Slovenia 29th June to 13th July 2015

Knowing that this was Dom’s 5th visit to the area, he quickly became my guide in all matters local, and the very next day we are on the Stol ridge take off. This had huge potential, a 100kms and more was on the cards. After getting a quick site brief on the landing options, Dom and I quickly headed for the Slovenian/Italian border.

On the way out I was sticking to Dom like glue and made sure he didn’t leave my sight. So an uneventful first hour passed as we made progress along the ridge taking every thermal available, and sitting most of the time above the ridge averaging 2,300m, with a couple of tricky transitions negotiated, then into the thick of Italy with landing options disapearing as forestry paves the way and big wide valleys are exchanged for steep ravines, we come across this huge 1.5 km valley gap. So with Dom leading, I’m on full speed bar trying to get across quickly and cut through the sinky air. Anyway didn’t loose too much height and then we are climbing up on huge thermals 6-8m/s that are being scooped up from the massive valley system below.

This was where I got cocky and started to drift back with the thermic lift and loose the perspective of my position relative to the spine back. Well the inevitable happened and I fell out the back of the thermal into major sink (I thought at one stage I was in freefall) and directly into the ridge rotor, well I had the full on washing machine effect for a good few seconds where I could do nothing to control it. Anyway I got a little rest-bight, came to my senses and banged on full bar back to the top and over the ridge, making with 20m to spare then BANG straight into the valley thermals on the windward side, although this was rough I was ready for it, and I was back up to height in no time.

The rest of the flight into Italy I stayed relatively low on windward side until I got to the end where the mountains stopped abruptly and the flat lands took over. Then at that point I worked out there was a different airflow and I found coming along the ridge getting rough again. After I worked it out that the flat lands effect had subtlety altered the wind direction causing rotor over the end of the ridge, adjusted course and pushed out wider to come round onto the front face and again into some fierce thermals.

On the way back with Dom I took to the front staying well out from ridge with wind behind us and speed bar applied at the right times we found the return journey very quick, we had to cross a large valley system to jump onto the Krn (2244m) a massive mountain which is one of the gateways into the Julien Alps, but with it in cloud I really didn’t fancy it, again moving onto the end of the ridge I was on, I took a decision to cross the biggest crossing of the day, this was one of the gambles that didn’t quite work and I lost a lot of height in the process. I still came in high, but I was then scratching 3/4 on the Mrzli vrh ridge, and there was no way but down. I worked in close to trees for all I was worth and finally accepted a landing at Tolmin and in the process recording a 73km distance (which in UK standards is a very good flight), Dom decided to use it as a turn point and landed at Gabre which added another 3km to his flight.

The next day we were joined by Stu Yarrow and decided to go for the big flight again and along to Stol take off.

Conditions were not great and base was down to the tops of mountains. Again Dom's off first and struggling to stay below cloud, Stu and I follow shortly after, then after a bit of ridge soaring, I made the initial move along the ridge. Initially in close, until I saw Stu climbing in the middle of the valley, so I went and joined him where we ourselves ended up immersed in cloud for a minute or so, then on exiting I realised that we where coming up on a critical ridge transition and getting high above it wasn’t an option on the day, so headed towards it with the idea of skirting around it.

Well that was it wasn’t it I got drilled and even so more when I applied bar. Loosing so much height was putting me in a serious situation, and with nothing but forestry all around I was desperately looking for a landing option and there were none. Until I spotted a half chance the smallest clearing with a few trees dotted about with the prospect of full on concentration negotiating them.

So that was it then this landing or a lot of trees.

Anyway I dropped down lost height and the closer I got the clearing became bigger and less daunting, but I still had to be on the money this wasn’t going to be a given. So 9 kms into the flight I’m setting up for final glide, when another glider appears in front of me with the same idea! I was low and committed and there was nothing I could do. I landed fine considering it was an up hill slope, but at the same time looked over my shoulder to see the other pilot take a downwind landing and crashing into trees.

Well my kit was off and I was sprinting downhill to see if everything was okay and found a rather fetching German girl who seemed to have bounced okay and unharmed.

More to the point she wa very pleased her glider wasn't damaged either.

When I asked why she had come for the same spot she answered

“Well I saw you in the Sigma and you looked like you knew what you were doing so I followed you”

!!!!!!!! I have to admit I was dumb struck by the comment.

The walk out was horrendous we had landed in heavily forested major ravine country, where it felt we where on an army assault coarse climbing and skirting around large fallen trees, we did make it onto a concrete road after about an hour’s sweat session and hence we were shortly in the closest village of Montemaggiore (about 1km inside Italy), which in itself was in the back of beyond, then only to be told by an Italian coffee shop owner that the next village was 26kms away, you should have seen Bridget’s face it was quite something!

About 5 kms along the road she finally hitched a lift for both of us, and noting that Bridget was the only one who spoke any Italian and being a female to boot, I suggested that she get in the front seat and chat the guy up. I could only convey my humblest thanks to the guy when he dropped us off, and that’s where Dom collected us. Stu we found a little bit farther back down the road, who has his own story to tell.

For the next few days weather wasn’t ideal for the Tolmin area , so we decided on the Lijak take off (45 minute drive from the chalet). The two days there gave us another ridge run option of out or out and return. Both days for me gave consecutive recordings of 30km and 38km. The second day there was more interesting when I was being chased by a Cu-Nib and had to land in the valley out front due to going stationary and getting drilled when I turned back into wind on the ridge, and of course the thunder/lightening was getting closer!!

Then we were into the comp with Przemek and his wife Aleks joining us, so the chalet was starting to get busy. All the tasks bar one were set from Kobala take off (1080m). The practice day I blew by missing the start gate, but that was all right because it didn’t count, However for some unknown reason I can't explain I did the same on the first task which I really did beat myself up about. I had a great flight went along with all the other comp pilots only to score nil points. Some lessons are hard learned!!

The second task I did make goal along with the other 100 or so pilots that task was easily do-able and a well needed tonic to many, we also had a full Scottish complement in goal. There was one day tasked at Lijak due to another weather front coming in. I had just got the 2nd turn point way out into the flat lands when the front made it’s move and shut everything down. I then lost so much height trying to get back to the ridge on full speed bar. That then ended being the inevitable: Extended to prolonged fly down. Nobody got to goal that day and the task finished early. After that on the two remaining tasks I made goal again.

So what I’ve learned was although I made a complete mess of the first task I could have been in contention with good scores if I was faster, and that coming down to inexperience having taken climbs where I probably didn’t need to, also noted I need to get more familiar with my instruments especially on final glide angles these things could be quickly calculated with less time lost going for gaining more height.

At the end of the comp the prize giving ceremony took place with both top male and female coming from Germany, the local pilots cleaned up in the recreational and sports categories. Tim Jackson joined us that night for the last couple of days in the chalet.

With the comp over we had one spare day to get in a good flight. With Tim on a "fly further" course the other 4 of us Scottish based pilots went to do the Italian ridge run again. I seemed to get the better day, with Dom getting stuck on the lee side of one of the ridge transitions and I know how hard that one can be, as it had previously put me down on the deck on a flight a week & half earlier.

Przemek and Stu didn’t fair that well either, both of them had clocked the wind increasing and landed out. Only to get back to their car in Kobarid and go back up to this time the Kobala take off. Okay the ridge run for me was uneventful, yes I experienced stronger conditions, but was happy with them and I then got myself in a position to transition onto the Krn and in doing so got low, but managed to soared up it and dropped off the side to connect with the Tolminski Kuk (2085m) ridge.

I think that I made the Vogel (1922m) when all hell broke loose having two 50% Asymmetric collapses and a full frontal in quick succession, that I think was when I made the decision that I had enough and to land. Well that was easy said than done, as I was heading towards the main valley system I noted that I was sinking out pretty fast so the glide that I was on wasn’t going to do the job. So continuously pushing forward I made over a large ravine with no landing options, into a valley that would take me down onto flat fields of luscious grass, as I noted coming around the head of the ridge I was being hit by quite a strong valley wind and had very little forward speed, getting drilled in the process.

So I now wasn’t going to make those flat fields and would have to go for the 2nd option turning back up the valley and landing in a small grassed area half way up an alpine slope. Well I was quite pleased with myself as it ended up not being an issue with a couple of power lines to negoiate I landed 30m away in the middle of the field which belonged to the hamlet of Obloke that sits above the village of Hudajuzna, (all those hours spent in Scotland on windy days came into play) and I had another retrieve by Dom. Probably improved on the original 73kms distance, but not sure by how much.

Tim, Dom and myself were invited to the chalet owners residence that night for a meal and drinks, having had that experience a few nights prior I took to beer and didn’t participate with the family made Schnapps!! Using the excuse that I was driving back to Venice the next morning, and so quite happily watched Tim get hammered.

I loved flying in Slovenia, probably the best flying trip I’ve had to date. Having made good friends there, I will be going back.

Sean

 

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