He writes
"The flight starts well as Hernan Pitocco opens the game followed by Horacio Llorens and I. Somehow it feels funny to fly XC with those 2 great acro pilot. Usually they start tumbling around when they arrive at cloudbase. But today we play a different game and those guys also now how it works. We fly as a team but at some point we take different options. Pitocco is agressive and flys fast but looses some height in a difficult transition. He will make it back easy and raise the rythem. We all have different styles and I like it. We have 8 hours to get to know each other and make the best out of this day together… The spirit is good and I have to say that without them this flight may not have been possible. I do not have much oxygen in my bottle so I go easy. Anyway, cloudbase is low today. We can (only) climb to 5500m this morning. After, it is like usual; from one thermal to another, one cloud to another.. east face, south face, west face… I think I reached the state of hypoxia a few time as I usually do not sing in turbulent conditions…
Time is running fast and cloudbase getting higher. We climb together with Horacio in a very turbulent thermal at 6300m. The thermal is in the lee side and that’s when acro skills really help… Just high enough to freeze our hands. We can feel the tension, no one is talking on the radio for the 3 hotest hours of the day… Concentrated guys… The motivations is high. 189 km from Booni means Gilgit and a hot shower… The view is breathtaking. We can see Nanga Parbat, K2 and some huge thunderstorm. I have some Belgian chocolate with me as a secret weapon but no water. I am talking to my Gradient XC3 when it is rough, to the mountain and to the birds when the thermal comes nice and smooth… It will be funny on our film as we are actually filming a documentary with Belgian director Olivier Vanashen. I have a microphone on me and a camera…
We make some distance and we start to believe that Gilgit is a realistic goal. But, as we fly above Gilgit, I start to see the possibility to break this record flight. It is a one time opportunity. I eat some Belgian chocolate and engage the fight… I say God if you exist let me know now… and the vario starts beeping… I reconsider my point of view about religions and start turning around…
It feels like my dear Belgium flatlands flying. 0.5m/s. I get the last 30 km like that and land with the wind in the back just to make the best out of my glide. I think I am alone in the midle of nowhere and I scream (thank you to the sky). A minute later, as usual, an army of kids are runing around. I land near a town called Pari… I wish I could be in the french capital and enjoy ( la cuisine française) and a fresh beer. But it is most likely not going to happen.My legs cannot hold me and I am exhausted. I hitch hike and go back to town to meet my friends. I do not know yet if I flew more than Brad or not. It does not matter. What matters here is to have fun and to enjoy."
A great flight on a great glider well done Thomas http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:Tomdedor/6.6.2011/05:42
