I started this flying diary on the 12th of october 2004. I wish and hope other guides will do on their website. It can only give you guys, the most honest idea about how the flying is in the region operating. Pass the word to other guides, why not ?
Photos : http://www.flickr.com/photos/doyouwanna-paragliding/
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friday 31 dec 2004
Locals flying at Murcia and on different hills up north. Me off on vacation, talk to you soon.
thursday 30 dec 2004
Flew at Murcia. 650 m height difference. At first pretty cloudy, later on sunny. Klaus, Martin impressed us with all controlled no wind alpine launches. Hope you have fun, talk to you 11 th january. Tomorrow leaving to see the Paris-Dakar race in Barcelona and next some skiing. If urgent, call (between 6/7 pm) on 606 781 180.
wednesday 29 dec 2004
sunny sky, but too windy
tuesday 28 dec 2004
Today the 28th dec is the equivalent for april fools' day, in Spain. Pedro called me somebody was flying in Calpe. Calpe is a southwestern site and it was blowing norhtwest. Luckily I didn't get fooled and stayed in Alicante, having coffee and lunch watching the world go by, sheltered from the cold. Indeed, it was very cold today, and windy. No chance, not even groundhandling possibility. Shame for the visiting pilots.
If Raimond (dutch pilot) flew yesterday, he would have flewn 3 out of 5 days. He didn't fly though, due to lack of technique with his reverse launch. A pitty. For the others we should get flights in on thursday and friday. Then this will be four out of seven for Martin, our most experienced pilot from Denmark visiting. Fingers crossed for the kiwi-Dub (New Zealander who lives in Dublin, Ireland), the Danish, the British and the Dutch.
monday 27 dec 2004
Peña Rubia, one of our most underestimated sites. Especially by our local pilots, underestimated. I think this site is one of our best XC sites. Today (yes end of december) I took off with a crosswind of 15 km/h north. Not expecting a lot, I immediately had lift though. I climbed high above the antennas and looked backwards if I could get any indication of wind in the valley behind. There it was blowing east. More further in front of me farmers were burning their wood, indicating western winds. Kept on climbing untill my fingers froze. I was so stupid just to have put on my "plummer" gloves. It was impossible for me to keep on flying, my hands started to hurt pretty badly. The cold northern winds up high were well below 0. But who would have thought this was one of the best XC days we had this month. Nobody, becasue I was the only one as a local who was at the site, together with my british, dutch and danish pilots. Klaus and Martin flew, Martin topped up his airtime with more than an hour. In the cold, but then he is Scandinavian, so half-eskimo.
Don't ask me how strong the climb was and how high I got. In our off-season (???) months I prefer flying without vario, GPS, cockpit with electronics. Why ? I just love to fly, without the stress of batteries, cockpits, noise etc.. . I feel closer to real flying without all this instruments.
sunday 26 dec 2004
Cunimb over the sea, lenticulares in the south, front coming in from inland. Shit, no flying for the second day. We went to look at the climbers in Sella, visited thevillage, had tapas and vino tinto and a carajillo (Valencian coffee, with Brandy), visited the site near Finestrat. Enjoyed the company, had laughs, now home. Tomorrow winds should die off a bit more. Although I think we still have too much of it, tuesday better.
saturday 25 dec 2004
Strong wind from the southwest, later from nothrwest. That was prevision for today. Usually we see lenticulares forming early morning, not this time. High cirrus clouds were approaching from inland, warning us to stay on the ground and enjoy the day. I am sure you had a good time with relatives and friends. We went out walking on the beach, playing football and having coffee on a sunny terrace. But flying, no way, not survivable today. Best wishes.
friday 24 dec 2004
Hi there, having fun, Xmas dinner ? Hope you are all fine and enjoying the company of family and friends. Today we flew all afternoon in thermals at Palomaret. We had blue sky and high temperatures but not up high though. It was pretty cold without long-john's. All pilots flew. Joyce, girflriend of dutch Pilot Raimond, made a tandem flight paragliding for the first time of her life.
24th of december and flying like in the middle of september, awsome.
thursday 23 dec 2004
Feel like Santa Claus, made Billy, Chris, Janne, Dean and Raimond happy. We had a super day at Palomaret. Lovelyu smooth thermals. Flying together with the locals, above the crest. The better pilots went XC to Los Ventos and came back toplanding. It was lovely. Too difficult too chose a skygod, all of the pilots did well.
wednesday 22 dec 2004
Winds died off too late to have a flight on the cliffs. Tomorrow sunny and northeastern winds. Lets make new dutch and british pilots happy.
tuesday 21 dec 2004
Billy, skygod of the day, had nice flying on El Cid. Southern take-off, 1100 meter high mountain, height difference 675 meters. Prevision was north, but we had south ! Damn Xmas drinks I guess.
monday 20 dec 2004
Still too strong west , only dying off last minute, now at 5.30 pm. No chance to fly today. Blue sky and still 19 degrees celsius.
sunday 19 dec 2004
Very strong 80 km gusts westernwind. Blue sky and sunny, 19 degrees celsius.
saturday 18 dec 2004
Too much west wind, impossible to do something. Nice temperatures though, midday 21 degrees celsius at the coast. Sunbathing, even saw some tourists swimming in the sea. They're nuts.
friday 17 dec 2004
What wind ? Where wind ? Well there was wind for sure in Alicante. It was blowing all night long and early morning still 40 km an hour.
Called my buddies in Murcia (and again), there was no wind in the valley of Alhama. So off we went, fingers crossed. Once at landing, a little breeze from the north. Amazing. At take off maybe strong, too strong ?
Not at all, almost an alpine launch. All weather forecast forecasted stronger winds in the afternoon. But no way, we flew till 5 pm, together with the local chaps Pani and Espin. Big fun, for Chris, Billy and Jannet, who flew from Carrascoy (1100 m high, and 700 m height difference), and are very low airtime pilots. It was good for them to get used to the heights, and the thermals.
As well for Hassan, my brother in law who arrived this early morning and already flew tandem. And this for the first time of his life. 20 degrees celsius and blue sky by the way.
thursday 16 dec 2004
Some flew in the Jalon valley and others went to Hondon. In the morning we had light northern winds, veering to the west by afternoon. Later Chris, Billy and Jane arrived, british pilots who prefer spendng Xmas time in sunny Alicante. And you bet it is sunny. Today 20 degrees celsius, in the evening dropping to 16 degrees.
Long term forecast predict sunny and nice weather till 2nd of january. Northwestern winds.
wednesday 15 dec 2004
At 11 am, already soarable at the cliffs. When I left home at 1 pm, local pilots were still in the air, and probably flew till 2 / 3 pm. Pretty strong though, the fun is getting a kick out of your technique being able to launch at 25 / 30 km an hour. Always interesting.
monday / tuesday 13 - 14 dec 2004
Windy today. I don't think anybody flew and if somebody did, it sure was at Finestrat, my friend Keith Clapson's favourite !
sunday 12 dec 2004
I'm closed yes, but if tandems have to be done I can't resist. So that's why I was at take off Cabo at 12 pm. My tandems passengers were british sky-divers. Did they like it ? Yes, especailly the wing-over stuff.
Inland it was cloudy, so all of the locals were there. I just looked outside on my terrace, through the palmtrees amd saw that they were flying, so 6 hours window. Another laaaaaazy sunday afternoon.
saturday 11 dec 2004
I hope your day was as fantastic as mine, honestly. Woke up with with a very excited 6 year old boy reminding me, his friends were invited to have his birthday party. Oh shit, all of a sudden I realised that the weather forecast for today was rainy. I was imagining 15 6-years olds in the house, shouting, playing, having fun. Mrs Doubtfire I need you so badly.
Opened up the curtians, and to my surprise, thank God for Alicante, blue sky and sunny (very sunny exists ?)
Went out to have coffee and breakfast with my family, same time getting several phone calls from locals. Their saturday day off ! Flying no ? Where should we go Nick ?
Went for Cabo, while others went inland. For those who have been here, they know - there was a choice of nicely soaring along the cliffs or going inland and trying out new sites.
Later in the afternoon, I still had time to spend hours with my son and buddies having the time of their life. Fiesta !!
friday 10 dec 2004
Went for Orihuela this morning. Some "orihueleños" told me they had a new site, ready to be used this winter. Got to the take off but wind was off to the left too much, to have our first flight on this new hill. Take off is fine, landing is big, it is a 300 m huge cliff just in front of take off, northernly faced. Hope to fly this one with you guys this winter. Later on, Suby and co called me to join them flying at Hondon. They flew till it got too windy, thunderstorm approaching. A nice sunny day, 18 celsius, pressure rising.
thursday 9 dec 2004
painted skies, lovely light to dark violet. You know what that means.
wednesday 8 dec
National holiday in spain, some virgin we had to celeberate again. It is always good to live in a catholic country, long live those virgins, may they last forever. Today, very unstable, I am sure nobody flew. Strong gusty northern winds and rainy. Bwaak.
tuesday 7 dec
Nacho, Suby and more locals flew at Murcia. 3 m/s thermals and cloudbase at 1200 meter. They flew 4 hours.
monday 6 dec
Yesterday night I got a very sad phone call. My last guest Andy Jackson died. He was just getting over a long term illness. He was down in Alicante last week to fly with his girlfriend Bridget, but got ill. I only met Andy and Bridget last week, I wished I knew them longer. All our sympathies go to Bridget and family.
Suby, who was in Castala as well, received some prices today. Again he won the competition. Soon I will have more news on what and how they flew in Castala.
sunday 5 dec
Rainy, sad weather. No sun, no colour.
Some sunny spells this afternoon. Watching the regatta, Alicante -Tabarca - Alicante. Some locals left for Castala, down south. To join the yearly reunion with clubs from Almeria. All flew and had a good time.
saturday 4 dec 2004
Rain and windy today. Northwest veering to norhteastern wind. Don't know if anybody flew today, I doubt it.
friday 3 dec 2004
Rain came down with buckets this morning. In the afternoon it cleared up. Now and then sunny spells. It is getting to be a bit cold. Sweaters on, raincoat nearby, cap. My last guests have gone. No more guiding for a couple of weeks.
I disconnect from paragliding a bit, to be totally ready again for my next guests. Of course if we get a nice clear blue sky, with northern winds for instance, I will be the first one to call my buddies to get to our mountains.
Northern winds - cold air, blue sky - warm valleys, can give us high cloudbase and great thermalling. And then I know, I'll meet my buddies on the hills. I 'll keep you informed, daily.
thursday 2 dec 2004
Were we lazy today ? Don't know, it feels like it. At our coastal sites it was a bit too strong - southwest. So we drove inland to check our southwestern sites. Drove to Agost, then nearby El Cid, then Orito. Then we saw some wave clouds over our tops. Above more westwards a coldfront approaching. More wind ? High winds on height ? Pedro gave us info that is was still too strong and gusty at the coast. We decided to head back home and wait. A very "iffy" situation. At 4 pm, we had to decide, because dark at 6. We stayed home, too many clouds inland still. At 5 pm, it all cleared. Sunny over our El Cid. Possible 600m top to bottom today ??
Wednesday 1 december
Cloudy and rainy. No flying today.
Some coutnries are at its beautiful when the sun is out, but mostly in these countries the sun only shines occasionaly. Down here, it is at its ugliest when it rains, but then it hardly rains.
On the sidebutton "movie" you can watch a movie, shot by Jan Bernaerts (Belgian pilot). Hope you like it !!
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