Chabre mountain weather in real time

The Chabre peak faces south-east and runs east-west. Dust Devils are most likely to be seen when there is a light northerly or slightly steady westerly wind. The reason for their appearance is the clash of southerly and northerly systems. The two winds converge at the top of the mountain and oppose each other, resulting in Dust Devils.

For a Dust Devil to be triggered, it needs energy, so they tend to strengthen as the day warms up, like thermals.

On light northerly days, the wind at take-off will alternate between south and north. It’s between each change of direction, when the wind stops, that the Dust Devils are ready to be triggered. On these days, I’d recommend you head for the highest take-off point, as you’ll be able to clearly identify the wind direction there. What’s more, it may be possible to take off from both sides, north and south.

Chabre has many small windsocks on all the take-off areas. These windsocks help determine the wind direction around you. Make sure you spot them before you get ready, so you know where to look for information.

In these conditions, I always remain uncoupled from the glider until the last moment, I only tie up when the conditions are right to take off, and I take off quickly.

I try to get out as quickly as possible or look for thermals far from the ridge in case the next cycle starts and triggers another Dust Devil. At altitude, these are just thermals, but close to the ground they are very dangerous phenomena.

It’s also a good idea to have someone next to your wing while you’re getting ready. That way, if a Dust Devil is triggered, the wing can be neutralised quickly and you’ll avoid any problems.

Source: https://www.flyingkarlis.com