SAFA Skysailor Magazine

17 September | October 2022 SKY SAILOR Day 7 – Reward There was an obvious mountain Pic d’Escales on the way to Arbas TP, so we hiked up. Inigo and his supporter were 2km in front, over- taking them was a fun goal for the morning, on the 7th day any extra motivation was welcome. Chris and I cut all the road corners and flew of Mont Sijon, I also pushed quite deep into the leeside of Col de la Béne – I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for racing, but I survived. The hike to Arbas TP had looked way closer on the map. On the ridge, I saw all the guys from yesterday’s gaggle sitting on Pic de la Paloumére waiting for thermals and when I got there, I still saw them fighting in low, weak lift, some progressing, others landing, but they marked the air for me and I took off and chased them... sounds agressive, but these conditions were more about not bombing out! It was slow flying, but I did well. The crux putting pilots on the ground was crossing the La Garrone Valley. Again, I spent quite a while trying to figure out how to reclimb after crossing, but in the end I landed anyway. No regrets though, I always learn a lot trying to solve puzzles like this. Ross asked if I wanted to hike and fly off Tourroc on that last evening. Of course I did – 10km and 1000m up. Chris paced me like a boss and I unleashed, my feet were killing me, but there was no holding back, it took less than two hours. We came out of the forest to the clearing on the top and it was... perfect. Stunning evening light, calm air, mighty Pyr- enees on our left, vast flatlands on our right, sheep gently ringing their bells, perfect grassy slope to launch, with light square wind. It was a hell of a week and to get this piece of perfec- tion at the very end touched me deeply. We took off and glided through the smoothest air into the sunset, using last bits of evening lift together with a couple of vultures. The whole week of exertion came down to this magical moment. I flew over two other athletes, milked this glide until the last metre and slope landed, this time on a nice, big field. It was 20:45, the road ended here, both literally and metaphorically, there was nowhere else to go, no need to rush any more. I layed on the grass and closed my eyes. Past days browsed under my lids, the best and the worst, ups and downs, emotions, limits and push, great choices and mistakes, friendship and teamwork, rain, wind, heat, unlandable valleys, tree covered hills and razor-shaped rocks... You name it, X-Pyr delivered. Was it really only seven days ago when we left Hondarribia for that first gruelling 20km run up to La Rhune? Would I do it again? In a heart beat. Epilogue Chrigel did it again, even though in the morning of the 6th day, he said he gave himself a 10% chance... Then he did what he always does and flew just a few kilometres short of Santa Helena. Maxime came close behind, then Pierre and Simon, after a fantastic race, closed the field of the athletes in goal.