Bogong Cup Day 8

Today was the last task for the comp. It has been an incredible learning experience and amazing adventure flying around the mountains and valleys in this area. I have had the priveldege of flying with some of the best pilots in the world and meet some really interesting people - pilots and otherwise.

The weather was looking not so great with a few high clouds in the area but a 130km task was called anyway. It would take me over some ridges and into some valleys I had never been in so it was interesting.

I almost sank out in the very beginning but scratched my way up with the help of two wedge-tailed eagles - I was relaxed and planned to just have fun. After a few hours of flying with the gaggle I hit the last turn point on the north end of the Kiewa Valley with Davis just as a high cloud moved in a pretty much shut everything down. We both turned out and had an epic glide all the way down the mountain range only turning in one light thermal for about 30km. I was about 2km ahead of Davis as we had goal in sight. There was no more lift so we just kept going...I landed 1.6km short of goal on the last day. It was an amazing ending to a great week.

I ended up in 19th place over all which I feel is pretty good considering I was flying with so many great pilots and I have only been flying a little over two years.

Hopefully I will take what I have learned to Sportavia and do a little better.

PS. At the awards banquette I was given the prestigious Bogong Cup "cock-up" award for nearly hitting the trees. Not what I came here for but hey...a hang gliding trophy is a hang gliding trophy. :)