It was blue and no wind in the morning. We went first to Vole, but the wind was southeast and conditions seemed quite stable, so we drove up to Salknappen which is further up the mountain and 400 meters higher.

The task was 90 km, to Heidal, north to Otta, back south to Kvam, and to goal in Vågå. The clouds indicated a nice day, but the first pilots were struggling to get high. I took off quite early, and spent quite some time getting high. I finally got to cloudbase, and took the 4. start time. I glided to Lalm, got up with Johannes and Jon, and got over to Heidal. It was weak and difficult thermals and I hoped it would improve later. In Heidal it was even more difficult, with little to no lift over the peaks.

I took the TP, and went straight south around to Sjoa to ridge soar back up to Otta, there I crossed over to the east side of the valley and go a nice lift to cloudbase, the first since Lalm. When I came back the lift was weaker as the cirrus was now thick, and I could not get the last 50-100 meters to cross over to Kvam and the last TP directly. It was nice clouds at Kvam, but I had to take the long way around Sjoa again, and landed there in totally dead air. Geórgia picked me up, and we got Nils Åge on the way back who landed just a few km behind me.

I might have won the day, only Andreas might have gone further that we know of.

A nice day from the morning, but cirrus cover delayed the task until 14:45. We got a short task due to late takeoff and stable blue conditions. It was an out&return of 62km, from Vågå to Sjoa and back.

I wanted to fly a safe and fast task, without taking too big risks after yesterday’s loss of points, so I took the 16:00 start gate when there were plenty of pilots on course. It was difficult to get really high at start, but I took the start gate at 1800 meters and got the next lift at Lalm where it should be. I stayed below the inversion, and tried to go fast over to Heidal where it normally is stronger and better lift. I did however not find the strong core I needed to keep going fast, and lost some 10 minutes getting back up.

On the way back from the TP Jon and Jens came under where I had stopped in a weak thermal, we slowly got up, and I spotted Johannes above me and a little further in over the top of the ridge. I flew under him and got a nice lift back up to the inversion at 2000 meters. It was enough to go on an easy final glide the last 15 km to goal.

Andreas won the day, Nils second and Olav third. I had the 4. best time, but lost a little on the late departure and arrival. After Yesterday I fell from 4. to 10. place, now I gained only 1 place, but it’s quite close up the next places.

It was grey this morning, and a layer of Cirrus clouds made the conditions very weak. The window was opened at 14:00, with a 78 km task from Vågå to Dombås, Sel, and back to Vågå. The first pilots all fell through, and we all waited for the Cirrus to break up.

At 15:15 it was some signs of better conditions, and about 6-7 of us took off. We could soar in weak lift, but no one got more than 100 meters above takoff. After a while the Cirrus cover got thicker again, and we started to get lower. I went to Skagsnebb and then Hologsetrene to try and get up where some of the earlier free fliers had got good lift. It was more sun in that area too, but I did not find any usable lift, and had to glide back out to the main landing. Erik Vermaas was below me, and suffered the same fate.

The other pilots saw our misfortune, and visely stayed in zero at takeoff. When we landed the cirrus broke up, and everyone got high and away within 10 minutes. I was not very happy at the landing watching the field get away. Nils Åge, Jon Gjerde and Andreas made goal.

By nine in the morning it was already overdeveloping, and it was some heated discussion at takeoff on what to do with the day. The weather forecast was for nice weather in the afternoon, and at 11:30 it was lots of showers around us. Eventually the decision was to open an early start window at 11:45 for another one way to Frya task. The window closed early at 13:00, to get people out and away.

Andreas, Olav and me waited 15 minutes in cloudbase at 1900 meters for the last start. The conditions were good along the course, and we got a good run together. Andreas took what seemed like a detour to Teigkampen and some nice clouds, after Torgeirkampen, while Olav and I went straight for Vinstra. It turned out to be a good move by Andreas as he got in 3 minutes before us.

We went on a very fast final glide together from Vinstra, and got to goal with Olav 3 seconds before me. I had more height, but got thrown around in turbulence that forced me to a 360 halfway to goal, and that was some distance that is hard to catch up at those speeds.

I think 18 pilots made goal, unfortunately we flew too fast with the three of us under 1:10, and that devaluates the day quite a lot. Some pilots who took off too late did not get away from Vågå as became shaded and weak. It was raind and thunder at Frya when we packed up at goal. It was a very lucky task, it could easily have overdeveloped on course and stopped us.

I woke up at 06:00 and it was raining hard outside, by 9:00 the sky was blue but it was very windy. We postponed until 1:00, and then went up to Vole. It was flyable, with some showers from collapsing clouds in the area. The task of the day was the annual one way to Frya, 61 km.

It actually turned out to be difficult as the wet ground made the lift broken and weak. When we in addition got a strong headwind instead of cross-tail wind it became hard to get out to the Gudbrandsdalen valley.

I had a hard time around the start circle, and had to take the start very low. I got up to 1800 meters by Kvam, but could not get over to Heidal and was blown back to Otta. From Otta to Sjoa it was strong headwind, and I barely made it around the turn and onto the ridge soaring past Sjoa. I got a nice 4 m/s there and met Robin and Johannes. From there it was just one more weak lift at Vinstra and glide to goal. Johannes was above me and went first in what turned out to be a tailwind glide. I did not want to risk it first as I drifted back in the last thermal, and could not see any sign of tailwind before Johannes glided.

Andreas won the day, Olav and Nils Åge on second and third. I came fourth with 2:08. 7 people in goal.

About 35 pilots here in Vågå, including 5 Swedes. Today was forecasted rain and overdevelopment. We had a second briefing at 12:00, and decided to try to fly from Vole. The conditions gradually improved and the task committee made a 50km triangle task towards Otta, then Heidal and goal at Sørem.

I got off early, and after some searching got a good lift to 1500 meters above Vole. I glided with Nils Åge and Johnny to the edge of the 5 km circle, and we spent some time there in broken and weak lift. It was cloudy, and rain around us.

I saw Nils Åge glide out into Vågåruste, and later saw a glider going up, so I thought he had started and followed the same route. Later I learned he went back to Vole and took a much later start time. I got up at the end of ruste, but could not get higher than 1500 meters again. I took the safe route to the sunny side of the Otta valley but could not find any lift even if the area was sunny and nice. I slowly fell through and had to glide out towards Otta, being on the wrong side of the mountain to take the first TP. At Otta it rained, and I did not have a chance to get up. What a shitty start to the comp.

Olav was the only pilot in front of me, and he rained down at the second TP in Heidal. The later pilots got better lift, and avoided the rain. Around 8 pilots made it in.

Forecast for tomorrow is varying, it could turn out to be another unstable day like today.

It was a good comp! Despite some tricky weather conditions at takeoff both days we got 13 PG pilots over 100km distance, and 6 HG pilots over 100km on Friday. The main gaggle of PG pilots crossed south of Rondande mountains, they reported following a 60 km perfect working cloudstreet.

Saturday saw some pre-frontal activity with quite tricky conditions in Vågå, and Sunday was canned.

Trond Olsen got flew and landed his WW Talon close to Grimsbu on Saturday, to win the comp and the trophy.

Tor Erik Stranna got the longest flight on Saturday from Vole to Dovrefjell, and won the PG comp.

This weekend we arrange the annual Milslukern XC competition in Vågå. First competition day is Friday, registration from Thursday night at the national centre.

More info; http://jetta.ellefsen.net

The weather have been very unstable most of the time since I came home, we will have another low pressure system passing in the coming days, and then it looks good for the weekend.

We did the obligatory drive up to the takeoff at Brunas, but it was quite clear there would be no task today. Pilots just wanted to go home, and it was more wind than yesterday at the takoff.

Manfred is the winner again, Alex Ploner in second with Mario Alonzi in third. Our team did not live up to our ambitions. We made 12. place in the team contest, and Olav in place 45 as the best individual.

We will stay until tomorrow, and then drive to Nice to catch the plane home on Sunday morning.