I ran across Nenad Saljic's photography site the other day and saw his series on the Matterhorn. No, not the Disney version, the real thing in the Alps!

His photo series shows cloud formations and the clear seperation boundaries needed for dynamic soaring. You can imagine the power the pinnicle produces in the right conditions. Only problem is getting up there. Then try landing. Over 500 guys have died going up and down. DSing up there could be possible, though not probable.

Visit Nenad's site for more amazing Matterhorn photos.
http://www.nenadsaljic.com/gallery_274255.html

Paul Naton
Radio Carbon Art Productions
http://radiocarbonart.com/
http://glidefast.typepad.com/

Scary!

But at +14,000 feet the air is probably thin enough to affect top speed and probably set new records.

I repeat, scary!

Pete

Great photos of the shear layer!

Actually i think the altitude works against us because a given speed will equate to a higher mach number the higher you go. We're already bumping up against the mach drag divergence issues. Dont have the mach calc in front of me right now but 500mph at 14000ft could mean m=0.85 or something crazy...

Originally Posted by Paul Naton

I ran across Nenad Saljic's photography site the other day and saw his series on the Matterhorn. No, not the Disney version, the real thing in the Alps!

His photo series shows cloud formations and the clear seperation boundaries needed for dynamic soaring. You can imagine the power the pinnicle produces in the right conditions. Only problem is getting up there. Then try landing. Over 500 guys have died going up and down. DSing up there could be possible, though not probable.

Visit Nenad's site for more amazing Matterhorn photos.
http://www.nenadsaljic.com/gallery_274255.html

Paul Naton
Radio Carbon Art Productions
http://radiocarbonart.com/
http://glidefast.typepad.com/

Really amazing photos !!!

Surely the idea to DSing the Monte Cervino is veeery tempting , infact there around the wind is blowing really strong for most of the time and all over the seasons.

Might some ridges in the area there around should be DS-able (it should be verified...), and might some one already does it ....

But, from my limited experience of DS, a peak like Cervino is not DS practicable for some crucial facts like :
- distances, from a practical pilot position and the flight path of well over 1-1.5Km from the model, at least ....
- Karman effect, typical of all the peaks, that make unpredictable the wind direction and the shear position at any lap (trying to DS around a peak is quite frustrating and really dangerous too...)
- Altitude, the lowest piloting position is over 3.900m, not always easy to breath !!!!
- Temperature, along the year is mostly below Zero... 0°C, in fact quite always...

Antonio.

PS: I love Cervino for all the unforgettable experience gained in over 30 years of off-piste and ski touring in that area ...

PPS: Monte Cervino is the Italian name of the Matteron, it has two names since it's exaclty along the border between Italy and Swiss, it's a really gorgeous places within the Monte Rosa group ....