I have just spent the most amazing two weeks in Nepal staying at fellow Mighty Wessex member John Mitchell's hotel (http://www.hotel-garden-nepal.co.uk/). Having only done 10 hours of UK ridge soaring and no thermalling, Pokhara was a bit of a shock to the system. Luckily John took us to Mhandra Dunga for a nice easy morning top to bottom for our first flight. After 2 hours offroading in a taxi and a half hour walk we arrived at take off around 5000ft asl...
Reverse launch in the thermal cycles was surprisingly easy and I was soon higher than I have ever been and on my way to the LZ. There were some small thermals but nothing much yet and after 25 minutes I landed next to a school where the school kids packed my wing away for 20 rupees.
Still buzzing we piled into the taxi and headed off to Sarangkot, the main site in Pokhara. This site we had to share! We sat and watched for a while before building up the courage to take to the air. John again showed us the way and we all followed him into the air. This site is rougher and more thermic and I managed my first ever 360 in a thermal on this flight, although I didn't manage to get much height before I lost it again.
Me doing a perfect spot landing with no cheating going on.
The gaggle circling. My time will come.
Flying over the landing zone with height to burn off. I will have to recalibrate back to UK mode when it comes to wasting height.
Finding time to pose for a quick photo in the smoother air over the lake.
After a bit more practice thermalling I decided to have a go at some midday flying. I put the Gopro into photo mode and went for it. Luckily a lot of people had gone XC earlier so the hill was quiet. I took off after my friend and flew straight out into the house thermal. My friend was scratching low he must have missed the thermal cycle and there was only one other wing quite a way above me so I had to centre the thermal myself. By the time I managed to get roughly centred my friend had caught me up and we flew round and round opposite each up in the core right up past the previously higher glider. This thermalling business is such a rush! My friend left the thermal to go XC but I wasn't ready to leave the safety of the hill so I carried on circling in lift as the climb was still strong. The vario was screaming and I was seeing numbers I had never seen before, I didn't even realise that the vario had a second scale. I was concentrating so hard I hadn't noticed how high I was. As the lift died off and it got a bit choppy I looked down and saw the tiny shape of the glider that was above me just moments ago. 8000ft above sea level according to the vario and at cloudbase for the first time!
With all this height it would be rude to waste it, so I set off after my friend, who was looking quite low over Mhandra Dunga. Sink, sink and more sink as I flew towards him. A temple ahead at the peak of a hill, the sun shining on the slope, got to be worth a try. As I approached the temple the vario started beeping and then I was looking straight up as the vario screamed. Yanked straight up in the core I felt as if a giant was pulling me up into the clouds. This was much stronger than anything at Sarangkot. I weight shifted over and tried to turn but the core threw me out. Lots of brake stopped the forward pitch and I was turning in the thermal and climbing. I would stumble on the core only to be thrown out again, it just didn't want to let me in. Back up to 8000ft and again I pointed towards Mhandra Dunga. My friend by now was out of sight, he must of landed at the landing zone where we first flew. I get on the radio and tell our driver to pick him up, at least I won't be alone when I land now.
The whole ridge is lifting now and I pass over Mhandra Dunga take off 3000ft above where I started my first flight here. Just past the take off the ridge drops down and there is no lift here. I turn around and see Sarangkot off in the distance. The wind is light, maybe I can make it back. I follow the ridge line back the way I came, past the temple the thermal is still working so I top up my height and start my glide back to Sarangkot. I arrive a 1000ft over Sarangkot exhausted. The air feels rougher now and the clouds are closing in from the mountains so I decided to land. My Gopro beeps as the battery dies, I hope it captured this flight! Over the lake with thousands of feet to spare I try a spiral dive. The rush as it throws me back, facing straight down, the world spinning. How quick the height disappears, I am soon on the ground. My vario says my spiral dive was 2740ft/min a new high for me. A massive flight of firsts for me, my highest, my first XC and my best spiral dive.
Hotel Garden Nepal - John Mitchell's hotel http://www.hotel-garden-nepal.co.uk/
I have to say a massive massive thank you to John Mitchell for making everything go so smoothly. He gives good discounts to Wessex members and couldn't do enough for us. We ate most nights at his hotel as the food was fantastic, although lakeside is walking distance if you fancy some nightlife. I will be going back next year for sure, I hope to see some fellow Wessex members out there next time.
Now I just need to put what I learnt into action and do my first English XC!
Cheers
Sorry for babbling on
Richard
