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The first task of the Western Cape Paragliding Cross-Country League has almost run out it’s month – less than 5 days remain to complete the task.  I was blessed with brilliant conditions on Saturday, launching from Llandudno and completing the task with spectacular soaring conditions.  I had to scuttle away from the Table Mountain turn-point in order to get out of the lift before I violated airspace, and arrived over the goal field at the Glen with almost 900m altitude above sea level.  I decided to try fly back to Llandudno to fetch my car, met Ant Allen piloting a tandem on the way, secured a lift with them, turned around at Llandudno and did the task for a second time in the same flight wing-tip to wing-tip with Ant’s Gradient BiGolden.  Tracklog is here on Leonardo.  The final pass down the Apostles had much less dynamic lift as the wind dropped off, but we began to have fantastic thermal climbs, cranking several 3+m/sec’s along the way.  At Table Mountain I rocked up past startled abseilers in a sustained 4+m/sec with the XC3 turning on a tip, and I’m sure I heard a startled gasp as we popped up over the top right in front of the viewing decks.  What a special day, and a spectacular flight. More photos:

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Current league scores are as follows:

Special final mention to Ant, who has done the task on both a solo and now a tandem glider 😉

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