1
Welcome to Colombia
the "Tierra Querida."
| 
2
Mi amigo y guía turístico, Richi Mantilla.
| 
3
What a view...
Ruitoque Launch.
| 
4
I gotta layout my wing on this stuff!
|
5
Las Águilas Launch,
Ruitoque.
| 
6
The club house.
| 
7
1st Flight in Colombia.
| 
8
Peter building a wall.
|
9
Off he goes.
| 
10
Hey buddy, want to race?
| 
11
Peter and Chulos
| 
12
|
13
The Campestre Resort in Floridablanca has 4 wireless routers.
| 
14
Uno, dos, tres salto!
| 
15
Bring your swim gear.
| 
16
Terrific accommodations.
|
17
Me, Annie, Peter, Richi, Morgan and Russell in front.
| 
18
Campestre Lobby
| 
19
Campestre entrance to diningroom.
| 
20
Ruitoque - Floridablanca
|
21
Bucaramanga in the distance.
| 
22
Main LZ - center field.
| 
23
Alt LZ - knoll in front of white roofs.
| 
24
Lots of lift!
|
25
Looking east
| 
26
Local pilots show up.
| 
27
| 
28
|
29
Local pilot.
| 
30
Local launching.
| 
31
| 
32
Another local. These guys got up to the west and disappeared!
|
33
Bye
| 
34
Bye, bye!
| 
35
Up, up and away.
| 
36
Russell - from Alaska.
|
37
| 
38
| 
39
| 
40
Richifly.
|
41
| 
42
| 
43
| 
44
|
45
Local pilot.
| 
46
Morgan -from San Francisco- launching.
| 
47
Locals Dianna and Jimmy.
| 
48
Russell pulling up.
|
49
Richi.
| 
50
Peter pulling up.
| 
51
| 
52
|
53
Getting high!
| 
54
Ant coliseum.
| 
55
Keeps water from flooding their tunnels.
| 
56
Empanadas, ahi and limon - every day for lunch. $1.50 US
|
57
Gas is sold by the gallon - $2.50
| 
58
Tienda on the way to La Mesa de los Santos.
| 
59
Arrival at Richi's and Annie's.
| 
60
Richi's mom and aunt were there to greet us.
|
61
Looking up the entry road.
| 
62
The entry gate.
| 
63
The grounds...
| 
64
|
65
| 
66
Beautiful Spanish moss.
| 
67
The Ranch.
| 
68
|
69
| 
70
| 
71
| 
72
The caretaker's house.
|
73
Beautiful pine tree.
| 
74
| 
75
| 
76
|
77
| 
78
| 
79
| 
80
|
81
Sliding doors into the house.
| 
82
Too many cooks? Not at all.
| 
83
Libia (Richi's mom), Richi and Annie.
| 
84
|
85
My room - complete with bathroom.
| 
86
Entry way.
| 
87
Hallway to my room.
| 
88
Dining area. Many a good meal was shared here.
|
89
Peter's room.
| 
90
| 
91
Richi and Annie's room.
| 
92
Beautiful hardwood ceilings.
|
93
TV room.
| 
94
Stables.
| 
95
| 
96
|
97
Used to chop elephant grass for the non-existent horses!
| 
98
Small lake behind the stables.
| 
99
Looking back toward the caretaker's house.
| 
100
Peppers!
|
101
| 
102
Bees everywhere.
| 
103
Neighbor's up the street...
| 
104
|
105
The gatekeeper's house.
| 
106
Sole job is to tend the gate.
| 
107
"The Lookout"
| 
108
The Gatekeeper.
|
109
Libia driving me to the tienda.
| 
110
Tiendas are everywhere - several can be found on one block in populated areas.
| 
111
| 
112
Heading down to the waterfall.
|
113
| 
114
| 
115
| 
116
Cave of the owls.
|
117
| 
118
Don't write on the rocks!
| 
119
But jumping is okay. The locals called Russell "El Flaco" - skinny.
| 
120
Looking for owls.
|
121
Whoooo...
| 
122
La luna.
| 
123
| 
124
The spring that supplies the falls.
|
125
"Hello!"
| 
126
| 
127
Old horse turned out to pasture.
| 
128
|
129
Someone is creating a garden.
| 
130
| 
131
| 
132
|
133
The Falls.
| 
134
| 
135
| 
136
It's slippery!
|
137
| 
138
| 
139
Richi hiked down below the falls.
| 
140
|
141
See the face?
| 
142
Trees used to shade coffee plants.
| 
143
| 
144
|
145
The Chicamocha Canyon...
| 
146
| 
147
| 
148
|
149
| 
150
| 
151
No wind to slight down wind launch.
| 
152
The edge!
|
153
| 
154
Run down the hill - fast!
| 
155
| 
156
Go Morgan!
|
157
Slope angle.
| 
158
| 
159
Headed to cloud base.
| 
160
|
161
Go Peter!
| 
162
| 
163
| 
164
Richi on the run!
|
165
| 
166
Run Russell!
| 
167
| 
168
|
169
| 
170
Everyone at cloud base.
| 
171
| 
172
|
173
$4.50 US calling card!
| 
174
Richi and Annie's lot (through the brick portal).
| 
175
| 
176
The current launch.
|
177
Tienda at the bottom of the canyon.
| 
178
What a clown!
| 
179
| 
180
|
181
Even the moths here can thermal!
| 
182
| 
183
| 
184
Flying tandem with Richi.
|
185
My first tandem.
| 
186
Crazy pilot...
| 
187
Back at Ruitoque.
| 
188
Bucaramanga.
|
189
2g spiral.
| 
190
Coming around.
| 
191
3g spiral. Grunt, grunt.
"Spiral with a trimed parag..."
View Comments...
| 
192
Vuelo Libre Launch,
Ruitoque
|
193
| 
194
| 
195
| 
196
|
197
Let's sneak up on Russell...
| 
198
| 
199
Busted!
| 
200
|
201
| 
202
| 
203
| 
204
|
205
Above Vuelo Libre launch - Ruitoque.
Afternoon ridge site.
| 
206
| 
207
My first top landing.
| 
208
|
209
| 
210
| 
211
Nine thermal markers, or just one?
| 
212
There's a waterfall in there somewhere.
|
213
Peter.
| 
214
| 
215
| 
216
Mowing the lawn with a weedeater!
|
217
Russell.
| 
218
Richi getting ready to fly Hugo, our driver.
| 
219
| 
220
|
221
Morgan.
| 
222
| |
