After a hearty breakfast at the Feistritzer Schutzhütte, I hike up to Oisternig. I’m joined by Robert, a local on a hike & fly mission of his own. He gives me a comprehensive briefing on region.
There’s a thick inversion all around us, but the wind is good. Robert launches & stinks out. I decide to wait.
When I do launch, I try to core some thermals but can’t make any meaningful height. Against the SW I glide painfully low out of the unlandable, forested slopes. Still, compared to what I’ll see later in the day, this is a piece of cake.
The valley wind is already pretty stiff as I land in Camporosso. I give Robert a call, he encourages me to catch a gondola up Monte Lussari. From there I thermal up over Monte Cacciatore. Unfortunately not much higher. The SW is blowing, and this doesn’t look like enough to penetrate to the south side of the Bredil pass. I try anyway.
Even before I sink below the ridge of the pass, I can see the gust ripples on the lake. Windsurfers are ripping it. This is completely nuts. I give up and, with my tail between my legs, land in very unpleasant conditions. I’m pitching wildly, often losing brake pressure (if you’re not a pilot: this feels like walking on a frozen pond and suddenly one foot blows through the ice). Once more, I am amazed at how well the Zeno takes it.
As I’m hiking up towards the pass, I see a path straight up to the the mountains on my left. Can I bust a Superman-move into Slovenia? Up I go.
As I reach the gap to the other side, my courage leaves me: I don’t want to fly in this wind. And the terrain freaks me out. I decide to walk. Yearning for a shower, it becomes a long hike to Bovec by the time I find what I’m looking for.