Arcones #2

Monday's task to the other side of the Madrid-Burgos motorway and back to goal in Arcones was a struggle at the end to get past the Pradena caves turnpoint and back to Arcones via the 'pointy finger'. I was clinging into every thing I could find that was going even slightly up but most of it was getting blown apart by the west wind so after a long determined grovel between antennas, then hills and finally trees I managed to make it back to the goal field :-) but without the final turnpoint :-(. At times it looked like I was going to be searching for a break in the forest to land and was hoping that a) it would be big enough for my glider and b) that Sam could navigate in the find me...if anyone could, it would be Sam. There was no way the official retrieve would have got near!
Finally, I managed to squeak over some more trees around rocks and a large green slimy pool to land next to Baz 'n Sams van and my tent. A respectable 780(ish) points in the first task wasn't a bad way to start.
Task 2 to the east, and then to the west and back again was supposed to be a light wind day..hmmmm - Wrong!
After catching the lead gaggle at 2400m just after crossing the motorway headed to the last tp I was on the ground within 7km...and so were most of them. The headwind was punishing. Every climb took me further from the last turnpoint and every glide was in a near vertical direction.The forests seemed to stretch in every direction so I chose to follow the line of the road, hoping that there would be somewhere to land when the time came. It came far quicker than I hoped with 45 out of 57 km done. A stunning 'Sam' retrieve and back home for dog walking duties before 7pm!