| Flight details: | I launched into and climbed out on a strong smooth thermal my day had started easily, I pulled on my VG and set off down the valley. I was mindful that I was not in any rush so I took my time to stay high in any strong lift I found on the way. Most of the thermals along the valley were marked by paragliders from the British Open based in Kobarid.
The journey to Kobarid was fairly easy; I hit so much lift that in the end just outside the village when I hit a boomer I just burst out into laughter. What a wonderful feeling to sense my wings lifting me higher - the acceleration, the active alive feeling to the air, it is intoxicating. I am so much more relaxed now when I am flying it is not physically hard like it was before. I am much more able to take in what is around me and enjoy the views.
Things did not go so well however when I flew onto the Kobarid ridge. I was planning on flying to the launching place there but found only sink, I even thought about unzipping when I got to about 300ft above the houses but I spent that altitude going back to where I last found good lift instead. The landing options were not so good there but I had a feeling...
It took a long time to wait it out, flying close to the trees in the hot air near the ground - my mind went quiet, I was fully concentrating on flying slowly, sensing every little movement in the air. There was a quarry on this ridge and the village; both were giving off something but not much. Slowly I began to make more up than down for a few beats, I was getting there but now and again I would lose it all and have to start all over again. It was then that I saw them, during a turn really close to the trees, a little pair of white butterflies flew under me and with them I felt a warm wave of a gentle little thermal. I knew inside me that this was it, like angels they had saved me and my flight. I shut my eyes and felt every tiny wave wash over me and my glider, I loosened my grip on the bar and gently pushed out, |
