Mood's wings

Today was a day when the ridges were full of 'attitude' - moody as hell - like PMT - Pre-Meditated Turbulence. It really required shifting of gears in order to be able to keep the speeds up and not land out. Adriaan (K17) and X32 flew nearly the same routing and here is what it was like (view or download the flight trace by clicking the title of this post).

First leg to Robertson was excellent proving that we launched to late - all of it above 4500' without turning. Sink at the Robertson corner (always is in a SEer)and then it was a bit 'soft' until nearer Montagu, but good in the run-up to Montagu (it nearly always is regardless). From Montagu to Swellendam it got progressively 'softer' and unless you were prepared to take a climb there was not enough energy to get round the corner, so we turned at just over 80km out.

Didn't get comfotable - back to ridgetop height - until nearly Ashton and the run up to Ashton from the East was very rough (remember to increase your speed as you experience more turbulence - you need better control authority) but it wasn't really working further out (the other option).

Round the corner at Waaihoek and it was working well allowing a jump north over "Mostert's Saddle" into Mitchell's pass. The Witzenberg was working but not up to full strength and the North end was clouded in (below the saddle) so X32 jumped to Saronberg - which was barely working - and flew almost completely round it before getting lift in the Saron gap.

The Portville ridge was barely carrying and we did not get over the top until Dasklip after which it went very soft and needed best glide / min sink to stay in touch. These were some of the slowest speeds we've flown the Porterville ridge and it didn't get good again until the Westerly flows just south of the N7 Piekenierskloof Pass, but then it was gangbusters and a low level (2400') scorcher to the turn at Renosterhoek!

Getting back was almost the same in reverse - I don't think I have had to 'shift gears' on the ridge so often before.