My first ever flight at famous convergence site of Elsinore, and it was EPIC!!
I'd read about Elsinore in Classic Routes, the weighty coffee table Christmas present of a few years ago from my wife that showcases the best paragliding cross country locations in the world. However, ever since I moved to Southern California just over a year ago, I'd been too nervous to fly there. I'd preferred the luxurious facilities at Marshall and the after work cruising of Torrey Pines.
But finally it was time. Incredible September weather with off the charts thermal tops and massive conversion lines. It was not to be missed. We had a big group of the usual SoCal XCLeague pilots, plus a few others - nearly 22 pilots on launch. There was a spirited discussion on our Facebook page on the Thursday and Friday, as Elsinore commands respect and is perhaps not for the faint hearted.
From left: Local guru Jeff Williams (behind), Jean Nathan Michael, US Sport Class champion Dimitri Soloviev, Roger Marsh, Greg Hunter
Event organizer Aaron with the hat folder
Elsinore is a complex site, with often only a small launch window as the sea breeze blows over the back. If you haven't launched before it arrives, you are stuck, as it is highly dangerous to launch into the lee with powerful thermals below and the breeze coming from behind. However, the sea breeze meeting thermals coming up the front of the valley below baking in 105 degree heat is what Elsinore is all about, as it creates a huge convergence zone that can often stretch up and down the mountain range, or 40km across the valley to Soboba.
With the local guru saying in the last days the sea breeze didn't arrive until 2pm, pilots were slow getting ready and off the hill. Event organizer Aaron had set an ambitious 82km cross country task, and I was very nervous.
Unfortunately, the tricky launch timing meant only 8 out of the 22 pilots were able to climb out from launch. There rest either found the thermals shut off because of the building convergence clouds over us, or couldn't launch at all because the wind started blowing from behind launch.
Having got ready quite early, I was one of the lucky ones. I was about fifth to launch, and did exactly what I'd been told, flying directly left and to the north of the first spine. Then I started to climb. After the first easy 3000ft climb I was thinking, oh, this is pretty nice. Then everyone in the air noticed the huge convergence cloud forming to the south about 5km away, right over our first turnpoint.
Once there, the thermal was just huge. Undoubtedly the biggest thermal I have ever climbed in - probably extending for a radius of about 3km and all the way up to cloudbase at 14,000ft. Anywhere you went, it was going up....and up....and up. Once I hit 3500m (11500ft), I realized this was the highest I'd even flown in 15 years of paragliding. Cloudbase was still higher, but the other pilots around were taking off towards the first turnpoint, so it was time to go... I kept climbing another 1000ft in a straight line out towards the edge of the cloud before setting off on glide to the second turnpoint - a 25km leg to Diamond Lake.
Climbing out from Elsinore. You can see the shadow of the massive convergence cloud on the lake.
A few kilometers into the first 25km leg to Diamond Lake at 3494m (around 11500ft)
My Flymaster NAV flight instrument is showing 54km ground speed (9km tailwind from the west and 2/3 speedbar) Glide ratio of 12.4 due to convergence, with average glide (G..R.M.G) of 12.3 showing how significant the convergence was. 22.4km to go to the first turnpoint.
The first big transition was a 26km leg to Diamond lake. It was truely spectacular flying high over the valleys and hills I had driven many times to get to Marshall in the last year. I felt I'd paid my dues with hours of studying this terrain in Google Earth. I could see the haze of Los Angeles in the distance, and the San Diego mountains disappearing into the heat in the south.
Canyon Lake waterfront community
Nearing the Diamond Lake Turnpoint after the first 25km
Then I found one of the days monster thermals, and was up and away again....2300m (7500ft) in a single thermal.
Between Perris and Helmet, Soboba to the right, San Jacinto in the distance, goal is the base of the mountains on the horizon to the left.
Crossing the 'Badlands' at about 50km.
Just after the Badlands there was another huge convergence area, and I reached the highest point on the whole flight at 3950m (13000ft). From there it should have been an easy 12km glide to goal.
Finally, goal in sight after 3 hrs. It was by the dark green square in the middle of the picture
The problem was a strong headwind was blowing up the San Bernadino valley. As I came over the last range of hills, my glide ratio worsened the lower I got.
From 10:1 at 3500m, to 5:1, then 2.8:1....I'd flown nearly 80km only to be confronted with 10km forward speed on full speed bar over orchards, houses, schools and high tension power lines. The safest route toward the goal was along the approach path of a small airport...which was probably not the wisest.
I eventually took three thermals (nearly 6000ft of climbs) in order to fly just 6km in a straight line.
Eventually I gave up and landed vertically in a building site, just meters inside the 1km goal circle around the Hanger 24 Craft Brewery. Aaron was there in minutes to offer his congratulations and whisk me off the the fabulous micro-brews, outdoor terrace, tacos and later live music!
Landing in a building site after needing 6000ft of thermals in 25km/hr headwinds to fly the last 6km!
Chilling till sunset with a craft brew or three after an epic day.