Off to Belgium

How bad the weather was today on a scale of 10 ? I'd give it a 15. Dark grey clouds were rolling in from the coast all day, leaving rain behind.

I am off to my home country for a couple of days. See each other back next monday. I better be prepared for the Belgium snow and almost two digits temperatures below zero.

çGrey day

Grey day today, no colours, rain, hard wind. No fun with the wings today.

Alhama de Murcia flying paragliders

Chechu flying his Icepeak over Alhama de Murcia today. Yes, we left Alicante with its high winds and flew in Murcia.
Two sites Alhama de Murcia at first and then a big top to bottom to end the day at Carrascoy Murcia.

photo contest 2011

In the year 2011 we will be organizing a photo contest with in this format :

- All photo’s have to be shot on our hills, in the region of Alicante.
- photo’s have to be linked to paragliding, but not necessarily have to have a paraglider in view
- photo’s will be copyright free, and will be published with photographers’ name on my blog, photo-file, website Doyouwanna
- maximum three photo’s per pilot

Photo’s can be sent in from January 2011 onwards till December 2011. At the end of the year 2011, the 3 most beautiful photos will get a prize.
Photos will be selected by independent jury.
First price is a free stay at Doyouwanna’s, worth 365 euros.
Second and third price, I'll be looking for a sponsor somewhere.

Any suggestions to this format are very welcome.

The photo contest will be kick-started in January 2011.

I hope to receive your photo's from january 2011 onwards.

Paragliding Alicante

I hate parawaiting. I really do. Looking at each others faces, talking bullshit. I could not live in a country where paragliding involves more parawaiting than flying. I would quit. There are so much more things to do. If you can cope with it, I don't know, I think you miss something. Not having the right partner maybe, wanting to be away ? Not having the right job could be the case. Wanting to escape, prefer to sit on a hill, with the same guys over and over again, having the same view for hours. Booooo-oooring.

I gotta admit, parawaiting makes me nerveus. As it did today, untill Antolino took out his wing, having enough of it. Even if it is a top to bottom, the hell with it.

And all of a sudden, winds started to kick in. Giving us a hell of a late afternoon flight. Cold, but not freezing off brass monkeys' balls. November allright, but lovely to be out in the sky.

Early day

Cloudy, not nice today. Warm though 19 degrees, still better than anywhere else in Spain. But no luck, no flying today. Tomorrow we have to leave early to get out flying. Sleep tight.

Lets have laugh

Sunny spot

We found the sunny spot today. Near Villena. There we could play a bit when sun was out. Only then we could stay up and practise those november thermals. They were weak and didn't last long though. But hey, no complaints.

Almudadina

Rafael and Xavi went to Almudaina to fly and found a window. Almudaine is about 125 km from our base. A 4x4 track leads you to the take off, which has splendid view over the valley of Almudaina.
It is a 'must-topland' site as there is no bottom landing. Mostly flewn with strong norhwestely winds.
Well done Xavi and Rafael.

Paella

Hendrie from Holland at work, helping out with these huge paella's being served. It was a good way to spend a sunny sunday afternoon with too much wind. At Playa del Pinet.

Flying Spain

Not the weather we particularly like, but hey not complaining after those last days.

We were off early this morning to take our chances at Calpe, but once again Toix wasn't flyable. Chill, feet up.

Alicante paragliding

Set out early this morning with no wind, and lots of grey clouds.

But we come up trumps again. It all started to work in our favour. Blue sky and a nice window. Especially for the dutch pilots, ending their flying holiday in Alicante. Thanks Ellen organising it, thanks being here again. Hope we meet again, by all means.

Some foto's down below. This one just here is a pilot too quick to sit. His glider is still hanging back and he already sits, he could easily have hit the deck with his bum, glider shooting over. Sorry, had to say it.

Murcia paragliding

Eric who delivered lots of foto's on the blog this week.

Roadtrip to Murcia, Mazarron where we can visit the unspoiled virgin beaches. The little bays where it is nice to snorkel, dive, take the sea-kayak out. At lunchtime it is great to have paella on a terrace, the sea at a stonethrow away. Then hike up to Cabo Tiñoso, if you are ever here on a non-flyable day, don't miss these cliffs. Overlooking the sea, 200 high cliffs, wait for the sunset, you'll be high.

But we all missed that, because it was flyable !! Yes, it was. Carrascoy was on. Northwesterly winds, gave us playtime, as long as we wished. Glory, glory hallelujah.

Feels like autumn

First days grey skies, some raindrops even on Alicante.

I went to the bar in my village, and locals were praising the weather, at last some rain, a blessing. Well as a paraglider visiting Alicante right now, you hope for better weather of course.

Red sky in the morning, sailors warning ?

No flying today

Howling winds, on a sunny day. Cold air this time, cold air coming from northwest. Feet up.

Morocco flying

Recently Moroccon sites have been closed and are now being ruled and inspected by the Moroccon police force. The aread around Marrakesh is supposed to be most affected.
Of course I cannot speak out for any reason, but next article could explain a lot.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive.cfm?storyid=ED0D84FA-5056-A318-A84ADD1873EBF400&rss=true

I am not organising a roadtrip to Morocco, although Morocco is one of the countries in the world that I love the most. I am off to Morocco myself to fly in february (well if they let me ...), but do not feel like feeling responsable for a group. I think a second thought has to be given if you feel like flying in remote areas, or/and in countries where maybe maybe medical assistance could be more of different standards than home. And maybe Bruce Willis is not always there.

Calpe flying

Briefing, lots of pilots around, local and visiting pilots, the more the merrier.

Mani, old time pilot from Benidorm

A very happy Ellen

Weather is changing. Today we had a huge inversion, just before some high winds coming in tomorrow. We played and guided it safe, and went for Toix. Maybe having to be patient but surely making the best chance to fly. Most of the pilots had their first flying at this precious and gorgeous site.

Flying over the peninsula, right and left looking down at the turqioise (?¿) sea. Views excellent.

Peña Rubia northwest flying paragliders

Anders from Norway after flying.

Me flying my new glider, Skywalk Cayenne3, obviously too fast for the photographer.

Mr Kool and the gang at Peña Rubia today. Summer heat, 25 degrees, inversion, not the best for flying but summery feeling.

Paragliding Costa Blanca

November is the month with the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Sunrises at 8 am, that's about the time I have to get up this month, so maybe on other months I am still stinky in bed.
Sunsets, driving home from flying. Or from not flying like today. Too much westwind, just a little bit too much to feel comfortable taking off. Gusts in between 20 km p/h and 40 km p/h, damn.
No worries, we had a great day out in the sun, 20 degrees and more, mid november, hard to realize at times.
Tomorrow is another day, west will blow again, but if it just blows a little bit less, just a little bit less, pleeeeeaaaaaaaaaase then we'll all have a hell of a time.

Foto contest coming up

Foto contest is coming up, working on the format now. Soon on blog and forums, don't be shy let me have your foto's !

Some lesser news about Morocco. Sites near Marrakesh are all closed. Too much shit going in with visiting pilots, an accident with a Swiss pilot was one too many. I was gonna organise a trip to Morocco, a roadtrip. But Kath (yes my ever lovely wife), didn't feel like supporting me this time. She hated the idea of having responsibility for a group, imagine having a little accident down there. Fair enough, and now with the stress of having the sites closed it is definite not going to happen. Problem ? No way man, end of june beginning of july we organise again a roadtrip to the Pyrenees. Let me know if interested.

Alhama de Murcia paragliding

Dave under his Gradient Delight at Alhama de Murcia. Southwest veering to west. A lovely site above the village. Not so easy, not so relaxed today. As Els and Stijn can tell you, bumpy coming in, and winds changing all over. But all good, november is not the biggest month for big fat thermals, so at least safetywise they were absent.

Look at their bulletin board, us in Alicante can only dream about this. Gosh, they are so much better organised. I wished Alicante pilots, just had half of the drive, spirit they have down there in Murcia.

Well done again, Murcia-nos.

Paragliding foto contest

I am thinking about organising a foto-contest. It would be open for all. I am organising a format :

- max three foto's per pilot, end of contest, end of 2011.

- all foto's have to be paragliding related, and been shot in our region

- winner will be jugde next year

- prices, first price free paragliding week with us (value 365 euros)

- hope to find some sponsors, paragliding shops, brands etc ...

- etc ... give me ideas

I am thinking, I am thinking

Imagine you take such a fabulous foto like Valencian pilot Jasna took. It would be hard to beat this foto already, flying and taking such a wonderful foto of a heart cloud.

Monforte del Cid paragliding

It was again windy today. Sunny and warm, but windy. And inland showers, now and then. So a good day to go hiking, or enjoy the beaches.

This foto shows you El Cid the big mountain on the left, and centre right Palomaret, shot taken from Orito.

There is always one, isn't there ...

Lots of wind today, so did something else.

too much wind

It is a lousy job sometimes, telling pilots that it is too windy to fly. But when I look around, its' not the worst job after all.

Hiking Alicante

When not flyable we have to do other things. And all outdoors, as there is little activity indoor.
So hiking for instance. Near Le Cati, near Sella, near Cabezon de Oro, near Crevillente.
These are some shots taken by Ulli Volker and Claudia hiking.

First one is Benidorm in the distance.
Second, weird insect, rather not overnight in your pillow case.
Third, overlooking Alicante with Cabo de Santa Pola in the distance.

Villena paragliding

A professional photographer of the town of Villena was present to make foto's of our flying. Soon under the most beautiful castle of Villena there will be a museum with all sports activities in the region. Climbing, via ferrate, and paragliding, amongst other more mainstream sports like bullfighting.

A bit of a gamble, a small gamble, wanting to fly on our own, without stress or us stressing others. Knowing that there was an exam fgor beginners pilots to get their club pilot license at Palomaret.

And it worked all according to plan.

A northwesterly site, leaving us space to chill untill the sun was warming up its faces. First time on this site for most of us, and immediately bingo, with transitions to the village of Biar. Smooth climbs, up to 600 m above take off.

We never get those kind of thermals in England, was one of the quotes today.