| Flight details: | Today we traveled to Nova Gorica, to the launch ramp at Lijak. We met Matjaz, the author of the video that inspired the whole journey, or part of the inspiration at least. He and his friends the italians helped us up to launch.
I rigged in a pathway through the trees, as it was a little crouded in the main rigging area, it was cool in the shade and I liked very much the peaceful silence while I got myself focused on flying.
The views were amazing, even the local pilots were happy to see as far as Venice as this is unusual even for them. For us it was simply stunning. Over to the right of launch a few kilometers away we could see the paragliders getting up ok in thermals. The conditions were interesting with 6m/s winds blowing over the back but a strong thermal feed blowing up through launch, much stronger than at Kobala. We watched as the local guys got off and then I was keen to join them in their thermal. A student went in front of me so I was a little delayed but when I got to the ramp I was ready and confident, my launch was good and the flight began well.
Initially the air was very turbulent but once you gained a few hundred feet then it was smoother, I was happy to find many thermals to play in but had to work hard each time to keep them. I noticed that Dan and Chris both bombed quite soon after their launches - I worried a little that they were waiting a long time in the landing area. From time to time I would meet Ozzie and on one occasion I saw Davide in lift so I joined him to thermal up to near base.
Each time I got high the air gained a refreshing chill and I would enjoy the views off to the coast and back to the Julian Alps. This place is utterly stunning. I enjoyed too very much tracing my steps from previous visits into Gorizia, dreaming a little as I like while I quite literally have my head in the clouds.
Another beautiful day. |
