After a very long day yesterday and flight described by Chrigel Maurer (SUI1)’s supporter Thomas Theurillat as “very windy” and “very stressful”, Chrigel is now hiking up the Leiter Alm above Merano. He will bide his time on an east-facing slope until the sun has warmed the ground enough for the thermal activity to start. It’s not always easy to tell from the ground whether conditions are ‘working’ or not. Pilots wait for regular breezes, and look for tell-tale signs like birds circling or insects and seeds going up in rising currents of warm air. Chrigel is a master of his art and will pick his moment.