On a brief trip to Annecy in France for SIV with fellow Brit comp pilots last week, I had one day spare for free flying. The SIV didn't go quite as well as hoped (yes I got wet, twice!) but after a poor sleep i got up at 7:30am to re-pack my now dry reserve at Flyeo, patch up my harness and then after a quick croissant, dashed back to meet the others.
The pictures tell the story better than words.
Understandably, everyone was a bit tired after two exciting days and most opted to have a chilled morning and a valley flight later in the day. However, I knew that someone had flown 275km from Col de Bleyne to Chamonix two days previously and although I hadn't had time to check the weather properly it might still be a good airmass today even if the met wind was still from the S; not the easiest direction in the Northern Alps.
So I persuaded Robin, Andrew, Caedmon and Antonio to try Marlens where, on a good day, you can take off at between 10 and 11am and hop round a tricky corner onto the E face of the Aravis. Getting up wasn't easy but as I got established above Charvin, I was pleased to join a thermal with a green Boom 10 which I half recognised as Cedric who I had met at the British Open in Macedonia in 2015.
As we topped out the blue thermal, Cedric whistled and pointed NE up the Chaine d'Aravis and I tramped on the bar. Game on.
The pictures tell the story better than words.
What a day! Great flying with you Cedric and thank you Camile for the retrieve.
A slide show is here. Click "i" on the photos if you want to see some captions/place names.
Other flights done in the area on the same day including Cedric's are here (click on "gps" to see a visualisation).
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| Looking E from Tete du Colonney to Mont Blanc on the R |
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| Bernese Alps |
