Saturday 20/9 - not flying day


Sunday 21/9 - fish bowl race
    The organizers excerpted today's task as two laps in front of the mountain edge followed with a jump flash over to the opposite side of the valley than the ones from the previous days in the length of 43km. It is in the west over the mountain Palmyra (4200m) and through a valley with another giant Yellow Mountain (4400m).

    I and John Cash are looping the starting Indianapolis as the fastest ones and with a jump we are getting on to take the first pointed darling. But the air is somehow shut off and we just so-so fly closely above the peak and hurrah to get to the shadowy leeward on the other side of the valley. We managed to reach the peak of the Yellow Mountain, but nothing wants to take us to the final, ten kilometres long glide through the table to the destination.

    Our well deserved jump is gone. But it looks as that the rest of the gaggle brought so much needed thermal activity and all that is left is a duel with the nerves - who will be the first to glide to a goal. We wait for nothing and the first ones fly to the goal with just metres above the tape. I after this year's experiences better finish with turning some more turning points. It is great to be the first, but not exactly in front of the tape. Also today Honza was doing really well and he is reaching beautiful fifth place.






Monday 22/9 - a trip to the unknown
    The organizers today excerpted the bravest and hardest task - altogether 53km long flight over the 4500m high range to the plains on the other side. Just after a small loop before launch with two turning points we all with a height of almost 5000m cross the valley and lift up for the flew over the area of rocky massifs.

    But thanks to the high pressure the thermal activity is somehow funny today. Ten people is whizzing along for ten metres 7-8m/s up, meanwhile the rest of them tries to survive sharp turbulence and trap door to the unknown. And because it is not possible to do anything else than to fly over them the struggle for height claims attention, a lot of good luck and being at the right place in the right time. The leading group is being created and they are the first ones trying to find out what is it like on the other side. But only Eric Reed is after a fight with headwind and with no thermals finally gliding into a goal. The rest of the group is landing just a few metres before the tape. The other group, where am I as well, took more than twenty minutes to lift up high enough for the crossing of the mountain. After long final glide on to the last turning point we are hit with strong and unexpected valley wind and only thanks to the local fledgling our insane group finds out just a little bit more organised thermal activity and hurrah to the safety of heights. And for nothing great lasts forever the thermal is ending and just the few lucky ones has got the opportunity to continue for the last eight kilometres over the plains to the goal. The rest is ballooning in a zero lift and headwind. The less patient ones are touching the land just metres before the tape. But it is a wonder that whatever the results may be everyone is whole heartedly happy from the gorgeous flight over the beautiful mountains. Well, I am finally gliding into a goal after a long fight in 100metres above the land.

    That is followed with a classical, necessary and involuntary bath in a local pond (local habit how to congratulate the winner) and this year not even Eric Reed - the second one in order - will not escape it (the first American and thereby the Champion of the United States).

    This year's racing was the mixture of strong conditions, beautiful mountains and great atmosphere. Who did not have an oxygen cylinder is leaving a bit softer brain again; we were after all flying up to 6000metres. And the combination of alcohol and tenuous air is a bit too much for the brain cells.

    In the end I would like to say thanks to Petr Recek and his company MAC Para Technology for the great machine Magus, which flies almost on an autopilot and for the opportunity to have a look in one of the most beautiful mountains on the Earth again - the Rocky Mountains.