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Competition Briefing
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What To Do On A Poor Day
There was a marked reluctance amongst most
non-competition pilots to fly today. Various expeditions set off for picnics,
extended sessions of wine-tasting at the local caves and swimming in the
gorge de la Meouge.
Of those who flew, Andrew made further
progress into the Sollieres valley by reaching the lac Cenis. He reported a
cloudbase of 16,000ft and, at one point, a most impressive 16-knot climb.
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David chose to take his Pik to the rarely visited lower
slopes of the pointe de Pécé, near the outlanding field of Le Rosier, north of
Briancon. After applying some effort he managed to convert a low point of 7500ft to a less stressful
12,000ft and so found an easy route home.
Ariane put into practice some of the techniques she
learned with Hervé the previous day, in particular how to make a low
transit from Malaup to Authon via the Jouére-Trainon pass (all local to
Sisteron).
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In the Sollieres valley
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Head of the Sollieres valley
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John took himself off to Mont Velan, north of Aosta, having
enjoyed an excellent run via Malaup, Aujour, Ceuse, pic de Bure and into the
Ecrins via the Valgaudemar. A cloudbase of 14,000ft meant that selecting a
suitable pass was not, for today at least, an issue.
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'Guess Who I Had In The Back The Other
Day...?'
Picture the scene yesterday afternoon:
John and Martin are soaring the Duo at the Serre Montdenier where, due to
another of John's miscalculations, they are desperately searching for a climb to avoid
an outlanding at Puismosson. About 10 feet above the ridge line, 5000ft
above sea level, Martin's
phone rings. He answers it and proceeds to conduct a rather jocular and
informal conversation with the caller. Bridgie gets the feeling that Martin
is perhaps losing interest in the flight and that the pilot is, in effect,
on his own in trying to get them both home. John nevertheless manages to
apply supreme skill to keep on top of the situation and soars away, thus
avoiding what could have become a nasty scenario of recrimination and
ill-feeling. John now looks forward to a vibrant career as a mini-cab driver.
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Final group meal of the holiday at the Pikothym,
Valernes
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