Conditions were much better this morning, paragliding will definitely be on the program today. Deano and Gans had convinced me that it made more sense to camp up on top, in St. Hillaire as that was where most of the night time activities were taking place. I went to the campsite office to see if I could get a refund as I had prepaid for the week but the muscly late 40s woman, Isobel, explained that this camp ground was part of some French federation and therefore it had already been registered through them making a refund impossible. How daft. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to be an organized nice guy...
We hit a grocery store to stock up for the next five days and then journeyed up the mountain. We located a nice area in a big field not too far from the alternate takeoff and it was just five minutes walk to all of the action. Excellent.
Driving up to St. Hillaire:
Betty's spot for the week:
Our view of the upper ridge from the campsite:
So we set up camp and then wandered over to the main takeoff (the astro-turf one) to go flying. Just before launching, I saw a familiar face, it was Pete Michelmore, a guy who I’ve met a few times before both in Pemberton (in BC) where he has a home and I’ve visited his place in Oahu. He, his girlfriend Bonnie and another guy Larry were off to Interlaken for a day or two and then would return for the festival.
Deano ready to launch:
I took off after Gans and Deano and after about 10 minutes I was able to climb above the ridge. After boating around and gaining 300 meters over launch, I took a few pics of our campsite and then decided to try venturing north, in a direction that I hadn’t gone too far before. The sky was overcast and therefore the thermals were weak. There was one other PGer at the end of the first contiguous ridge but soon he left and headed back towards launch. I hopped over the first gap and recognized the snaking road that we had just taken up to St. Hillaire. The wind was from the north so I had to be wary of rotor as I crossed these gaps. I flew across another gap that had me parked once or twice in areas that turbulence could be present. I made sure that I had an escape route planned just in case. I spent a good 20 minutes or so ridge soaring back and forth above the trees, slowly gaining height. I never did make it to the top of the ridge though before deciding to cruise back towards the launch and landing zone. I didn’t fully expect to make it but not only did I get back to the area, I climbed a couple of hundred meters to get above the ridge and then top land so I had just a five minute walk back to Betty...an hour and a half flight in marginal conditions...I’ll take that!
Looking down on launch:
Our campsite from the air (the white spot on the left is Betty):
Flying by a nice waterfall:
Looking at St. Hillaire:
Another paramotor pilot, Phil, and his wife Caroline arrived that evening from England in a nice little campervan (actually, not that little...I was slightly jealous, sorry Betty). We sat around chatting with a few drinks for the evening. There was a lot of paramotor shop talk which I wasn’t used to and I definitely learned a few things about that sport which surprisingly differs a fair bit to paragliding even though the only real difference is that you have a motor on your back.
What a view...
Gans, Deano and yours truly:
Gorgeous sunset:
Gans happy in his tent:
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