Ridge soaring

I was so deeply worried about today.. For weeks it’s been playing in my mind, will I be able to cope – am I able enough – do I have the experience needed – will I survive this time – as the last two years have tested my resolve – having be made to specifically write and defend my attitude before I was accepted in a way kind of amplified these feelings, omg, I was nervous.

The launching area at Greifenberg is almost perfect, a nice cafè to sit with a good coffee and some cake offering a bit of shaded peacefulness. Being together with so many others, with our group and with Gerolf and his confident, informative briefings came to give me the confidence I needed. I was happy and ready to fly.

My nerves played with me while I got kitted up, I had to try to be quiet and calm inside me however by the time I was on the ramp felt I was ready to go. I paused a little to take in the conditions in front, I was nervous – so nervous – but I could see others were climbing so I that silent trigger fired inside me and my feet took me down the ramp into the air where in a few short minuted I was climbing strongly to cloudbase, what on earth was the problem.

Later in the flight I found myself in a climb getting ready to cross the Spittal valley, I was so happy to be here, so relieved to have faced my fears that I burst out in laughter full of joy this was a beautiful moment.

Solving the task however was a little more complicated than I thought, I was a little unclear once in the air where to go and what to do, I knew, but I was not clear, this got me stuck a little in places. I managed to stay calm working weak lift till I found something better and from then it was like a dream gifting me a really nice flight along the high ridge to a goal field away from camping.

I was so happy when I knew I could get to the goal field, it was a wonderful feeling.