Porterville at last!
Garth Milne reports on his first flight to the front ridge in the Cirrus. . .
I was really pleased to get out onto the Porterville ridge on Saturday. One step closer to Renosterhoek! I looked at Dr Jack's blipmaps on Friday night. They showed wind onto the Porterville ridge at 11:00, 14:00 and 16h00? so I was hoping to get there.
I asked Mark for a tow to Audenberg. He towed me past Brandwag where there seemed to be lift so I released, but ended up slowly sinking, so migrated back towards the Audenberg slope where I could slowly climb to about 4500. The N1 at Hex had no sink, and with intermittent lift I could get onto Keerom and to Nuy, where the lift was marginal but sustaining.
Eventualy getting tired of this I decided to see if Brandwag had improved. There was wide 1m/s lift in front of Brandwag, so I reached its top, and could then make it around Waaihoek where another 1m/s topped me up to get to Mostertshoek. Along the Witzenberg the wind was parallel to the ridge, with more sink than lift so I headed towards Tulbach, getting a few thermals. At 5000' approaching Tulbach I radio'd Sven in EY and asked if I would make the Saronberg/Soldersberg gap. He said I would - but to be careful, since it was getting late.
Heading into wind (possibly lee sink from Saronberg) I lost height, but pushed the speed, and reached Solderberg at 3000', expecting (hoping?) there would be lift on the windward side. My nerves recovered a bit with the 0.7 m/s against the Sodersberg rocks, and I gained slowly to 4000' (big difference to have the ridge below you), and could then gain enought to be looking down on the ridge to Porterville, so "here goes". There was no trouble maintining height to past Porterville, but I was getting too far into unknown territory. Sven's "be careful" was in my mind, and I was not sure about getting back across the Tulbach valley. ON returning, just NE of Solderberg I happily hit a 1-2m/s thermal. There is nothing as comforting as watching the dial slowly wind up, knowing that this is your ticket across the valley and home! I circled in any lift on the mountains towards Tulbach, and then headed diagonally across the valley.
Alan previously suggested one aim SE for a point on the Witsenberg mountains near a landable area. I followed this advice and found 0.5 m/s lift on the slope so slowly climbed to the top at Mitchel's pass. I looped back once get more height, and crossed on the West of the Mostertshoek gap (previously suggested by Sven/Alan). At Waaihoek I could again "tank up" and initially headed for Vic Peak, hoping to add some km for the OLC. Sven's height reports from Nuy showed he was climbing, so this sounded like as safer bet, and I turned back to Brandwag, and after reaching Nuy returned home via Keerom.
Getting onto the Porterville ridge for the first time has opened a new area for me. I am grateful for all the help from Sven (in the flight and on the ground), Alan and others. Their internet leads (Google Earth, Blip Maps, encouragement to post to OLC etc) have also added to this latest step. Thanks guys!
Garth
I was really pleased to get out onto the Porterville ridge on Saturday. One step closer to Renosterhoek! I looked at Dr Jack's blipmaps on Friday night. They showed wind onto the Porterville ridge at 11:00, 14:00 and 16h00? so I was hoping to get there.
I asked Mark for a tow to Audenberg. He towed me past Brandwag where there seemed to be lift so I released, but ended up slowly sinking, so migrated back towards the Audenberg slope where I could slowly climb to about 4500. The N1 at Hex had no sink, and with intermittent lift I could get onto Keerom and to Nuy, where the lift was marginal but sustaining.
Eventualy getting tired of this I decided to see if Brandwag had improved. There was wide 1m/s lift in front of Brandwag, so I reached its top, and could then make it around Waaihoek where another 1m/s topped me up to get to Mostertshoek. Along the Witzenberg the wind was parallel to the ridge, with more sink than lift so I headed towards Tulbach, getting a few thermals. At 5000' approaching Tulbach I radio'd Sven in EY and asked if I would make the Saronberg/Soldersberg gap. He said I would - but to be careful, since it was getting late.
Heading into wind (possibly lee sink from Saronberg) I lost height, but pushed the speed, and reached Solderberg at 3000', expecting (hoping?) there would be lift on the windward side. My nerves recovered a bit with the 0.7 m/s against the Sodersberg rocks, and I gained slowly to 4000' (big difference to have the ridge below you), and could then gain enought to be looking down on the ridge to Porterville, so "here goes". There was no trouble maintining height to past Porterville, but I was getting too far into unknown territory. Sven's "be careful" was in my mind, and I was not sure about getting back across the Tulbach valley. ON returning, just NE of Solderberg I happily hit a 1-2m/s thermal. There is nothing as comforting as watching the dial slowly wind up, knowing that this is your ticket across the valley and home! I circled in any lift on the mountains towards Tulbach, and then headed diagonally across the valley.
Alan previously suggested one aim SE for a point on the Witsenberg mountains near a landable area. I followed this advice and found 0.5 m/s lift on the slope so slowly climbed to the top at Mitchel's pass. I looped back once get more height, and crossed on the West of the Mostertshoek gap (previously suggested by Sven/Alan). At Waaihoek I could again "tank up" and initially headed for Vic Peak, hoping to add some km for the OLC. Sven's height reports from Nuy showed he was climbing, so this sounded like as safer bet, and I turned back to Brandwag, and after reaching Nuy returned home via Keerom.
Getting onto the Porterville ridge for the first time has opened a new area for me. I am grateful for all the help from Sven (in the flight and on the ground), Alan and others. Their internet leads (Google Earth, Blip Maps, encouragement to post to OLC etc) have also added to this latest step. Thanks guys!
Garth
posted by CGC Reporter at 18.2.06
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