Ben Leanachan - Braco 21st March 2009

A windy day in the central highlands with <800m base and buoyant frontal air - managed a couple of hours and 40k - ben leanachan - s end glen ample - lochearnhead - near braco.

6/8 cloud initially with some decent sized clouds showing in the gaps. At the bottom of glen ogle i left trias and paul m to their weak thermals leading out over the water decided to try going south first to glen ample - the bluest bit of sky around. i was fortunate to find Ben Our was soarable from right down in the bracken on the s side of the loch (bob g was higher later and not so lucky)

lochearnhead village bottom right (photo by trias)

looking east along loch earn (photo by trias)

The south end of glen ample was a bit stressful as my blue hole filled in - full bar and big ears were needed to keep away from clouds with mountains in them and the venturi between Ben Each and Stuc a Chroin was quite strong and rough.

However, once halfway back up to lochearnhead the flight was enjoyable again and i was able to thermal and soar along to St Fillans before heading SE for a low save in Glen Artney thanks to 3 buzzards and a honking black cloud before a landing a k or two NW of Braco Castle on the edge of Glen Lichorn. I blew the last climb which was a good one and would have probably got me across the A9 and into the Ochil hills.

My max ground speed was 73k so just as well I was on the ground by half one before the wind picked up further. Track log for the flight is here

photo by trias