On a high overcast day, we drove to La Clusaz and the end of the valley below the Chaine des Aravis, to hike Le Tardevant at 8,000' altitude. It only took 2 1/2 hours to climb, while watching paragliders fly from Le Grand Bornand and La Clusaz to the left and right of us, as we powered up to Le Tardevant with amazing views abounding! Just as we arrived at the top, in came the only Liiiitle rain of the day -- the clouds started 1,000' below us as they drifted in.
Before the miniscule deluge, we did get to view the other side, down to Passy Valley for a short minute, and I did get to see the glide I would love to take one day, from that peak to Plaine Joux, below in the distance. After hiking down to Lac Tardevant, we stopped for lunch, and the clouds lifted back to the high overcast we started with. After reaching our car, we relaxed with views abounding to Chaine des Aravis above us and Le Grand Bornand, and La Clusaz and the Plateau Beauregard. Then it was a quick one hour drive back to Annecy to view the full moon above Mt. Veyrier, with dinner on the lanai.
Now for the real story! Waking to sunny clear skies, we drove up to Planfait above Talloires. I launched at 1:30 PM and scratched up above the Dents Lanfon. Then I went on glide again for the second time to La Parmelan, this time coming in 500' higher than on the last attempt, arriving just at the base of the granite but above the trees. I climbed up to the top of the granite ridge that had been so unobtainable last time! I flew the whole length of the ridge, well above the refuge we had hiked to a week before. Then I flew along the ridge to the jump off point above Dingy Saint Clair, where I sank out on my first attempt a few days ago, and back to the Dents Lanfon, while passing high above Alex on the way. (Alex is a small mountain village.) Arriving at a decent altitude, it was easy to core back up to the top of the Dents Lanfon and above.
Then, after topping out on the Dents Lanfon, I crossed the lake to Rocs des Bouefs, 11+ miles from Le Parmelan which I had just come from. After climbing for just 20 minutes I could not dedicate myself any longer to reach the top and glide to Le Charbon to further my distance, because I was ready to burst from all the hydration in which I had been indulging. So at 5K, I pointed it straight for Doussard LZ and the little boys room! Next time I will not drink so much water. I arrived just in time to pack up and eat a side of fries before the Navette shuttle ride arrived to whisk me away to the top of Col Forclaz and the Montmin launch for 6 euro and another attempt at Skyalis above the French Alps …
The Montmin launch is now even huger than you remember! It even has outdoor carpet for your preparation area! It's the largest swath of carpet outdoors I've ever seen in my life! Launching for my second flight of the day at 5:30pm, I scratched up high enough to move toward and under Lanfonnet, where I hit a tiny thermal and used my motto, "never leave lift". Must have turned a dozen or more circles, barely going up as 4 or 5 gliders passed me, heading for the Dent Lanfon, very low in the scheme of things. Then finally she busted loose and my vario started to sing! The waiting paid off and I took this one all the way up to 7K high above Lanfonnet, while watching all the gliders that passed me grovelling way down there. End of the day euphoria set in and I went on glide to Dents Lanfon, staying well above them when I arrived, and I just kept on going to Mont Veyrier, to soar above our apartment in the corner of the Annecy lake next to town.
The lift was waning now, so after going as far as I could to the end of the ridge for a picture of our neighborhood, I turned around and went on glide to Plan Fait launch, coming in 250' lower than take off. The end of the day heat was not enough, as everyone was sinking slowly down to the Talloires LZ, where I also went and landed at 7pm. I radioed Jeannine and her sister Jackie who came to visit us for a couple days and they packed up from Menton beach to join me at the Talloires.
We relaxed in front of the Paragliding shops on a pinic table having a frosty Pelforth or two (or three), while watching the end of the day sledders approaching their target in front of us. What an amazing end to an amazing day! Back to Annecy Les Vieux apartment and onto the lanai with aperitif and pupus to enjoy the closing rays of light beaming bright red on the rock faces in the distance.
Hope you all are having your own epic flights back in Hawaii, and can't wait to be back flying with all my buddies and telling tall tales with the setting sun on a warm beach while sinking ourselves with Torpedoes … the next European coffee read will probably be from Engleberg, Switzerland, a week from now.
Aloha, Mad Dog et La Peste
8 comments:
What a great flight, Mad Dog! Thanks for sharing the story and pictures. The one I chose for the front page of the story is my favorite, with the lake so far in the distance, and your little boots over the Parmelan. I would love to try that flight one day. I am glad you landed to save your bladder from rupturing.
Wow! Keep em coming Mad Dog! Congrats on such a great couple of flights! Wish I were able to be there with ya, but such is life. I have been tracking your flights on the map that Alex linked to your trip. That way, I can learn some of the routes you are taking. I Love It---Never Leave Lift! That has become my motto since you first told it to me...
Amazing terrain and landscape. I really want to go there. I know the names of the peaks and valleys and towns invoke images to those that have been. I'm just trying to pronounce them in my mind so I might be able to say them later and then "poof", they're forgotten. They mean nothing to me, but I'll change that when I go. BTW, when you go to the windlines home page and compare the photo between Kahana and Annecy, you see the difference in scale. Our own Pyramid is dwarfed by what you're surrounded by there. Count me in for next year. Great posts!
Nice flying Dog. Better than last year. Wishing I was there bro.
I would have pissed myself and that's not because I had to go.
Great story Dog, you are and always will be a Cowboy, blazing trails of unknowns.
Keep up the good work over there , you are representing a lot of monkeys who also are living vicariously through you exploits.
Ya, wish I was there too,!
I flew in Annecy this past May with my brother and it really a fantastic area. Mais, mon ami, vous avez eu le grand tour du lac.
Onomea Eric
Hey good meeting you guys and flying with you. Maybe bump into you some other time and place! Maybe a visit to Hawaii for some flying and surfing. Have fun.
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