First Time 29+ Years Flying in Mountains I Got Scared 

As a flatland pilot, I learnt about sink in the mountains in one of my first mountain flights. We were just flying locally on a ridge with its top around 800 metres AGL. Very windy, around 50km/h. We were at around 1000 metres when we let the wind push us a bit to the lee side. I was in a Blanik with a low-experience pilot, and besides us was a friend on a Cirrus. As we headed upwind towards the ridge, the Cirrus was some 50 metres above us. Suddenly we started to lose height very quickly, and it became apparent that we would not pass the ridge (the Cirrus had no issue whatsoever and barely lost any height). We started a shallow turn and the Blanik, one of the nicest gliders you'll ever fly, stalled badly and spun. By the time we levelled we were at 500 metres. I was already looking to put the glider in a small road that was below us when the other pilot noticed that some smaller hills behind the big hill were giving some lift. So we ended up riding the small lift and were able to "turn the corner" and return to the main ridge. Very very scary, and lucky in the end.

Congratulations you are now qualified for low level flying at the Mach Loop! 😊

You have years of experience and a great ship! Glad things worked out in your favor!

Stay safe for us Bruno.

Glad you're safe. Perhaps it was a good thing for us not to see that scary moment!

Thanx for sharing B4!

Glad you made it out!

Scary stuff! Glad you got out of it.

Can be good to get a reminder that a few imperfect decisions can lead to an irreversible situation.

Sometimes is better to be lucky than good!!! Nice save.

That is why i am affraid of flying in the mountains...........first moment it is paradise and munute later is hell....greta it worked out for you Greatings from Slovenija

Man this is low. Glad you are safe.

Yaowzeers ! I was sweating right along with you Bruno !

Your vario wasn’t singing a great tune! Glad you made it out safely 👍🏻

new Panel, nice

Yeah, really a pity there isn't video of what leads up to that, because at the start of the video it looks fine (certainly after ten seconds, when we can see all the way to the flat land), and at the end you're only a bit over 300 ft lower than at the start -- which is basically what two minutes of flying fairly fast in (on average) neutral air will do to you anyway.

Scary indeed. Any ideas what caused this pocket of "extreme descending air".... given that the cumuli at the end of the clip look all sweet and innocent.

Fear is ok. Panic is bad.

Been there, done that... once or twice. Not fun!!! At least from the video, it looks like you can reach the flat lands even at 100 kts.

Man, 20-30 seconds at the start loosing 200ft after the drop heading about 80kn and still took another 20 kn and 20 seconds to find the lift crazy

Super cool video. Did you manage to get back to altitude once you got down to the valley? Or did you end up landing out?

Well…great job making out alive…you made it look easy as usual. We didn’t even hear any praying, crying or cussing. Lol 👍

No sign of Virga in the area? Something collapsed above you to create that much wide spread sink.

What model sailplane do you fly?

What if you had not made it out? Are there rules of thumb for where to "land" the glider in such terrain?

Gliders are so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You certainly flying too low with no way out of the long valley.

Was this recent…..like today?

A rotor.

Consider adding an engine.,It can help you get out of these situations.