You just know that when people start raving how 'epic' a week is going to be that it just won't happen!
Last weeks forecast for Àger was looking pretty special with light southerlys but as it approached the direction changed slightly towards the west and strengthened such that I didn't bother heading over until Thursday, and with slightly less optimism for a really good day, but still the potential for it to be good.
As we arrived on launch the thermals were starting to drag up the face, it had been over the back all morning. Jordi & I managed to reach Terradets gorge fighting strong broken cores but failing to get higher than the shear layer with the Northerly at 1700m so it wasn't to be an XC day. The climbs were strong and scrappy but the sink was persistent! We both managed to fight the increasing west wind to get back to the landing at camping by diving into sheltered gulleys to find climbs and then battling through the wobbliness where the thermals poked their tops into the wind. All in all it was pretty exciting! In the valley there was lift everywhere as the gusts scooped up warm air hiding in all the small crevices and gulleys, none of it was particularly useable but it made getting down to land a prolonged event.
By late evening, conditions had become light and fluffy with much less wind. I had an easy climb out from in front of launch and then glided over to Port D'Ager to fly the final leg of a triangle I had been attempting earlier. Not the intended way to complete the triangle but I enjoyed a different view into the flats towards Balaguer!
Friday was even windier from the West. The Jordi's flying tandems were struggling to penetrate and bouncing around the sky in a most disjointed manner, vertically up, parked and then vertically down.
In true 'Mad dogs & Englishwomen' style after a midday walk with Merlin up to St Alis to see what the wind was doing on top (it was northerly)we headed to walk in the Mont Rebei gorge and then to Canyelles lake to chill out and splash around.
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