Fly / fishing

With the stable high pressure ruling out anything but an extended top to bottom, Dan and I set off for a mini vol biv into the Barot valley. Dan was keen to catch some trout; I was keen to eat them.

We hiked along and up to the ridge behind the usual takeoff, hoping to find a clearing amongst the trees we could glide down into the valley behind. We didn't find many options; the best being a south facing takeoff, a short glide down the ridge and then a dive over the back at a lower point of the ridge.

We prepared ourselves and Dan took off first, scraping through a gap in the trees and then away to the left and out of sight. The earlier breeze had died and the air was decidedly calm. I waited for a breeze, a thermal, anything to give a wee bump to help clear the ridge. Nothing promising materialised and then Dan came over the radio... "Probably best to give it a miss".

Dan sneaks through the paraglider shaped gap in the trees

He'd landed on the top clearing down the ridge. He probably could have made it over after catching a small thermal on the way, but didn't fancy my chances. We packed up and hiked down the other side instead. A pretty rough route in the end and a painful one for me: my back in worse shape than I'd wanted to admit after my abrupt landing the week before.

Descending into the valley

With the daylight fading Dan ran ahead to have a chance of catching our dinner. We passed through a somewhat surprised small village and without the time to be choosy, found a spot to camp out in what was a cool and damp part of the valley. We got a mighty fire going (probably burning the locals winter fuel supply). My "guaranteed" fish supper sadly didn't materialise but at least we'd brought some noodles just in case.

We bivvied out under the stars; Dan looking cosy in his prototype bivvy-glider bag. I made do with a thin sleeping bag and my glider over the top. It was a cold night, and a frozen start to the next day, but I'd been surprisingly warm enough; the glider providing an incredible amount of insulation.

I was somewhat jealous of Dan's setup as I tried to dry out my frosted glider and pack up, while Dan simply zipped up and was ready to go.

A frosty start

We weren't in the best place for fish so headed down the valley towards Barot, ending up in a taxi with a very enthusiastic driver and pumping tunes. He was determined to find us the best fishing spot. First option: the fish farm. After a tour of the farm we managed to explain it wasn't quite what we were after so he drove us up the side valley and dropped us off river-side with a big smile and a thumbs up.

Waiting for a bus that wasn't coming

It looked promising and with a few hours of the afternoon left Dan got to work while I had a little explore. Thankfully Dan managed a couple of trout to supplement our dinner that night and we enjoyed them steamed over the fire in wraps of damp newspaper.

Dan at work

A 4x4 and a hike got us back up on the ridge the next day and we endeavoured to take off from the lower clearing we'd found before.

Amused locals on our hike up

With no wind to help it was a tricky place to takeoff from. With a small rustle of wind I went for it but had to sprint hard to get the glider up and still running, was forced to swerve around the rapidly encroaching trees to make the clearing. I felt something snag my lines but kept going and was clear and away.

Looking north on the take-off

looking back at the take-off

A little close for comfort! Dan was all set to be picking me out the trees.

Back to Bir

The Dharamsala run

Westerly winds again but lighter than the day before and with a nice sky. Thought about heading over the back with Dan but in the air decided for Dharamsala instead. It was a little bumpy and Dan turned back, but with the season almost over I was determined to make it!

Had a crap start and struggled to break the inversion and get any height. Eventually climbed out and decided the best plan for the day was to stay high so took every climb after that to stay above 3000m. Seemed to work out and after ridge hopping 2/3 of the way to Dharamsala I moved back onto the big ridge.

 I was flying alone so was reassured to see another glider was returning the way I'd decided to go. It was a beautiful flight along the ridge just below the cloud line and getting up to nearly 3800m. Passed over 2 small glaciers. Flew as far as I could along the ridge wall, until it curves out into the valley and effectively blocks you off.

Stunning inversion out over the flatlands

There's a high plateau to get over and on my return leg, I came at it quite low and wasn't sure if I'd clear it. I bailed and then had to track right back to find another climb. Very frustrating - I think I would have made it! Quite an intimidating valley to be losing height in too.

Crowded skies at my turning point

  

2nd attempt at clearing the plateau.

It was nearly 3 when I turned around so didn't think I had much chance of making it back. The clouds on the ridge were soon retreating so around Palumpur I headed back onto the spines and started thinking about landing. I found a few weak climbs though and managed to keep going and going, making it all the way back to the final ridge before Bir. No way I was getting over that though and I landed at 5, below the monastery, 3.6km short of the LZ!

Clouds starting to disappear 

2 more ridges to Bir...

 

Almost!

Over the back

It was a lovely clear sunny day as forecast and a trip over the back to Manali was on. Conditions were light however and it took a while to get enough height to make the first crossing. I was thermalling with Richard but stupidly followed some other gliders the wrong way before changing direction when I saw Rich wasn't following; I was playing catch up from then on.

Climbing above take-off - excitement building! 

Climbing out for the first crossing with Richard

Rich was in front with a few other gliders and with a bit of work I was soon climbing up. Had a good climb on the main peak and seeing Rich thermalling up on a spur out front I went to join him. He cleared off as I arrived however (higher at this point with the thermal gone) and headed on a long glide way south along the next big ridge. I thought I could get over that ridge directly with some nice looking clouds building so took my own line.

Into the big stuff

Just need to get over that...

The inversion was around 4100m however and i couldn't get high enough to see what was on the other side of the ridge I wanted to cross. I got a bit stuck here trying to work it out (sensibly not wanting to commit to a blind valley) and eventually made a few tricky hops along the spurs to get down the ridge where it was lower - to take a similar route over as Rich had done. My chosen line would have worked it turned out, but it would have been a brave move not knowing what was beyond!

Finally over the ridge

No more thermals here

By the time I crossed, the day was already getting late and the weak climbs getting harder to find. There was nothing to get me over the next big ridge so I went on a long glide out the valley, following it all the way in weak sink to the main Kullu valley. It was a beautiful glide over the forested autumnal slopes and snaking terraces, passing over pretty villages and wooden houses. Always a special experience to view such things from above. There were a few unappealing landing options on the way but I arrived with lots of height above the town of Kullu. Not many landing options there: a crowded park in the centre of town or a clear area next to the river. I opted for the river...

Kullu

As I got closer I spotted a power line about 2/3 of the way up my landing zone, so had less space to play with but still enough. The river cuts down below the level of the valley floor however, and as I made my approach I turned over the opposite bank - about level with the ground height. As I turned I took a huge collapse, the glider didn't re-inflate and I fell 10-15m to the ground, landing on my back on a flat sandy patch.

I was seriously winded but a quick check confirmed I could still move my legs and nothing felt broken. So so so lucky! My glider landed a metre away from the fast flowing river and I was only a metre or two from one of the many large boulders on the river bank. Locals were down just after I'd crashed to see if I was OK and once I'd recovered a little, helped me pack up. One young lad in particular took responsibility for me and helped me get a rickshaw to the taxi rank and then a taxi to Manali to join up with Dan and Richard who'd made goal. Everyone was so friendly and helpful it was actually a really nice experience - and I was delighted to be walking still!

My flight plan wasn't as bad as I initially thought. I was in the right place but a map or more way points would have helped me decide if it was the good valley to cross into. Difficult as you couldn't get high enough to see what was ahead. The collapse was most likely caused by a cold layer of air above the river or flow of cold air from the higher valley floor level, as the air higher up was super smooth. Rivers: not good landing options.

I could barely walk that night but seem to have got away with some deep bruising and am recovering quite quickly. Went for an x-ray and it all seems ok (although if I was concerned I would be getting a second opinion!)

Not my intending landing spot

Bir Billing

3 days of unrelenting travel on buses and trains got me across the border, in and out of Delhi and finally up to Bir. I arrived on the local bus in the late afternoon, a little non plussed at what I found: a small town with a few shops but not much sign of any guesthouses or restaurants, of which I knew there were atleast a few. Help was above however and watching gliders coming into land a km or two away I set off on a walk towards them, eventually wandering into the paragliding bit of Bir (the Tibetan colony) and found myself a nice room at the Green House. 

 

I spent the next month there. I definitely arrived late in the season, the place emptying of pilots around the 15th of November but had some good flying in the first week and was rewarded with a few amazing days late on. The first few days I was mainly cruising around, finding my feet, with some fairly easy out and returns along the ridge. 

 

Bir

Sunset landing zone

Its text book flying, right on the edge of the Himalayas, with a spine fingered ridge rising straight up out of the flat lands. Thermals pop off right where you expect them to, Himalayan Griffin vultures roam the sky, and even on a bad day it's possible to fly the 45km to Dharamsala and back (although I only managed it once). 

One of the many Tibetan Budhist monasteries in the area

Looking NW from 360

That's me

I met a few English pilots - Dan, Rich and Dave from the Isle of Wight - on launch after a few days and tagged along with them for the following 2 weeks. 

The vultures are an absolute joy to fly with and it seems they like paragliders too. I had one drop in on me from 100m above and join me in a thermal for a few turns, cruising just above my glider. A few days later I was following Dan on a valley crossing and could see a vulture flying in close proximity. I was trying to work out who was following who across the valley until Dan went searching for a thermal and the vulture shadowed him all the way, soon circling and climbing together. It was a delight to watch but very distracting for my own flying! The vulture only left when Dan took a big, noisy collapse. 

The weather had been pretty hazy in my first few days but after a day of rain we were presented with a promising weather window and everyone got excited about flying over the back and into the proper mountains. The goal was the commiting 45km flight to Manali. The day didn't quite live up to expectations, with base never getting that high (around mountain top height of 4200m) but it was spectacular all the same, if challenging at times. I didn't manage to fly to Manali but I did end up in Kullu further down. I had an exciting landing: taking a massive collapse as I came into land and falling the last 10m of my journey. Rivers are bad places to land next to I now know. I survived however and with the help of the incredibly friendly locals made the final leg to Manali in a taxi to meet up with Dan and Rich who had made it. It was the final night of Diwali and fire crackers were exploding left right and centre.

Happy to be alive! 

Had a hobble around Manali the next morning and then got a taxi for the long but beautiful 6 hour ride back out the valley and on to Bir. 

Manali

 

I didn't have a lucky few days. The next day back in Bir I got bitten by one of the streets dog. The little bugger just snuck up behind me and attacked my calf. After telling a few people though I soon established that this particular dog was a well known menace, happily attacking unwary tourists and locals alike for the last few years. 

The street dogs in Bir are numerous but generally friendly and well behaved. During the day at least, as as soon as it's dark they gather in rowdy packs and run rampage throughout the night. If they aren't engaged in turf wars they're sure to be howling at one another. By the morning they're exhausted and the streets are littered with sleeping dogs.

A big high pressure system settled in after that and the days got steadily more and more stable. Finally made it to Dharamsala though. A great flight on my own after fighting to get above the inversion around 2800m and then flying the big ridge at the back to get up to 3800m and along to Dharamsala. Didn't think there was much chance I'd make it back but a few weak climbs in the dying day got me almost home, falling short by just a few km. A new PB of 94km. 

This way to Dharamsala

 

There wasn't much xc potential after that but still had some nice flights, down the other way to check out the setup at 360, top landing at the golf course for a game of chess, and some lovely boating about with some tunes on.

Up at 360

On the way back from 360

Bir itself is a quiet little town, split into Upper and Lower Bir; Lower Bir being the Tibetan colony and paraglider hangout. The only tourists here are pilots and Buddhist students - quite a few young Americans with freshly shaved heads draped with big scarves.

Learning some Tibetan

Tibetan ceremony at one of the Monasteries in town