It started early, well for me while being on holiday at least,
It is Saturday and the busses are a little less frequent, so I had to get to out of the house by 8:30 to start my public transport journey to the other side of the lake. Went back to one of the paragliding shops in Talloires and collected a demonstration wing that I reserved for today. It was a Niviuk Ikuma 3 and I flew a previous demonstration model of this wing years ago when I was here in Annecy on a previous trip. Collected my wing and headed up to Montmin for a flight, or hopefully two.
I managed to complete two flights on the Ikuma, the first one an easy-ish flight to Doussard to see how it launch, feels and behaves while landing. Like test driving a car and fiddling with all the buttons and features. I made a Youtube video of my landing, and caught a glimpse of a hang-glider landing as well, right at the end here: Paragliding – Montmin – 10 August 2024. My second flight was in strong-ish, thermic conditions on the peak of the thermic day. I was at the top of the weight range of the glider, and I think it attributed to its very dynamic behavior while entering and exiting thermals. I was not particularly fond of this, but continue flying for an hour or so to test out the wing before landing at Planfait and returning it to get my passport back. I like some of the things about the wing, it looks well made and with some very nice flight characteristics, but I will probably not purchase it. I posted a little clip, flying close to the Don’s (those massive looking clear rock faces) here: Paragliding – Montmin – 10 August 2024 (2).
After all this, it was time to take my old “Mentor” wing up with the free bus back to Montmin and wait a while for things to calm down a little. I launched just after 6pm and oh dear, it turned out to be such a nice flight. Met up with my hosts on the hill as well and flew for a little while with one of them to the “Don’s” and back, before boating around in conditions that simply became smoother and smoother. Lots of gliders in the sky in great conditions and I couldn’t help myself to smile, be thankful and in a complete state of gratitude when I landed in Doussard more than two hours later. Simply magic. I tried to capture the moment on video here: Paragliding – Montmin – 10 August 2024 (3) and here: Paragliding – Montmin – 10 August 2024 (4).
My holiday in France is coming to an end, and days like today will certainly be cherished and missed when I move on from here. I wish I had someone to share days like today with, so I purchased a cold coke from the shop, sat down for a moment while chatting online to some friends and watching the sun goes down, closing off a spectacular day in the French alps. What can I say, (effen) WOW. Even walking home in almost darkness, I couldn’t help to laugh when seeing the cutest little bats come out to feast all around me in the wooded (tree) sections of the way home, getting back to my accommodation at 10-ish pm. Thankful, grateful and complete.
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43.5323 – 172.5567
10 August 2024
FP-212
4 responses to “Today was a BIG and BUSY day.”
Well I guess the hanglider was not one of ‘the cutest little things’ flying around. Crikey that pilot made things a little bit interesting with all the other activity around you on your approach. Great video clip.
All the hang gliders here seems to be tandem pilots, and they all seem to be doing “TV flying”, very close to landing. I guess that is how they lure their next client doing things a paraglider can’t. One side of the landing is reserved for the hang gliders, but sometimes it is busy, and I land where it is safe, clearing away quickly.
Big and Busy Day and loong Day indeed ..
I just love watching your videos – having a little insight of what amazingness you are experiencing – it gives me goosebumps ‘-)
Happy you had such an incredible day ending it with the little bats “-)
It was a pretty awesome day Urvi. And I must say, the cutest little things, flying around silently, hunting for their breakfast while the world around them goes to sleep.