Craig Morgan blasts it around Task 2 in Turkey
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PWC Turkey 2011.
Day 4 task 2 (official)
123km race to goal.
Before I talk about that – just let me say this.
We are a moany old bunch of gits when things go wrong but when things go right we often take it in our stride and don’t mention it. So I will.
Mr Tarzin, our host and fixer, has really gone to great lengths to take great care of us. Although isolated, our Termal Hotel has provided 1st class food and lodgings for us. We are staying for free. The rooms are excellent, the food has been of a very high standard, plentiful and everything we could wish for has been provided. Even the thermal baths in the hotel’s basement is laid on and provides a wonderful tonic after our day’s exertions.
On behalf of all the PWC pilots, I would like to say a big “Thank you very much – we will be back !!!
The flying is none too shabby either.
Today we had 123km set and it all looked very straightforward. It was anything but.
The start was reluctant as no one was getting up. We were warned that there would be a shear layer at 2000 metres and well prior to that the climbs became ratty and boisterous.
It’s strange how ones mind-set alters from that of dread at having to endure a hundred odd k’s of shitty air liberally sprinkled with close encounters of the oppositions wing tips to that of – tuck in, son, and get the job done.
We stayed in the gash for 20k and it was tuff. We couldn’t get above 1700m in the mixing wind flows and patience was the game.
I don’t like to look at the guys down in the ravines as it creates negativity, but to begin with, there were plenty. Tom Payne caught some shite air and ended up in the trees. He’s ok but tree crashes ain’t good (I’ve had one or two).
‘It was very good to see the helicopter come over…’ Tom Payne safe and sound and up for a ride in a chopper
Plus at one stage the Turkish Air Force ripped thru the gash 500 metres away from us as they “Hadn’t seen the NOTAM !!!” Only in Turkey…
Eventually we were done with the gash and a lunge back into the flats was required. Nobody was high but people lunged at varyingly optimistic altitudes.
I don’t like to get necky at these stages as there’s a long way to go and my mantra is ‘safety in numbers’. So I worked with a small gaggle.
A maintenance climb of 1metre up offered itself and several of us took it. You can take stock, put the handbrake on and think.
A large town beckoned some 4 k away rolling down off the plateau and the sun was just about to come onto it. A steady glide and I was with Luc Armant.
Russ Ogden always told me to watch Luc and see what he does. He’s got a sixth sense. I did, and we hit lift. Luc went through it as so often he does but I couldn’t bear it as we were low and I wanted some insurance.
Luc made better progress than I did but after a low save the thermal gathered to a 5 up over the town and boom – we were outta there. Several dirted , but I wasn’t in the mood to count.
All the way to 3-3 we squealed, but I didn’t stop sweatin there. The management of these wings is all consuming for me and the stress of it all keeps my helmet a warm and damp place.
Brief rest bite at 3-6 as the convergence offered reassuring time to think and observe. The new valley we were heading to was like an oasis of lush greenery in a meandering valley. It was stunning.
A lone glider high up in the distance led me and Yann Martail on. Yassen low down pushing hard and chancing his luck. Glide lines were vastly different from as little as 200 metres apart.
They favoured Yann and me. But at the last turn point it became obvious we had our work cut out to make goal in a one-er.
We pushed on and it became apparent with 28k to go that we needed a climb just to survive and get thru the shade. Yann took the central valley, I turned hard left to the hills and literally bumped my way thru all the time looking for my landing field. The big fella smiled on me and my bumpage persisted.
My aim was reach the end of the hills where another town nestled in lush pasture at the foot of an into wind ravine face. Boom! Absolute text book.
I congratulated myself on the theory and more to the point – my luck!!! That’s two get of jail free cards burned. The canny ‘hold back’ gaggle were then all over me.
We amalgamated and screamed up to 2-5. I watched my final glide calc drop to 9-1 required in disbelief that everyone was staying so conservative.
I thought –“ I’m avin that then” and I went for goal. First to leave the climb. Come on boys – you gotta give it to me on gentlemen’s terms surely?? But no.
With 5 ks to go they start cramping my style and jostling! I take her block-to-block. Everything I’ve got and surely I’ll take it. No! the gits keep coming. 2 k to go and 3 Boomers and Luc move thru me. I’m gutted. Full speed and still they go past.
Shit – I get resigned to not winning but nailing down a top 5 will do nicely. And that’s where I come in.
After setting our racing ships down, I learn two things.
Firstly Stephan Morganthaler has creamed us and by a full 4 minutes to take the win! What! How did he do that? But he’d been they guy in the distance and did all the last section at altitude and played a blinder. Well done Stephan.
Secondly I learned some of the French R11 pilots have tweaked their speed systems to give selves them a full 30 mil more travel between their pulleys. Sneaky bastard – I want one.
Anyhow, to cut a long story short – epic task. I’m now off to get stuck into the party for Petra Slivova’s 25th birthday.
Over and out – more tomorrow.
Craig Morgan
Competition website
Paragliding World Cup Association
Paragliding World Cup TV (Vimeo)
Craig Morgan is current British Champion: read an interview with him here
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