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Event info

Our famous, annual competition is coming up in February 2020. This time, with 2 categories: Sport Class and Open Class.
Every year we have lots of fun in the best XC conditions, with strong and experienced competitors from which you will learn many ways to improve your flying.

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Flying site

Valle de Bravo "Valle" is known for being a consistent site with more than 300 flyable days a year.
The best season starts on November with cloud bases over 4500MSL / 15,000 ft.
The peak season starts on January and it goes until April when the rain season starts.

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Event info

Our famous, annual competition is coming up in February 2020. This time, with 2 categories: Sport Class and Open Class.
Every year we have lots of fun in the best XC conditions, with strong and experienced competitors from which you will learn many ways to improve your flying.
This competition is organized by vuelolibre.mx and is a FAI event registered with FAI CIVL.
This is a must-do competition if you are looking to improve your flying and gain lots of flight time and XC distance.

Flying site

Valle de Bravo "Valle" is known for being a consistent site with more than 300 flyable days a year.
The best season starts on November with cloud bases over 4500MSL / 15,000 ft.
The peak season starts on January and it goes until April when the rain season starts. Rainy days are also flyable for a few hours. Rain season ends in September and from then to December days are usually very mellow and nice to fly, perfect conditions for students, beginners or just relaxed flying.
The area is always referred as Valle de Bravo "Valle", it is a beautiful town where the hotels and restaurants are. The actual flying site is a 30 min drive from Valle near a small rural town called Temascaltepec. When you plan your trip always look for a stay or activities in Valle de Bravo.

Take off: This site has hosted several international and world competitions. The launch site is wide, with plenty of space for parking, setup and take off. Public bathrooms available.
GPS coordinates, Take off: 19°3'41" (19.0616)N; 100°5'27" (100.091)W - Elevation : 2336 m / 7,664 ft

Landing: Official landing (LZ) is a large grassy field 2.5 kms in front of the launch. Snacks and drinks are available at the LZ.
GPS coordinates, Landing: 19°2'45" (19.0459)N; 100°6'32" (100.109)W - Elevation : 1775 m / 5823 ft

Transport and Retrieval For those who arrive by airplane or don't count with transport during the competition, we have arranged with local friends transport and retrieval service for $160 USD for the 7 days of competition. This service includes bringing your wing from the HQ's to launch and track you and pick you up from where you land and take you back to the HQ's. This is a group service so you will be riding with others. We have plenty of spots available so you can arrange for this service during registration.

Getting to Launch from Valle de Bravo Town: Take the road from Valle de Bravo to Temascaltepec and turn right in the Albarrada road sign. Follow the signs on the dirt road to the launch.

Weather Hazards: Strong thermals and rough air are common during this month. You must be comfortable flying under these conditions.

Flight regulation: Basic VFR rules apply. See and Avoid!.
Valle is an area with lots of flying activity. You most always be aware of other pilots flying near you. Pay attention to the small airstrip on the plateau were the landing field is. There's another small airstrip for small airplanes on the way to Valle de Bravo.
Please be vigilant at all times. Look around, look up, look down.

Interesting info:
You will find plenty of kids at the LZ offering you to fold your glider and put all your gear back into the harness. Most pilots will reject this because they will not trust the folding to anyone else but themselves and specially not to a bunch of kids. These kids have learn from different pilots and you will find that most of those kids can fold your glider much better than you do!. Use this service if you can, make them feel useful, they are just trying to work, earn some money and hang out with us pilots. They hugely admire us. Share some words with them if you can, they will really appreciate it. The usual "fee" for the service is couple of dollars or 40 pesos, but you can give them more if you feel like or share some candies, a toy or something.

Selection and entry fee

$120 USD payable during registration. Cash. (USD or Pesos). Mastercard or Visa.
Registration fee includes Competition entry and weekly pass to El Peñon Flying Club during the competition days.

Optional Transport and Retrieval service available for $160 USD for the 7 days of competition. (Arrange during registration)

Prize fund and scoring categories

Awards for the first 3 places of each category (Open Class, Sport Class, and Women)

General schedule

Sunday Feb 23:
Official registration day and practice day

Monday Feb 24-29
Contest flying days

Feb 29
Prize-giving and closing ceremony. We will host a closing event party at the Landing Zone.

Daily schedule

09:00 - Depart from HQ
10:30 - Meet Director / Task and Safety Committee meetings
11:00 - Pilots' briefing / Previous task official results / Task definition
12:00 - Take-off window opens
17:00 - Scoring office opens
21:00 - Provisional results

Accommodation and Activities

Valle de Bravo is a magical town with lots of activities. Hiking, water activities at the lake, or visit the Monarca Butterly sanctuary (November to March) where you can observe millions of Monarca butterflies hanging from the trees.

Normally all the hotels in the area do special rates for pilots. When you contact them, ask for a discount for hang glider or paraglider pilots. Tell them you are visiting for the competition. They most likely will offer 10%-30% discounts off the published rates.
Depending on the hotel, nightly rates per room range from $40 to $100 USD.

AIRBNB
Plenty of AirBnB options. Look for Valle de Bravo. Anywhere near downtown works.

Las Caballerizas Hotel Boutique Valle de Bravo
www.hotellascaballerizas.mx

HOTEL MISIÓN REFUGIO DEL SALTO
Address: Fontana Brava s/n Col. Avandaro, C.P. 51200
Mision Refugio del Salto is a unique hotel. It features a beautiful natural waterfall and thousand-year-old trees, witnesses to the history of Valle de Bravo. Our rooms and chalets beautifully decorated, our restaurants and delicious food will make your pleasure or business trips a new and pleasant experience.
https://mision-refugio-del-salto.valledebravohoteles.com/en/

POSADA CHELITA
Address: 16 de Septiembre #506
Simple, clean and well kept. Swimming pool in the central patio. Close to the town´s bus station
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hotel-Posada-Chelita/172913776149519

POSADA CASA VIEJA
Address: Av. Juárez # 101
Nice old town building with clean, fairly big rooms, one block from the main square
https://es-la.facebook.com/PosadaCasaVieja/

HOTEL SAN JOSE
Address: San José # 103
Pretty townhouse with veranda and garden that makes you feel at home. Some rooms have kitchenette, sitting area and big closets
https://hotel-san-jose-valle-de-bravo.booked.net/

HOTEL DALINDA
Address: 16 de Septiembre # 102
Very well kept and quiet hotel at the top of a steep little town street.
https://hotelboutiquedalinda.com/valle/

HOTEL CASA NUEVA
Address: Plaza Independencia # 5
Stylish Mexican hotel right off the main square offering good beds in high ceiled rooms. Veranda and inner courtyard with beautiful plants and various sitting areas.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hotel-Casa-Nueva/531750733503181

MESON DE LEYENDAS
Address: Bocanegra # 405
Beautiful historic building with lush tropical garden. Stylish Mexican rustic decoration.
https://mesondeleyendas.com/

How to get here

VueloLibre.Mx

By plane: You can arrive at either the Toluca International or Mexico City International Airport. From there you need to arrange transportation to Valle de Bravo, which is a 3-hour drive from the Mexico City Airport, and 1.5 hours from Toluca.
Headquarters: Vuelo Libre Mexico
De Manuel 100, Sta Maria Ahuacatlan
51200 Valle de Bravo, México
We can help organize transportation from the airport if needed. Please contact us with any questions you have at rudy@vuelolibre.mx or WhatsApp +52 1 722 366 8846

Bus from Mexico City:
To take a bus ride to Valle from Mexico city go to the bus station named "Observatorio" (Observatory). Taxi from Mexico City airport to bus station cost $200 Mexican pesos (around 11 USD)
Time schedules for the Valle the bravo bus may vary, but basically you will find daily departures from 5:00 AM up to 5:00 PM, one every hour. (For example, 5:15, 6:15, 7:15 and so on)
Be sure to buy and to ride the "Libramiento" bus route to Valle and *NOT* the "Amanalco" route. The new "Libramiento" route will take you to Valle in less than three hours thanks to the fact that about half of the way uses the new highway.

De Manuel 100 31 B Valle de Bravo, Estado de México 51200 Mexico
Valle de Bravo Mexico

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Organizers

Vuelo Libre
https://vuelolibre.mx
Rudy Gotés :
rudy@vuelolibre.mx
mobile ph +521 722 3668846
Rudy Gotes
Director

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Tasks and results

Task 1

24 Feb, 2020

Class 1 Sport — 65.3 km — Race to goal

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Comp. results:
Tracks:

Task 2

25 Feb, 2020

Class 1 Sport — 61.8 km — Race to goal

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Task 3

26 Feb, 2020

Class 1 Sport — 64.3 km — Race to goal

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Task 4

27 Feb, 2020

Class 1 Sport — 75.0 km — Race to goal

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Task 5

28 Feb, 2020

Class 1 Sport — 55.0 km — Race to goal

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Task 6

29 Feb, 2020

Class 1 Sport — 61.0 km — Race to goal

Replay:
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Comp. results:
Tracks:
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