Riding a +6.5 m/s Thermal in October! Algodonales - Setenil de las Bodegas, 24 km FAI triangle

Welcome to another paragliding flight in Algodonales, Spain. A day with great condition, I could've done much better, but I made a few mistakes, including a very big one. Let's learn from them. https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/fli... 🔔 Don't forget to fly safe, like the video (if you really liked it), subscribe and leave a comment :) 00:00 Take-off, directly into a thermal (that was good, I think I picked a good moment) 04:20 This thermal is getting really good and many pilots are sharing it. 10:30 A popular place like Algodonales will attract also schools and many beginner pilots, some of them with total disregard for any rule in a thermal. Like this one deciding to change direction in front of me 15:10 10 minutes later in this thermal and what I achieved? Well, I lost 100 m. Not so cool, right? But the sky is covered, the day is not working fine yet. This mackerel sky is not perfect. 17:05 things seem to finally get going. I gain 200 m soon and meet other pilots, from another core. So I need to change the thermalling direction to match theirs 24:00 that's a really good core. I'm gaining altitude fast. Finally, the day seems to start working 30:00 first small mistake: other pilots managed to get a bit higher in that thermal, while I didn't manage to milk it all the way to the top. 49:00 after another good thermal, that ends at 2000 m, I decide to go towards Twin Peaks. My plan is to go towards Ronda again, and hopefully come back to close the triangle. So Twin Peaks is definitely an intermediary objective and a good thermal trigger. This two little peaks in the middle of the field (Lagarin - 1066 m and Las Grajas - 1049 m are towering over the little village El Jaral, so all conditions are met for thermals) 59:30 this descendance seems to never end. I am losing altitude pretty fast now and still in -2.5 m/s , even -3 1:00:05 Finally, a little beep. A little bit of hope. Or should I say "a little beep of hope" 1:03:00 What started as a little beep, now turns into a +2, which gives me hope that I can reach the Twin Peaks. The Peaks are still in the shade, but the village is touched by the soft rays of sun, bringing hope 1:09:00 Sharing the thermal with two other pilots. I don't know them, but later from Xcontest I noticed they are Stefan Rall (on Advance Iota 2) and Eric Robinet, on Niviuk Ikuma 2. I think we can learn by checking what other pilots did, in the same day, with similar wings. Eric did a 33 km flat triangle, while Stefan put on a a big, 51 km, FAI . Quite impressive! 1:15:00 I follow the pilots going NE, over El Jaral and on the ridge going towards Olvera. There is a cloud street forming from Olvera to Setenil de las Bodegas and I hope to catch that one. 1:32:00 what started as a weak lift turned into a good thermal, the climb rate is not the best, but it is constant and it's working fine. I have a long transition to do and my Ozone Rush 6 is getting a bit old, so I need to milk all the meters I can before leaving towards Olvera 1:34:00 Now the cloud street stretching from Olvera to Setenil is getting very clear. It seems to happen quite often to find convergence in that area. But, of course, no day is like another. 1:36:30 Look, ma', a little cloud ☁️! Should I take it home? 1:45:40 First cloud base, at 2270 m 1:49:00 The village of Olvera, on my left. The road to it is a bit blue, but I think I can reach it and intercept the clouds highway there. Let's push the bar and hope for the best! 2:00:00 Strong descendance, -3 m/s . 2:01:20 ⏬ Even -5 m/s. It it continues like that I will land soon. I reached Olvera and the tiny village of Torre Alhaquime. But I am really low now, at only 1160 m 2:01:45 Finally, a thermal. Let's ride it. 2:03:00 After I lost it for a few seconds it turns out to be a consistent one. As expected, after such a strong descendance. 2:03:38 🍾 This thermal is getting CRAAZYYY, reaching up to +6.5 m/s! The wing is dancing a little bit above my head, but it feels still pretty stable. I only have to take care to not fall on the edge of it 2:11:08 Look at this beautiful clouds highway in front of me! 2:13:00 🛣️ I'm on the clouds highway. What a great feeling you can experience, going forward and climbing, without having to loose time spiralling in a thermal. 2:19:00 ☁️ Cloudbase at 2400 m 2:30:25 Other pilots are in a thermal in front, let's join them #adrenalinerush #paragliding #algodonales #thermal #soaring #freefly #2025 #ozoneparagliders #telemetry #telemetryoverlay