Thursday 26.05.2005
    "Me and climbing up a tree to gather oranges? It must be an absurdity definitely. But I'm interested in the matter with my hat," tries to remember the last night one unnamed girl who suffers from a bad memory after yesterday's strong water pipe and what is more, her hands are shivering visibly. But don't be mistaken, her name is not Martina Pospisilova and any resemblance to actual person is purely coincidental. A pillar of mercury in front of Penzion Kukacka indicates appreciably higher temperature in contrast to yesterday and the wind doesn't blow at all.

    A navigationally simple task with the only one turning point Certova hora is declared on Cerna hora at a briefing at noon. A goal is set on the landing zone under Kozakov hill. It means the first leg of the route leads 25km above Krkonose mountains to the northwest side at first, the second one leads 23km outside the mountains towards the southwest then.

    "I'm afraid we have opened the window on the wrong side," disputes Karel Vrbensky who is prepared to take off as the first at half past noon but the wind blows from behind sadly. The direction of the wind changes only ten minutes later and a Danish pilot Mads Syndergaard takes off surprisingly beside Karel.

    There is no problem to rise above the hill in these thermic conditions and all pilots take off within forty minutes. Now non-racing paragliding pilots can take off at last. I counted twenty six pilots, most of them from Poland. I can count in Poland language anyway.

    "And now ones more and better!" encourages herself laudly Pavlina Herberova alias Tyda who succeeded in rising above the hill with lines tangled after her first take-off, she landed on a close meadow afterwards and now she is taking off bravely again one hour after the start window opening.

    An advance on the first leg of the route is not very difficult above high mountains and rows of clouds which cloudbases form in a height of 2200 meters above sea level today and 35 pilots reach the first turning point successfully. But 23 of them are forced to land on the route to Kozakov hill and that's why only twelve best competitors arrive to the goal finally.

    The fastest trio of today's task Jan Kupka, Adie Kumar and Ludek Prochazka lands in the goal after almost two hours. Nine more arrive later afterwards. There are no changes on top positions in overall ranking after this day, just the lead of Frantisek Pavlousek set a bit lower.