp ready for the night.  After calling Tom and telling him I would not be available for work the next day I started a fire and put on water for dinner.  I had about 2 servings of pasta and 4 servings of dried cream of mushroom soup.  I cooked half the noodles and added some soup for a delicious meal as the sun was setting.  The catabatic air came in cold and I quickly bundled up in my sleeping bag for the night.  With no artificial light around the stars glowed bright.  It was one of those starry skies when you can focus on the space in between the stars and see more stars, then you can look at the space between those stars and find more stars.  I contemplated how looking at a starry sky and looking at a rock wall was a difference of scale and perception.  A rock wall looks solid to us but in fact it is mostly space, and space seems spacious until you can see each and every object in it, then it appears much like a wall.  Physical, emotional, and mental boundaries are often only boundaries because we perceive, and allow, them to be so.  Our reality is subjectively based on our perceptions, and each and everyone of us has different perceptions and therefor a different reality.  Our reality changes based on our body, mind and ego, and taking charge of our reality is in our power.  My friend Florent Rondel puts it well when he says “you are god of your own unreal universe”.  

I awoke before dawn and packed my bag in bright moonlight.  The trail was easy to follow and I made a good pace as the sun rose to another wonderful day.  After a couple of hours the trail I was following broke into many small trails that are used to take bamboo out of the forrest, I had to start bushwacking.  The forrest was dense enough to allow very little sunlight through, and it was rare to see more then 3 meters in my direction of travel.  Combine this with very steep terrain, climbing, and thick bamboo thickets and my space/wall ponderings were about to get a real life test.  I would reach forward and shove my hands into a foliage wall, push out and pull myself and backpack through.  It was slow going, exhausting and it went on for hours.  As I ascended the snow got deeper and deeper reaching a foot deep at the deepest.  I was wearing light weight trail running shoes and ankle socks, so I had to continue to move and keep my heart rate up to avoid numbness and possible frostbite.  When I did reach the forested top of the ridge I mistakingly followed spines off the main ridge twice and had to double back.  My sense of place and direction had been disturbed by the hours spent in a deep dark forrest.

When I found a trail it was like finding a thermal above un-landable terrain, relieving.  I followed the trail to the clearing I had figured was launch-able the evening before, it wasn't launch-able, but I was exhausted.  I was started walking around 5:30am and it was after 1pm.  I had not taken a significant rest or eaten any food, so I made a fire dried my socks and shoes and took a quick nap as my food heated.  The rest and food gave me energy for the final hour and a half of hiking.  Sadly when I got to takeoff the wind was 90 degrees cross and cold catabatic air.  Also the sky had clouded over and snow was falling on the big mountains.  I decided to stay the night under an herders overhang I had passed.  On my way back down to the overhang I heard a massive chunk of glassier avalanche off of Annapurna 2.  I turned to see a humungus cloud of ice and snow rising up over rivers of moving snow, ice and rock.  Powerful shit.  

I turned on my phone but had no service, I then found out my spot did not have enough juice for any messages at all.  Chest tightening anxiety came over me as I realized that I was deep in the wilderness with no one around(I had not seen a human foot print in the snow all day), no one who knew where I was, and there was a chance I would not be able to fly out in the morning.  I used some conscious breathing to get rid of the anxiety and return back to my happy go lucky self, once back to normal I reminded myself that accidents were not allowed, getting hurt was simply something I was not allowed to do.  The anxiety was not a constructive emotion, in fact it was paralyzing, and I feel fortunate that I do not view my moods as things that happen to me but rather things I bring on, and can ward off just as easily.

I slept under the over hang in photo right on night two

I made my bed wedged between a rock and my backpack under the overhang, snow seemed eminent, and made a fire for my second last soup ration.  After soup I curled up in my bag and had a uncomfortable night of some sleep while wedged into the overhang. 

First light showed continued snow on the higher mountains with verga and mamata in the sky all around.  I knew that I had to get off this mountain this morning, or risk days in the cold with very little food.  I hiked to takeoff, my legs trembling with each high step, and found conditions similar to the evening before; light cold 90 degree cross wind.  The take off had about four steps before a cliff like face.  I aborted take off 3 times, each time stoping one step short of the edge.  While setting up for my last attempt a few snowflakes swirled around me.  I committed to a fast aggressive reverse inflation and turned around with 60% of the wing inflated, the rest inflated on my last step before diving off the edge and taking flight.  The feeling of achieving that flight was similar to my first flight on a paraglider, by body was pumping with endorphins and offering me a nice natural high for the buoyant glide back to the outskirts of lakeside.  

I packed up and walked to Sun Welcome as I called Tom and Andy to let them know I was OK.  I got a little deserved shit from friends for having a spot with tracking and not having good batteries in it.  

After breakfast I got a call for a tandem on the first round, back to the grind stone.....

My spot has batteries now.  Here is the URL:

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0Jh6VOd1mdQA1kKUqG6bd0kVCKzR8uMBH

We're Trying to go to Jackson

We're Trying to go to Jackson 

August 7th 2013

I have been having a great summer here in Ketchum/Sun Valley, Idaho.  I decided to live here after a three week flying trip here last August.  I was impressed by the friendliness of the people and the numerous world class pilots who chose to call Sun Valley home.  I have not regreated the decision for a second.  Flying tandems here uses and improves my skills, and never ceases to challenge them.  The xc flying here is off the hook.  Just look at a map of the area to see that we are in a zone where the hot desert of southern Idaho meets numerous mountain ranges through a small constricted valley.  Its big, its scenic, and its strong.  The local pilot community is nothing short of amazing.  They have helped me feel like part of the family from the very first day.  From LZ bbqs to impromptu route breifings, and spontanious retrieve drivers, this small flying community shows big heart.  

Taking care of business before the big flight

Matt "Farmer" Beechinor and I had seen the forecast and asked Chuck Smith, legend and owner of FlySunValley, to help us expedite our passengers so that we could be on the gondola with them at 9am on the dot.  Farmer was top FAI ranked pilot in the US, and was on the USA team that took 5th place at the 2009 World Paragliding Championship, he also held the US foot launch record with a 194 mile flight from Sun Valley last June.  It worked smooth as silk (thanks Chuck), with a 9am gondola loading, and a quick take off from Hun Run (named after a marathon tandem launch by Chris Hunlow).  We felt small thermals on the shady side at 9:30am, after winging over, spiraling down, and landing we quickly packed our wings.  I got a call that Gavin McClurg forgot his camel back and I grabbed one from my truck for him.  Gavin flew three monster flights in one week last month, two of them were back to back 192 and 238 mile flights, crushing the US foot launching record, his blog is a great read; http://www.cloudbasemayhem.com. 

Artwork by Tony Lang

Farmer and I headed up with our solo gliders, getting pumped up to some old school Hip Hop.  On top we found that the other two 9am tandems had not launched yet, and Nate Scales, Hayden Glatte, and Garth Callahan where also gearing up to go far.  Nate Scales has held the Idaho and US foot launch record numerous times, the most recent of which was a 199 mile flight last July.  Hayden Glatte calls WoodRat, Oregon  home and recently reset his site record there to 98 miles.  Garth Callahan has been flying paragliders professionally since before I graduated elementary school.  As we put down our bags Emily Mistick, launched and immediately found a good climb, by the time I had my bag unpacked she looked to be 2000ft above us and still climbing, it was on.  Those of us planning to fly XC agreed to try for Jackson Hole, a flight that has never been done.   Apparently a party of epic proportions, complete with professional women wearing nothing but illicit substances, has been promised by a certain greecy jackson pilot when the flight is completed.

In launched soon after Gavin into a wide strong thermal just in front of launch.  Soon Gavin and I were at 12,000ft and hoping the others would launch soon.  I shouted to Gavin that I was game to go if he was, he practiced restraint and radioed that he was going to wait for the others, thanks Gavin.  I often find myself diving off alone on xc flights, even when a gaggle of good pilots are around, it's a habit Im trying to break.

Soon the others were in a strong core and climbing up to us with Colin Frazer, a solid intermediate local pilot, who had done his first xc a couple of evenings previously.  We toped the climb out at 13,600 ft and went on glide East, for the Pioneers, Colin went on glide for Griffins Butte to the North.  Farmer came on the radio and told Colin he should take one more climb then go for a massive glide and land before the day got really big.  In the Pioneers Farmer lead deep into the center of roadless high, steep canyon terrain.  Garth and I opted to glide a little more south, downwind and towards a closer trigger.  After some rowdy climbs I was feeling pretty good at 14,000ft when I saw Farmer, Nate, Hayden, and Gavin cruse by at 17000ft+ on a line deep over the center of the Pioneers.  Soon I got the climb that allowed my to take chase, Garth decided to fly out and land in East Fork Canyon, he ended up having a 3+ hour hike out.  At about this time we heard Colins Dad and fellow pilot Tom come on the radio "Stop thermaling Colin, its time to land now."  Then we heard Chuck Smith come on the radio "try to limit your time over 14,000ft Colin, we don't want you to get hypoxic."  I chuckled and felt pumped for Colin, he has been flying really well and making good decisions, he has earned that great flight.

I was flying my trusted Ozone Delta 2, while everyone else was on Niviuk Ice Peak 6's, except for Gavin on his Peak 3.  I had to tell myself to just keep flying my flight and not blow it by chasing after these legends on comp gliders.  By the time I got to the Donkey hills, west of Moore, I was high and able to see Farmer and Nate catch their climbs.  I flew to the trigger and was surprised to be joined by Hayden.  I felt that I was flying slow and taking climbs high, but in reality my pace was just right, and I was back with the gaggle.  Hayden and I left that climb at about 17000ft but flew through a lot of lift for the beginning of our glide to King Mountain.  At this point I knew that if I was going to make it to work on time I had to spiral down and hope for some lucky hitchhiking back to Ketchum.  Farmer was also scheduled for a tandem flight that evening, and he seemed to be firmly blowing off work, so I followed suit.  I have heard that Chuck is O.K. with us missing work if the flight is good enough to make it into the papers and thus grab some interest in the business.  The flight to Jackson would do that, and it seemed like we might be able to pull it off.  Luckily the tandems were cancelled due to rain, thanks for not firing me Chuck.

Gavin Flying his Niviuk Peak 3 on King Mountain during an evening flight.  Photo: Jody McDonald Photography

At King Mountain I saw Nate's glider below me dancing like a bucket on a geyser and flew over to join him.  The climb was incredibly strong, and quite rough, after a little while Nate left the climb to go join the others a little further north.  Nate latter told us that that was the strongest core of his life, he recalled being thrown forward and up and his fully inflated IP6 being 8ft over his head, with slack lines all around.  The stories about King Mountain are true, and we were there at 2pm on a booming August day.  Luckily I was in a alpha state of function, and I was barely registering the turbulence in my conscious mind, rather I was letting my sub conscious deal with it.  I have found that if I can get my conscious mind out of the way, and just make decisions and react then the flying gets easier and distance goes by with less effort, stress and worry.  Some would call it letting go, and as XC pilots flying in strong conditions we are all letting go of a certain amount of control, the trick is getting your mind to let go of the control, and except the violent skies rather then fight them.  I took that climb high and decided to follow a cloud street that went ESE of King ending in the flats.  Matt, Nate and Hayden were topping out a climb to my North and decided to glide to the Southern end of the Lemhi mountains.  Gavin had fallen slightly behind, but was catching up fast.  In retrospect it was not smart of me to leave the group and push out into the flats on my own, my decision was based on not wanting to push into the wind, while playing catch-up, but the flats would have been much easier to work as a group.

I was flying over huge lava fields and the Idaho National Laboratory, which is a nuclear testing zone, and a place to avoid landing at all costs, if the radiation doesn't get you the black helicopters will.  The thermals were few and far between but it was working.  I radioed to the others that the blue hole was working.  Nate responded that he and Hayden were going to push into the flats towards Mud Lake.  I altered my course to try and meet them there.  Emily Mistick came on the radio and told us she was stationed at Arco for retrieve, Nate asked her to drive to Mud Lake, and keep track of us from there.  I was leaving each thermal lower and lower, either because they were toping out or, more likely, because I was getting inpatient and feeling like I was going slow.  Near Mud Lake I found a lot of sink, and was soon getting desperate.  Its funny that I felt desperate 2,500 feet from the ground, but thats what happens when you've been over 10,000 feet from the ground for a lot of the flight.  The air low was hot, and the thermals were small, drifty and bullety, I suddenly felt very tired and sun scorched.  Soon I was going off course, downwind, to improve my searching ability, while unzipping every piece of clothing I could.  There was a layer around 8,500 feet that I was having a really tough time breaking through.  I landed in a plowed wheat field.  The owner of the field came to see that I was O.K., and told me that I looked "really spectacular" as I was setting up to land.  I called Emily and she drove up to me in a pimped out travel van, complete with leather seats, a flat screen T.V., and cold beer, before I had even finished packing up.  Thank you Emily.

We resupplied the beer and got some snacks before heading across I15 to pick up Farmer.  On xcfind we could see that Gavin had taken a line further south, and approaching Rigby, while Nate and Hayden were close to Rexburg.  We picked them up, had burgers in Idaho Falls, shared stories of the days adventures and drove back to Ketchum, arriving at midnight.  Thanks to the other pilots, Chuck Smith and most of all to Emily Mistick for the perfect retrieve. 

   

      

Our spot tracks from xcfind.  Gavin's on the bottom, Farmer on top, Nate the middle long one, me the middle shorter one.

Ozone Delta 2 Impressions. May 8th 2013

Ozone, Delta 2 impressions.  May 8th 2013, Bir, India

I have had the Delta 2 SM since April 23rd 2013.  During this time I have been mostly flying Billing, with one flight from Solang to Bir.  I have flown the glider over 30hrs, in strong windy conditions, and mellow weak lift.  I set my personal best distance of 176km on it, a flight that took more then 7.5 hours.  Also I flew from Solang, near Manali, to Bir, possibly for the first time ever.  I have experienced a wide range of different conditions on the glider.  My previous glider was the Niviuk Peak 2, so I will use it as a reference for some of my observations.  I have been flying the glider between 93kg and 97kg.

Launching:  It seems to do exactly what it should, very predictable.

Landing:  Exceptional low speed characteristics, its doesn't want to stall.  Landing in tricky top landing situations is a lot more reassuring on this glider then the Peak 2.

Handling:  Intuitive.  If I think turn right it turns right.  It is a fun glider, thats dynamic and progressive.  Asymmetric spirals and wing overs are a joy.  The great intuitive handling makes it much more reassuring to bring it into tight tricky landing situations.

Performance.

Glide:  The glide seems to be at least as good as the Peak 2 in tail wind, no-wind and moderate head-wind conditions.  Controlling through the Cs gives me good communication, and collapse avoidance/recovery with the glider.  The glider feels more and more stable with the more speed bar I apply.  It gives me the confidence to keep the speed bar pegged till I am fully in the core of a thermal. 

Thermaling:  At the top of the weight range it seems to still climb very well in weak scattered conditions.  In strong rowdy climbs it is rare to get bucked out of the core, it usually keeps its edge and allows me to keep my weight-sift.  When entering lift it communicates to the pilot about where the core is.  It usually self-initiates a turn towards the liftier side.  The Peak 2 might give more information to the pilot, due to its longer A/R, and I am still learning the subtle differences in the information the Delta 2 is giving me.

Speed:  The whole speed range is very usable.  I have been using at least 1/2 bar on all but the liftiest glides.  It seems to glide very well on the whole speed range, at least as good as the Peak 2.  It might have 4-5km less at top speed then the Peak 2, but I think I fly faster on the Delta 2, the stability, and lower A/R might give me more confidence.

Comfort:  Just before I received the Delta 2 I had a number of big long flights on the Peak 2.  I am way less tired and stressed flying in big conditions all day on the Delta 2.  I enjoy the whole flight, instead of enjoying some of it, and being highly stressed during some of it.  I don’t think I would have enjoyed the flight from Solang to Bir on the Peak2.  On the Delta 2 I enjoyed the flight and did not have any doubts about my ability to keep the glider flying in strong turbulent air.  I have had two 30% asymmetric collapses that recovered quickly, in 30+ hours of flying big air.  This glider is stable and very possible to keep open.  I have yet to purposely induce stalls or collapses on the D2.

Conclusion:  I decided to get the Delta 2 because I wanted a glider that was less stress to fly, take-off and land then the Peak 2, and I was having to ballast up to fly the Peak2.  I am getting more and more interested in Bivy/adventure flying, and I think that for me less stress will mean more fun, on these trips, and flying in general.  The Delta 2 is exactly what I want.  It is a joy to fly, it has great performance, and it doesn't stress me out.  I find myself appreciating the incredible view, the wind on my face, and the magic of what we do, more.

    

Sky Camping March 11th-12th 2013. Pokhara - near Kathmandu

Stan parking at the camping spot.

Sky Camping March 11th-12th 2013

March 11th  flight: http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:mitchriley/12.3.2013/06:14#discussionv

Wil Brown and I had grand plans of heading to Dicki Dande early in the morning and starting a big flight to the east from there, with our bivy gear.  I checked in at the office and they had one tandem flight booked for me, so much for starting xc early.  Wil said he would wait and that we could start from Sarangkot the second round, thanks Wil.  The tandem was nice, and I got above the towers, showing the day had good potential.

When Wil and I arrived at take-off we found Pawel Tomaszewski getting ready for a night out.  His plan was to topland Korchon, but we let him know that he was welcome to come with us.

Take off- Torrie Panni- Dicki Dande- Green Wall- Green Wall East.

On the East Peak of the Green Wall, I was flying near Claudio Mota and Egor Terentyev, and a little ahead of Wil.  East of the Green Wall is a non-standard Pokhara flight, and I really enjoyed being with a Green Wall gaggle then tearing off towards the unknown.  In the next thermal Pawel came on the radio and said he was coming with us, it was good to have another friend and good pilot along for the adventure.  Its rare to see other gliders east of the Green Wall but sure enough we saw Mac Zietera putting together a large free triangle.  Stan Radzikowski came on the radio saying that he was crossing Besisahar, about 13 km ahead of us.  

Pawel, over some un-landable terrain.

In a few crossings we were planning our route over Besisahar.  I preferred fueling up at Gally Gown and then pushing across the valley to a big SW facing rocky face, after which I would have to push into the valley wind to get back on course line.  Wil wanted to fuel up at Baglum Panni and follow a more direct route.  I made my choice because I have been stuck at Baglum Panni, without useable thermals, a couple times and this time looked that same.   No clouds at Baglum Panni.  So I went to the clouds above Gally Gown and Wil went for Baglum Panni.  Pawel made the best decision and hung back waiting till our choices bared fruit.  I was able to climb and make the crossing to the big SW face, which had some rowdy thermals, a fact I latter learned was considered in Wil’s decision.  Crossing Besisahar was going into new country for me, a vast area that I had not flown (exciting).  Wil was the only member of the group who had flown past Besisahar, in a 90km flight tour S.E. one month ago.  

Pawel followed me and I watched Wil jump over the back of Baglum Panni super low, catch a thermal from a valley spur, and get back in the game, impressive.  Pawel and I were rocketed aloft and made the upwind push to meet Wil.  Stan came on the radio saying that he had waited for us, and our group grew to four pilots.  In a couple more crossings we found ourselves on a long ridge with a lower cloud base and a 10km glide to the next usable terrain.  We found a place to land and Wil and Pawel landed.  The place was soarable so it allowed multiple attempts at landing while the crowd of local spectators grew and grew.  Once all on the ground, safe, and glowing from a great flight we hugged and high fived, and passed around some whiskey, celebrating a great day of flying.  4 hours and 70km straight distance, and toplanding at 2000m with a perfect SE face right in front of a nice takeoff.

I cant help but laugh when I think of him now.

I tried my limited Nepali on the locals, then pretended I didn’t understand when marriage to an attractive young women was offered.  We had running water near by, and started collecting wood and water for a fire and cooking.  One boy stuck around when all the other locals.  He helped us collect firewood and asked a lot of questions containing the verb to fly (udne).  I shared some chocolate among the group, including the boy.  The boy’s chocolate tolerance must of been pretty low because after that he was bouncing off the terraces.  When we just wanted a small cooking fire the energized boy would put giant piles of dry leaves on the fire and elated in their fiery demise.  When we wanted to sit around and talk out the day, the boy wanted to dance and do acrobatics. 

We split into two cook groups.  Wil and I had a great meal of noodles, pasta, cheese and crackers.  As we ate great food, in a place we didn't even know the name of, under a crimson sky, it was easy to appreciate how good life is.  Much of our communication and thinking is concerned with names.  When someone asks about the trip they ask where we spent the night.  I don’t know the name of the place, and its not on maps I’ve seen, and I like it that way.  There is a freedom of thought that comes from defining a place based on your experience of it and not based on a name.  When you have a name you automatically store the memory of a place within certain boundaries.  When you do not relate a place to a name your memory of your perception is clearer and more real.

Camp made

I slept in the open, under the magnificent starry sky.  Hanging out next to a campfire and sleeping under the stars feels right, feels natural.

Day 2.  Flight:  http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:mitchriley/13.3.2013/04:18

Photo: Stan Radzikowski

Stan was nice enough to wake us all up to see the sunrise.  The coals were still hot enough to restart the fire and start making tea, oatmeal and noodles for breakfast.  After breakfast Wil, Pawel and I walked into the village and bought food for the next night, noodles, fresh onions, potatoes, tomatoes and hot peppers.  The small store had everything we wanted, at a cheaper rate then the Lakeside shops we frequent.  Once back we all decided that we would try to fly as far East as possible.  After packing my harness it seemed like a good time to launch.

I launched first from a small SE facing clearing above a large SE facing cliff.  Once flying I explored the area for lift while Stan launched and flew straight to a strong thermal.  We were soon at cloud base.  We glided in slightly different directions to explore the 7km glide that awaited us to the East.  Once low we went back to the launch thermal and repeated.  This lasted for 1.5 hours as Wil and Pawel struggled on the ground with changing wind.  Eventually they listened to out insistence that there we good take offs further down the ridge.  They finally got airborne.  Its interesting that I felt frustrated and impatient up there in the air, hanging out at cloud base, while my friends sweated their asses off trying to just get airborne.  On any other day spending an hour and a half at cloudbase flying a new site would be wonderful, but on this day I allowed my plans for the rest of the day to take more importance then my joy in the presence.  If I had been able to stay in the present then the time would have felt well spent.  Instead I kept looking at that next crossing, trying to will Pawel and Wil into the air so that we could travel.

Eventually we were all in the air and on glide over another spectacular river gorge.  We climbed again and worked our way around the mountain.  While fueling up for the next crossing I left a thermal near cloudbase and pointed a straight line for the crossing, while getting lifted up inside the next cloud.  No one was near me so I let myself get the extra altitude while alerting my friends that I was going into the cloud.  I rose 200 meters in that cloud, in a straight line.  When I came out there was another cloud in front and below me.  I was able to soar that clouds windward side then fly through a tunnel between it and another cloud.  WOW.  I went out on glide feeling immense gratitude for that experience, and 200m higher then everyone else.  The next mountain was more shallow then others and it was difficult to find an established thermal.  Wil arrived low and he and Pawel were soon scratching, and struggling to stay up.  They would land down in the narrow river canyon, and have to spend the night near by, walking 3 hours and catching 4 busses the next day to get back to Pokhara.  Stan and I got high again and made another crossing, that put us low in a windy shallow bowl.  I eventually got up by soaring a shady, windy face.  At the top of this face people were watching me from their front garden.  I was very close to them when I pointed in the direction I thought Kathmandu was and said “Kathmandu?”.  They pointed in a slightly different direction and said “Kathmandu”.  I then connected with a lee side ripper, climbed 1000 meters and flew in the direction they pointed.  It feels good to blow someones mind.  Exposing someone to something that would seem impossible then braking the definition of possible is special, and I like to think that paragliding has the ability to brake the boundaries of possibility.

We were very close to Kathmandu, and had decided that getting near there was our goal for the day.  The next crossing was about 10km crossing a big valley with a paved road, probably the friendliest bottom landing spot we had seen all trip.  We made it to the other side, didn’t immediately find a thermal, and choose to push out and land in the nice valley rather then fight our way up another mountain.  Latter looking at a map, I realized that from the top of that mountain we would have had Kathmandu on glide.  Neither of us had an airspace map, or any idea of the airspace around Kathmandu, so it was probably best to land where we did. 

We packed out gliders while a crowd of people watched, then walked to the road, waved down a microbus, and were soon in Kathmandu checking into a guest house.  Great trip.  Thanks Stan, Wil and Pawel.    

Stan's Blog:http://parakros.com/2013/03/15/bivy-east/

Nepal Open Paragliding Championship, Task 4. March 3rd 2013

Nepal Open Paragliding Cup Task 4

March 3rd 2013

We had another good, long day of flying today.  The task started with the now usual ridge run, then to landing field, then to East Peak of Green Wall, then to a point WSW of the Green Wall, then back to landing field, then a point SW of Korchon, then E of Korchon, then speed section at the tip of the Dumpus ridge, then Korchon, then Matradunga landing, then End Of The Lake landing.  This task had me excited because it was not racing up and down a shallow ridge, but mountain flying, with big glides and strong thermals.  I purposely had the Fleetwood Mac song “Gypsy” stuck in my head (“I have no fear, only love), which allowed me to get into a relaxed joyous headspace.

Climbs before start were toping at about 2200m, so we had a substantial gaggle waiting near the start 20 minutes before open.  The thermal cycles were short, so we would all climb up then have to spread and search again, and repeat.  It was fun, and tricky to stay at the top of the pack.  I had a good start, tagging the cylinder 6 seconds after time.  I was impressed by Jamie Messenger’s ability to time the start perfectly, just as my  FlyMaster indicated start Jamie was turning and heading to the first turn point, I don’t think it could have been calculated any better.  

Gliders low on the SW side to Korchon

Being with the lead gaggle was exciting, and I reminded myself to he highly attentive to what the pilots around me we doing, and learn from them.  We tanked up at Torrie Panni then went on glide for the landing zone turn point.  On the way back myself and a BoomX got a climb that allowed us to skip the Torrie Panni scratch fest.  I knew that the fast move was to glide directly for the East Peak, but I did not feel good about my chances, so I did the typical Green Wall route, watching Jamie glide away from the East Peak just as I was approaching the Wall.  East Peak - SE of Green Wall - Main Peak - Sarangkot.  Some pilots choose to go directly to Sarangkot from SE of the Green Wall, I saw one of them throw their reserve parachute while getting spanked by rotor in the lee of Sarangkot, and a couple others that looked to be bombing out, but Im sure some made it and shaved off time on course.  When I got to Sarangkot the main bowl was shaded and a gaggle were scratching below launch, I was just above the towers and Torrie Panni was still sunny, so I dived over there, and hooked into a nice thermal.  Diving over to Torrie Panni can work great, with bubbles all the way to the main thermal, or it can sink you right down and force 20 minuets of scratching.  I am thankful it worked great this time.  By the time I was gliding to landing  turnpoint, some of the Sarangkot gaggle had gotten up and were tagging it.  Another climb at Torrie Panni, and glide for Korchon.  I set out on glide with Ajay Kumar, he must have gotten stuck somewhere he is usually way faster then me.  Ajay choose to glide straight for the turnpoint SE of Korchon, I played it conservitive and went to fuel up on Korchon.  After refueling I tagged the turnpoint and glided back to Korchon, watching some that had glided straight to the turnpoint struggling below me.  After getting high again I set out with Elli Mota and Denis Kulikov for the turnpoint to the WSW of Korchon.  I choose to use my Peak 2’s top speed to beat them to speed section.  I was able to pass Elli but not Denis on his Nova Factor 2, an impressive glider, and pilot.  

After tagging speed section I breathed a sigh of relief and told myself to just play it super conservative and make goal.  I fueled up again at Korchon,  Ajay and I taking turns cutting each other off in the strong tight low cores. There was very light rain, a drop hitting my face every five seconds.  At that time the rain did not seem dangerous because there was no indication of wind coming off the mountains, or strong cloud suck.  I could also see the clouds above and behind the Green Wall and they were not tall thunderheads.  At base some pilots went straight for the Sarangkot ridge, others went toward the Green Wall.  Since we were no longer racing I went with what I thought was the conservative decision and glided towards the Green Wall.  On this glide my speed system broke, bummer, but at least I had already made SS and just needed to boat my way in.  The green wall was mostly shaded but working and I took a glide from the Main Peak to Sarangkot.  Just when I was getting to Sarangkot the meet director Egor stopped the task because of rain on Korchon.  I had a 7 to 1 glide ratio into goal, but as Egor had explained earlier in the day your glide from a stopped task would be calculated at 5 to 1 glide.  So on paper I did not make goal.  In hindsight I should have kept racing, and flown fast to make goal.  People who made it to the Speed Section later then me and received fewer lead and arrival points scored better on the day.  Well I’m just in the comp to have fun and learn more about flying efficiently, so a few points on a piece of paper should not bother me to much.  I had a fantastic day of flying, with great pilots in great conditions.  Thank you organizers and thank you Nepal.  

Nepal Cup Task 3. March 2nd 2013

Nepal Open Paragliding Cup Task 3

March 2nd 2013

Today was another great day of flying in Pokhara, Nepal.  The set task was long and challenging.  First it sent us down the Sarangkot ridge to tag start, then back to the Russian camp (S.E. side of main bowl), then back down the ridge and out to the south-facing spine above Pame, then to East Peak of Green Wall, then Main Peak of Green Wall, then Antenna Hill, then Korchon, then Russian Camp, Then below Matradunga for speed section, then end of the lake for goal(it takes a long time just to type it).  The lift near start was plentiful and toping out at 2200m with small clouds.  I exercised patience and made a good start.  The dolphin flying upwind on Sarangkot Ridge worked great and I was with the leaders at Torrie Panni.  I noticed that Jamie Messenger and Wil Brown were fueling up, but had taken a different line and thought that I could manage the turn point and come back without a problem.  Well after tagging the turn point I was struggling with about 10 other gliders to climb above the Sarangkot Towers as Wil and Jamie glided by high and comfortable.  Lesson:  Don’t try to outsmart the good guys, if one of the worlds best pilots on one of the worlds best gliders thinks he  needs more altitude then I definitely need more altitude.  

Eventually we made it back to Torrie Panni and high again.  Surfing down the ridge, and fueling up at the Red Temple.  The turn point was a long glide from the ridge and a few gliders were deep in the turn point therrmaling, maybe 200m higher then me.  I choose to tag the cylinder and run back to the ridge.  David Hanning was gliding at the same time as me and choose to go upwind to a spine where I choose to go crosswind to a different spine.  I watched him and many other gliders climb out while I sweated, low and stuck for more than 30 minutes.  Lesson(repeat):fly with the group Mitch, use the hundred plus pilots out on course, don’t go anywhere alone.  After the sweaty, turbulent, scratch fest I was back on the ridge dolphin flying to Torrie Panni.  At this point I have flown around Pokhara a fare amount and I find it humbling that the hardest slowest section to fly for me is the main Sarangkot ridge that is SW facing and beginner XC pilots usually wet their teeth on.  I obviously need practice flying windy shallow ridges.    

Climb-Green Wall West-Green Wall East-Main Green Wall-Green Wall East- Antenna Hill-Dicki Dande- Green Wall West.  It was now 4pm, I launched at 12:25.  The lift was topping out at 2150m and I followed David Hanning, who had left 3 minuets earlier, on glide to Korchon.  The glide was boyant and I arrived at the front knob at a decent altitude.  David and a few other pilots were below me.  I looked at my wind indicator and decided it might be feasible to soar up the shady E. side with the valley wind.  I tried and failed landing right next to a retrieve jeep.  Jessica Love landed near me and we had a god 2 hour jeep ride through rivers and beautiful gorges to pick up David Hanning and Nathen Persont.  We saw monkeys and a guy who did not know how to use the brakes on a motorcycle crash it into a wall at slow speeds.  Thank you retrieve, Ill try not to use you tomorrow.  

Results for the day can be found here: http://nepalopencup.org/.  Jamie Messenger has been keeping a huge lead.  Elina and Claudio Mota have made it to goal on EN C gliders, great pilots.

Nepal Open Paragliding cup task two. March 1st 2013

Nepal Open Cup 2013.

March 1st, 2nd task Day

Another great day of flying.  The task was an entry start at the end of the Sarangkot ridge, then back to the main bowl, then to highish on Korchon, then SSW of Korchon, Then to the Antenna Hill SSE of Green Wall, then to Green Wall Peak, then SS around Pame, then goal at end of the lake.  87.9km on the task board.

As I geared up for the day, I had the Lynyrd Skynyrd song “Double Trouble” on repeat in my head.  Humming a song to myself on launch helps me ease tension and remember that I’m here to have fun.  My goals for the day were to make goal as usual, and fly “with the pack”.  Yesterday my biggest lesson was learned by choosing a different line then every glider in front of me, it cost me a lot of time.  Before the launch window opened I spent a few minuets visualizing using other gliders around me to find the best glides and climbs. 

Photo Lisa Dickinson

I took off soon after start and spent some time getting high enough to move down the ridge.  The start cylinder was towards the end of the ridge in descending terrain, and I struggled to stay above ridge height just before start time.  I tagged the start 12 minuets after start time, and dolphin flew back to the Sarangkot bowl.  Soon I was back at Torrie Panni fueling up for my crossing to Korchon.  I was in a gaggle of friends, Harve Bundet, Binod Bomjan, and Robin Gurung, with a great thermal that drifted us towards Korchon.  I left at 2200m and my friends followed close behind.  I made it to the front of Korchon and right into a strong thermal, that allowed me to meet the next gaggle on the front peak.  My friends that followed would struggle low in front of Korchon for 15min, after arriving there 20sec behind me.  

There are some flights, or periods of flights, where everything is just in sync, this was one of them.  Every time I planned and expected a strong thermal there was one waiting for me that took me up to the altitude I wanted to be at quickly.  The human mind-body is a powerful thing, and on flights like this I often wonder if the thermal is there at that moment with that strength because I expect it to be there, scientists are learning more and more that our thoughts effect things at the most basic sub atomic level (spiritual teachers have known this for millennia).  The opposite can also be true with negative thinking.  Lesson: Be careful with your thoughts.  I was very “in the zone”, focused on the task at hand and the decisions to make, it felt great (but was not good for in-flight pictures).

Photo Lisa Dickinson

I tagged the Korchon turnpoint, fueled up and tagged the turnpoint out in the valley.  I choose to go back to Korchon and fuel up again before crossing to the green wall.  I was now flying with my friend Kristain Wajs.  We took a climb high over the East Peak and went on glide to the antenna turn point.  Back to the East Peak, tag Green Wall Peak, fuel up and glide to Sarangkot.  I arrived at launch altitude and caught a thermal with my friend Pawel Tomaszews.  At this point I was watching my glide to goal calculator and once it said 8.2 I went for it with Pawel, mistake.  I figured that we would have a downwind buoyant glide to SS that would make up for the upwind valley glide to goal.  I landed 2km short of goal.  Lesson: recognize when its time to slow down and stay high, and DO IT.  It was late in the afternoon on the Sarangkot ridge, and I should have known that staying high and taking my time was the way to goal.  Instead I was still in full power fast race mode, and the flying had been working great, so I flew into the ground.

Many other pilots landed near me, thanks guys.  We watched Harve Bundet and Elina Mota exercise great flying and patience and make it into goal, great job guys.  6 pilots made goal today but 45 reached the end of speed section.  

What a flight.  Tomorrow my goal is to make goal.