Onward from Dachstein

It's still May, and while it may have been 80 degrees out here today, the high passes are still snowed in and we weren't able to get onto the Dachstein. Lifts officially open tomorrow, and then the via Ferrata routes will get checked out for the year.  We'll come back later to do this mountain, and instead started our recce of Section 2.

There's a learning curve to pioneering my own flying sites, and my first hike up onto the Rittisberg wasn't terribly successful.  With a west wind, and only east facing launches, it looked like a long hike back down.  The whole top of the ridge was treed in...so in desperation I found a narrow steep clearing and spread my wing out on the road facing south.  It worked, sort of, and I was airborne, but unable to get around into the windward side, so a short ride down to the valley.

Jim and I drove up to the next launch on the Rossbrand.  This one worked far better with launching options to the north and south.  More or less.   It was a beautiful view from up there on a very calm day.  I had planned on another sled ride down, but happy to find a few thermals, which enabled me to work my way along the course to Huttau.   Valley winds grounded me, and raindrops splattered us soon after we drove on to find a camping spot.

We are currently sitting out a couple of days of rain but heading generally for Chiemsee in Germany and hoping for some good flying!  If not, there's a Via Ferrata or two that I have my eye on....