Impressive, the monastery of Einsiedeln. I hike round it and over the back. Headed for Hummel, a popular site for soaring, with an unreliable lower launch, as well as a “your sweat earned you” upper launch. There’s more than 5 hPa pressure gradient north to south (pilot speak for “plenty of north wind”), so I unpack on the lower launch.
Despite hefty gusts, not enough to get established. I slope land, pack up, and hike all the way to the upper launch.
The wind’s shifty up there with punchy gusts, and I have absolutely no inclination of walking back down. I launch, thermal up to the miserably low cloud base, and point my nose downwind. Next ridge gives a decent amount of lift before I jump into the lee (down wind of an obstacle you get turbulence. Especially today). In a nasty rodeo ride I skim the valley floor thinking, “goodness, I wouldn’t hang my laundry out to dry in this wind, it’ll blow over the next ridge”. On the far side, as the wind hits the bend in the valley I catch some lift. And then more and then more. Pity it’s overcast, it’s still early. Aw well, leave some for tomorrow.