Dienstag, 22. Dezember 2015

10. Nov. 2015 - Mejillones


 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at the last three pics you can evaluate the difference in color between the years of 2014 + 2015.

Early in the morning I wake up, drink some water, fruit smoothie and eat dry meat and oatmeal bar. All my gear is pretty soaked from condensate. But this is obviously already lifting and so I clean a launch area from lots of small granite rocks and gravel. As soon as my starting place begins to look o.k. the sight down into the flat also gets clearer and some light breeze, that would assist my start run can be felt. So I prepare my stuff, pull up the canopy and fly out. I try to fly as height saving as possible and remain in a range of altitude between 8xx m and 10xx meters. It surprises me, that Meijellones - Tocopilla is such a summary of valley crossings, compared to the coastal range from Tocopilla to the north. Even if I come down to 7xx or 6xx meters, I manage to reconquer 10xx meters. At that time I do not know, that I will never again fly that comfortable high in this area in the upcoming month. Arriving in Tocopilla, the crossing of town and the valley between Tocopilla and Cerro Cruz - including the road Tocopilla - Calama - proves to be a bit tricky, but can be done. From Tocopilla on it is well known territory to me. Everything is running smooth, just the edge of San Marco and the one of Rio Seco force me to loose a lot of altitude. Flying to Punta Patache, my plan is to turn around and fly back to Rio Seco and again to Punta Patache and towards the airport as far as allowed as a flyby wis forbidden today. But between Rio Seco and Punta Patache the backwind gets very strong and it is a real combat to fly back against the wind and this fight consumes a lot of time, but at the end I succeed. Turned around in Rio Seco again, I see, that not to much time is left until sundown and I fly as fast as I can, but the sun sinks faster and I have to land close to the village of Chanavayita and as soon as I have landed the sun kisses the sea. Packing happens in the dark and a minero with his SUV gives me a ride to Iquique.