Pushing the Boundaries...of Romania

The first day of summer (June, 1st) came with a dream fulfilled: crossing the Danube in-flight, on my paraglide. The take-off is the same as the previous day, Priopcea Pass, in Dobrudja, Tulcea, Romania. Here is yesterday's flight:    • From Priopcea Pass to the Danube, 31 Km XC...   This time, I was trying to learn from my mistakes and understand that Tutuiatu Peak and its ridge don't always work, but also to keep the second thermal better, and be more focused on not losing it, which would basically mean the end of the flight. This time the cloud base was higher and with a small change of strategy I managed to cross the Danube, just East of Galați. However, that also means that I was very close to the Ukrainian town of Reni, so extra-care is needed. In fact, I found a very good thermal just after crossing the Danube, but it was pushing me directly https://www.xcontest.org/romania/zbor... 00:00 - 🛫 take-off, after a nice chat with an old friend, a good pilot that I haven't seen in years. Soon I am ridge soaring, looking for a good thermal. 08:20 - first good lift, the day is starting to "cook". 10:20 - 🛗 this seems to be a good thermal, but I cannot grasp it. Falling off it as soon as I try to turn into it. 11:20 - the thermal I was looking for ♨️. With up to +3 m/s, this is exactly what I need to have the confidence to leave the hill. 13:30 - seems like I lost the thermal's core, but I continue doing the same thing, hoping I will magically be pushed back into the core. 14:00 - of course, magic doesn't happen on demand, or I don't have the 🪄 with me. So I go back to the hill, hoping for another good one. 17:07 - Razvan's take-off, in the lower-right corner 19:10 - Oh no, Razvan has found only sinking air and he's landing. The same seems to be happening to me, I am way below the ridge and in a desperate scratching mode. 21:10 - nothing above the rocks; I see others climbing up-hill to take-off and I can already imagine how they will take off and fly while I am packing my gear for the second attempt 21:45 - wait, there is a little something here. Let's use the last chance to stay in the air. 24:35 - another pilot is going to take off. C'mon, maybe we fly together and help each other! 💁🏻 30:40 - I was given another chance. Come on, Radu, use this one, core it, and get higher! 37:10 - now I found a thermal and I am in front of the hill and with good altitude, 700 m asl. Time to 🚀🚀 44:00 - lost the thermal for a while, but I am not at the cloud base yet. I head downwind and luckily there is a cloud forming right in front of me 46:25 - here it is, the thermal taking me to the cloud 🛗. 49:00 - as I core it and go up, probably more cores are joining so I get a good lift, up to +4m/s 51:51 - reaching cloud base at almost 2300 m. asl. I try to optimize the height a bit, staying close to the cloud. 54:40 - setting up on a glide towards Culmea Pricopanului (Pricopan ridge). The day before I went straight to Tutuiatu, downwind, but didn't find anything there. This time I changed the strategy, I went towards Greci Village and Pricopan. I need to push West anyway if I want to cross the Danube and I have enough altitude to reach the ridge. 59:00 - reaching over Greci Village with enough altitude, but there is no cumulus forming in front of me 1:03:00 - on Pricopan ridge, I was hoping for some lift. The town in front of me is Măcin and I can also see clearly Braila and Galati and the new bridge over the Danube. 1:05:30 - the moment when GoPro failed. Of course, I only knew what happened after I downloaded the videos at home. Here are more of my flights with take off from Priopcea:    • Lovely Triangle In Priopcea on Ozone Rush 6      • Ozone Rush 6 Kissing the Clouds. Priopcea ...