XMas Eve Airtime

First flights in Costa Rica
While everyone back on Vancouver Island was getting snowed in, Natalie and I enjoyed ourselves with introductory flights in 30degree temperatures.

The offical tour doesn't begin for just over a week but watching raptors soaring under nice cumulus for the last couple of days here has motivated us to get in the air!

The day started with a visit from our two local toucans as well as a white-nosed coati (raccoon-like mammal) on our way to Playa (beach) Dominicalito. Unlike the Malahat LZ, there is still plenty of landable beach at high tide.

We met with our local driver, Jose, who led us up the 4WD road past both Tico dwellings and contrasting multi-million dollar villas, to the Upper Dominical launch.

Launch was big, albeit flat, with plenty of dense but soft grassy bushes below the edge. From our near-2000' vantage, we could see waterfalls on the backrange and hear the amazingly loud roars by a troop of mantled howler monkeys in the valley below. Costa Rica's wildlife is unparalleled.

The wind was coming in lightly and, after one abort, Natalie was airborne and flying over Central American jungle! She was content with a sleddie for her first flight and the glide was pretty long to the beach. She landed safely while I set up for my first solo flight in nearly two months.

It wasn't long before I was soaring the launch face in light lift, gaining maybe a hundred feet over. The temperature inflight was perfect and, because I was focused on ground triggers at this low altitude, I ended up spotting a tree laden with about two dozen white-throated capuchins (big-brained monkeys). I spent the next half hour running from launch north to the end of the ridge and back, trying not to get fixated on the capuchins each time I floated past them.

I should mention that even though Natalie had landed, I wasn't without other pilots. I actually spent more time thermalling with a turkey vulture than I ever have in BC. Thermals were marked best by the many black vultures who flew quite close with me. I also flew with a red-tailed hawk, a king vulture (not as long I would've liked), and a swallow-tailed kite.

I lost my altitude at this point and decided to head out. I was 600' below launch and not quite halfway to the LZ when I felt a bump. 'Never leave lift' is a flying adage I've flown by for years. 15 minutes of basically zeros on my vario and I finally started to gain. I'm happy to report that not only did I get back up over launch, but I managed to hop over to the north ridge, run its length, make the glide over to the smaller ridge above Playa Dominical, and radio Natalie to meet me on the beach there.

I flew over a way-too-big mansion, waved to the couple swimming in their way-too-big pool, flew over Dominical, and then set up over some surfers before landing on the beach as Natalie walked up.

Entering my 10th year of paragliding now and I have to say that I love it as much as ever :)

Felize Navidad from sunny Costa Rica!
We plan to celebrate with another flight.

Photos to come...