Nicole's Directions from Tenancingo to Valle

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Another travel day!

Getting from Tenancingo to Valle de Bravo was very easy. 5 minute walk from Casa Del Piloto to the bus stop, and busses to Toluca every 5-10 minutes. In Toluca transferred to a Valle de Bravo bus (platform #6) and then 2 hours later I was in Valle. Total cost of the trip: 78 pesos. Can’t beat that!

In town I heard it wasn't a good day for the female pilots...Anja and Kirsten went into the trees on the Mesa, and Ewa went into the lake while doing some SIV. Maybe it was good thing I wasn't flying today!

Jim Orava got his glider problem sorted out when the French team lent him a brand new Icepeak 3 to replace his XP (which was having line length issues). He says it’s a much faster machine than his previous glider. Brett is also enjoying his brand new Sky Eris 3. And Keith is on a Boom 6, also new. Me, I’m staying with my trusty old Magic 4 for this comp.

So the boys and myself will head up tomorrow for practice day #1, and Saturday is practice day #2 and also the opening ceremonies etc.

Check out Nicoles Blog at Valle ----> http://www.nicolemclearn.com/

Nicole Thanks for staying with us and fly safe and well in Valle ! - Brad

Nicole's Tenancingo Report - Nicole's Blog

Nicole's Tenancingo Report - Nicole's Blog http://www.nicolemclearn.com/ contains her first flight to 12000' and a triangle around the Tenancingo Valley in some strong convergence.

Insert from Nicole's Blog as at Jan 18th:

I caught a nice thermal over launch and it took me to 3000m, which is more than enough for the glide to Tenancingo, especially with a tailwind. It looked like it was converging behind launch, so when I got high enough I flew under the suspected convergence, and yep!, it was indeed. No turns and I kept going up under the grey clouds, headed towards Nevado de Toluca. Hmmm this is pretty easy, I think I'll do a circuit of the Valley. So I flew around the valley for the next hour or so, staying around 3800m, playing with the clouds and seeing what the different valleys had to offer. There are sooo many valleys converging here...the XC possibilities seem endless and you can do triangles and out-and-returns very easily here.

Christine, Melanie & I are back home.

Christine, Melanie & I are back home.

Thought I would end off the trip with more pics of flying off Toluca Volcano and some of my favorite pics. Through out the trip I was extremely impressed with the Ozone Geo II as an all round Mtn Wing in harsh and high altitude conditions.

We had a great time and enjoyed our guests Doug Marshburn, Robert Stockman and Scott MaCallister. These guys were awesome and they flew virtually everyday. Hope you are back next year fly with us again!

Brad

PS Hi Yolixtly!

Launch Mtn Toluca at 14,200" Jan 7 report

Our day started with a waked up call at 4:30am that was Daniel Pedoroza banging on the metal door at Casa Del Piloto eager to go. Still dark we dragged our butt’s out the door in to 2 vehicles for the 2 hour drive to the Mt Toluca Nevado Volcano. Lovely Christine joined us as our driver in the 2nd vehicle. We wiggled our way up to the entrance of the Toluca Park and arrived at the parking lot at 4000 meters.

We walked for 1 hour to the east side of the mtn were we have scoped out a launched at 4300 meters. Yep, another 300 meters straight up and Norman Lawlor was not impressed, but he knew in the back of mind that the possibility was excellent so he slogged his way up. I had been there 3 times over the years and have been unable to fly and today looked like it was going to happen….

Finally with everyone at on top, at 11 am we decide to launch on the north side with the prevailing wind at a perfect 5-10 k and fly around to the east side for thermals and to our destination a small town called Zaragoza 9 km as the bird flies. We launched in order with Jack a guest pilot, Scott MacAllister, Bob Stockman, Norman Lawlor, Doug Marshburn and I last as the safety. With the high altitude you had to run hard but everyone launched without a hitch.

The flight was smooth, maybe too smooth, tweaking the every fart thermal we could find. The views were expansive and awesome. We landed in the same order we flew with safe landings. Eventually we all re-grouped, high fived, passed around beers and roasted chicken. Our turn around ride was 2 hours, long trip and logistics for a 30 minute high mountain flight!

Brad

Questions & Answers for Tenancingo...

Q. How is flying?

Flyin has been very good to excellent. La Malinche has been strong at between 1-3 pm. Fly at noon and soar King's bed (cliffs to the left). If you get low fly out to the A-Frame cabanas for landing, there is a sock in the field. Always fly safe.

Malinalco, El Picacho is also open, microbus cost $15 pesos to the SanNicholas crossing, and then about 6 pesos more for the next passing micronorth to El Picacho.

Q. How do I get to Tenancingo?
The best route from the Mexico Airport is to follow the signs that say ground transportation directly to Caminante Bus wicket, take a bus to Tuloca for $11. From Toluca take a taxi directly to Tenancingo, the taxi will cost about $200-400 pesos depending on the number of people, the ride is about 30 minutes. Hint buy a map at the airport to show the taxi driver in Toluca you want to goto to Tenancingo (not Tulancingo another state).

Coming into Tenancingo and Directions to Casa Del Piloto
You will descend into the Tenancingo valley as you enter Tenancingo proper at the bottom of the hill you will pass an Oxxo store on your right, keep going down the boulevard for about kilometer passing Coco Hotel to your right, you will see signs for (left) Malinalco and Teneria (do not go there) turn right one block AFTER the first set of street lights. Immediately to your left you will see a Nissan dealership and Garis store (a block from the house and LZ), important take your first right and next immediate right this is Matamoros St. to the left is Casa Del piloto , 104 Matamoros Sur. (It is important to not confuse this with 104Matamoros Norte, one block away, which many new visitors seem to do) >>>> We have a sign posted up<<<<<

Q. The weather?
Evenings are still chilly. The days are 23-29 C. We have added more blankets to all beds. No bugs or insects, however your will find scorpions at launch. At 4,000 meters you will need gloves and warm clothing.

Q. Kids and LZ

This kids are freindly and do not ask for anything when we land, candy is always good but we try to stay low key so that there is no expectations from us as guest on their property. For the most part you will go unnoticed as a foreigner this is avery big market community.

Q. Local Contact
You will need to contact Daniel Miller for local information his number :

My cell phone number is as follows -International - +(52)1-722-312-3363

From Mexican land-line phones (045) 722-312-3363

From other Mexican cell phones 722-312-3363

Norm reports 8 m/p/s lift & likes it? Jan 5th Report

Doug MarshBurn, Scott and Robert took taxi to Malinalco for 10 pesos each. Norman Lawlor and Rocky a German pilot (whose nickname comes from being mugged in Valle de Bravo with a rock) decided to goto La Malinche to fly to Malinalco to meet the boys.

Norman launched at 1 p.m. just after Rocky and off they went straight up. Norman reported a sweet thick thermal of 8 meters per second lift from the Kings bed pretty much up to 4,000 meters. Rocky took the normal route to the to of the towers to the left and over the bad lands, to the volcanoe’s behind El Picacho and to La Malinche, while Norman took the impossible route over Tenancingo flat lands and up an over Tecomatlan. Both pilots top land Malinalco, like an albatross gracefully tumbling (I will post Norman’s Landing on You Tube). Flights were 1:40 – 2 hours respectively.

Brad

Saved off the Cabana deck - Jan 4th report

After spending New Years in Acapulco, we were back in Tenancingo Jan 4th to join the boys for some flying at La Malinche.

It was a start of a great flying day with a little haze and cumus popping from the the King's bed to left of launch. I was the first in our group to launch (it was early), right into a royal flush! I was sinking so fast I thought geez I am going to bomb out even before the official LZ. I hug as hard to the hill as I could then I headed straight to the Cabana's LZ. About 100 ft from the landing deck my vario went beep, then beep beep and again and again. Locked in my Ozone Geo II and Bingo!! nailed the thermal to 2800 meters. Very sweet save....

Daniel Miller was right behind me in his 2nd flight in a very used Fly Design Boxtair he had bought and I delivered. The Boxtair was twitchy, launched terribly and this by the way will be his last flight on this wing.

After 30 minutes or so ridge soaring La Malinche a group of 4 pilots joined me at cloud based and we worked sweet air in the flats of Tenancingo with the plan to fly to Tecomatlan soccer fields. We were near our goal when a radio reported that Daniel's wing stalled and went into a helicopter spin (what is with that??!) stopping hard into a cement wall. Long of short we landed beside him simply amazed that he is walking and talking to people around him. I have posted a picture of the red beast launching, a careful eye will see all issues while Daniel Launches the Flight Design. WE all very happy he is ok, he is now forced to reverse launch cause he broke 3 ribs! I told him I would talk with my friend Jim Reich to provide a newer safer wing within his weight range.

Brad