PWC Loma Bola: Task 2
Today started off looking mostly grey, with lots of cloud and a low chance of a task. The nice thing about Loma Bola is that the days start late, at least compared to what I’m used to in Costa Rica. There, the first thermals are at 9am if you want to get the longest window of flying opportunity, so I’m always going to bed early to be up early. So when I found myself eating dinner last night at midnight with the Argentinians I’m sharing a house with, I didn’t feel so bad about it knowing I would get a few extra hours in bed this morning.
Like predicted, the cloud was low and grey when we reached launch just before midday and we waited patiently, observing the conditions in the hope of it improving. The sun finally emerged for a moment and everyone was hopeful for a good task. An ambitious 59.3km course was set. Patches of sun were beaming through out in the valley and the task was going to take us South through several turn points on the way to goal.
The window opened to take-off and we were staying up at cloud base, being careful not to get in the cloud. A nice gaggle formed and I managed to climb on top again and get myself in a good position for the start time
As the start time came closer, conditions continued to get lighter and lighter. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a start gaggle so low. If you were low you were just about not landing and if you were high you were only 100 meters above those who were low.
Finally we started and a big cloud rolled in, blocking the sun and completely changing the conditions. The wind starting blowing from the mountain removing any possibility of soaring to stay up.
From then the competition turned into who could simply glide the furthest towards the first turn point. As the air shut down I chose a route along the mountain which didn’t have the best glide, other chose a different line which saw them go a little further. It always feels pretty bad sinking out, except when you see everyone else sink out with you.
Of all the places to have to land that aren’t the goal, a strawberry farm is pretty epic. I landed safely and snacked on strawberries as I waited for the retrieve, explaining about paragliding to the locals who are so welcoming and interested in the sport.
Noone made the nominal distance today so the scores across the board are very low and will pretty much be a throw day for everyone. I would have liked yesterday to be the day to scratch off my score as I didn’t perform as well as I know I can.
Hopefully we will fly more than another two tasks so it gives more opportunity to score higher. With this unpredictable weather we won’t know what we’re flying in tomorrow until we’re up there but better to be flying and learning something than not flying at all.