Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 12:December 2014 | Page 39

European
ADVENTURE
by

S H A D C OU L SON

S

tanding in the passenger pickup area of Venice International Airport, I
found myself surrounded by people eager to greet friends and family. I had
arrived the previous day to obtain transportation for the pending road trip
to Kobarid, Slovenia. While observing the warm embraces and smiles of
strangers, I was eagerly anticipating my adventure. I had been organizing this trip
for nearly six months, while one of those joining me had been dreaming of it for
nearly a decade. I searched the crowd for a glimpse of paraglider bags among the
droves of passengers emerging from the luggage carousel and customs area of the
airport. And I was thrilled when, eventually, Jeff, Derek, and Jaime emerged with
gliders and baggage in tow. A few short moments later, the truck was packed, and
our adventure began.
Following a scenic drive from Venice, we arrived in Kobarid, a charming little
town nestled in the picturesque Soca Valley of Slovenia’s Julian Alps. We quickly
unpacked and settled into our rooms above a local pizzeria named “Picerija Fedrig.”
The surprisingly modern rooms were conveniently located near the town square
(read local bars). Staying above a pizzeria makes the primal need for finding food extremely easy! We headed downstairs to meet my friend Simon Konavec, a local pilot
and operator of Come Fly Slovenia, for a family-style dinner. Simon informed us the
weather forecast for the next few days was less than ideal, but flying could still be
possible. Our spirits and hopes for long flights remained high as we discussed, over
a few bottles of wine, ideas on alternative activities, should the weather opt not to
cooperate.
The next three days played out as predicted, with overcast skies and strong north
winds. Our aspirations for flying were not completely lost. We did manage a few
short sled rides from the peaks of Stol, Kobala, and Lijak, which are located near
the towns of Kobarid, Tolmin, and Nova Gorica, respectively. Each day we found
ourselves “para-waiting” among serial-class comp pilots who had also been stymied
by the bad weather and had yet to run a task during the five previous days of competition. Needless to say, we were all eager to hook a thermal.
On our fourth and final day in Slovenia, we woke to clear blue skies and southerly winds. Spirits were high, and the launch at Lijak was abuzz with pilots ready
to take flight; the sound of waypoints being added to instruments filled the air. Not
long after the first glider showed the group that conditions were ripe for XC, we
LEFT Oludeniz, Turkey | photo by Shad Coulson.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

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