June

7/6/2015 - Llangolen

The sky looked great, but the take off was surpringly quiet with only about ten pilots - Was this the right place? Further south Long Mountain and The Lawley, we later discovered, were hogging the lion's share of the pilots.

But all seemed good.

I took off in a light cycle that heralded the onset of a cloudbase bound thermal. Three of us continued with it whilst several others pulled back forward - one unfortunately being Baz. Not a lot to say about flatland flying other than I didn't know many of the places after the first 50k - nice countryside though .... very green. It would have helped to have had a sizeable gaggle as the three of us kept getting split by height and position with meant being on one's own for a lot of the searching. Climbs were slow at first and the drift similar, later they got  stronger and rougher and some approached 'rodeo' status. By the time we went over the Lawley at height all the crowds seem to have departed south, so again we were on our own. 20k later we had split and gone our separate ways.So ..... on my own again. I made a try for my goal at Hay on Wye, hoping the wind would pull more NE as forecast, but it stayed stubbornly N to even NW at lower levels.

Lots more flatland flying and approaching 100k I was getting a bit complacent and not working the climbs as high or intensively - thinking they would appear as and when. Mistake ...... and it brought me to earth east of Hereford with a good sky, still working and another 2hrs plus in it. I stumbled into a weak climb on approach and took that for a few hundred feet .......... looking back I wish I'd perservered with it.

Nice lift back with an interesting and very friendly American, Mexican, Chinese lady - can't say that happens very often.

Stills from video link

11/6/2015  Barkin Fell

A most unexpected and unusual flight. (Actually read flights)

I arrived at Barkin before midday under a totally cloudless sky and hot sun to find a number of early arrivees walking to the very top and round to the south of the usual take off ..... not a good sign. A few more arrived including Dean and Mike Mason; we weren't convinced by the gusty breeze and the hint of south. Eventually, the summit pilots took off and whilst it didn't look too inviting at least they were flying and gaining decent height.

After lots of chewing over the various options (and ignoring the 'Barkin Nutters' comments on What's app) I decided to walk up and a few others, including Mike followed. Again we had to walk high ..... it was gusty at times, but the lulls offered decent launch opportunities. I took off and with barely a beat, took a decent climb to 4500' - the drift was less than expected and the blue thermals fairly well formed. It seemed rather silly to stay, so despite no cloud markers I set off without too much optimism and fingers crossed.  As I headed towards the higher ground approaching the M6 I was hopeful - but very little worth taking appeared, so opted to push no further into the drop off beyond the M6 and hung around searching until eventually grounded. It was a great, ground handling place and the varying conditions allowed me 30 minutes of GH before packing and heading back. It looked a bit like day over.

I got a lift to Sedbergh and was then  collected by Brian Doub driving Phil Q's van; we then got Phil and whisked back to take off. It was now about 4pm. In my rush to have some evening flying I grabbed my sack from the van (correction a sack!) and they scooted off down the valley. Then ..... an Oh shit! moment as I realised my mistake. Wrong sack!!!!  With no signal it bacame a vehicle chase until part way up the main KL to Sedbergh road I caught up. Wow! That was exciting.

Back at Barkin it now looked ideal for evening flying I so set off run/walking for another blast. I took off below the wall, whilst the less convinced walked well higher. It was now approaching 4:45pm and to be honest I only expected a few hours of relaxing soaring. Like the previous flight I didn't do a single beat and was soon circling to 5,500' in lovely air and a big wide thermal - Barkin at its best. I noticed John Hamlett in there and one other glider - so perhaps some company ....... but with no radio maybe not the same plan. Following my earlier flight I now had a change of strategy in place. I spotted Dean (I think?) upwind and high and waited a while (who better to fly with) but he shot off further upwind - I think he had student duties.

At 7k over the back, and just west of Sedbergh, I headed back northeast for the eastern bowls of the Howgills, the headwind was light and the valley bouyant if not lifting. Once I got around to near Cautley, the first cu's of the day started to appear upwind - very small and quickly disipating, but they did provide an aiming point. I hung around waiting for them to come a little closer then headed out to meet them. Bingo! Once more I was climbing in a well formed thermal which provide enough height to  allow me to easily clear the Howgills (I debated whether to head back to Barkin at this point as my FAI assistant was giving me a decent triangle) but opted to head for the rising ground north of Tebay.  It got a little more desperate here - I had 1500' of ground clearance, but that doesn't provide a lot of time on a pg to seek out the next climb at 6pm. On the plus side the cumulus were getting better organised and had a bit more substance to them, and the ground was rising towards Orton Scar and the moors. All the signs said it was a good place to be hunting with the cloud wisps marking the best areas and narrowing the search pattern.

Soon, the climbs started ........ never more than 3 to 4 up. often less, but consistent and smooth; with the clock ticking I probably got a bit lazy in my thermalling with the superb evening views taking precedence.

A word on the emerging conditions.To the north and east the sky was totally blue and rather dead looking, whilst just to the west of the M6 a line of weak clouds were forming. It had suggestions of a convergence line and for the next hour I worked north along it. There was something rather surreal about the flying. It's so unusual and special to be flying lovely bouyant evening air, often at heights up to 5500' with the setting sun reflecting back off the lakes, tarns and revervoirs in the heavily shadowed western hills. North of Shap I debated heading more west towards Pooley Bridge and then Blease, I think Keswick was easily achievable, but the retrieve problem kicked in (early work on Friday) and I got Penrith train station stuck in my mind (silly really, especially as later I discovered the trains were cancelled!). I landed north of Penrith at 7.30pm and soon got a lift with a nice old couple who were surprisingly well disposed towards hitch-hikers despite a previous encounter with one who wield a knife on their backseats!  I think age is making me look an innocent and harmless bet.

A great and very memorable flight for lots of reasons, only some company would have added an even more special dimension to it. Unfortunately, not expecting too much, I left my trusty video camera stowed in the back of my harness. 

Bugger!!

14/6/2015    Aonach Mor

Barney, Mike and I left J36 in rain and low cloud - could rasp have got it completely wrong?

By the time we passed through a rainy Glen Ogle it looked that way; as we headed down Glencoe it still didn't looked good ............ but as we passed out of the valley it was OMG!!!  The sky looked amazing ...... the air crystal clear and the cumulus were dotted everywhere. The sky painter had been at work and he must have been a free flier, he even got base above 6000' and that was due to rise to 7000 plus before the day was over. Whoever doubted rasp?

A gathering of ourselves and mostly Scottish pilots headed up the gondola and took the 10 minute easy stroll to take off. The sun was warm, a light breeze occasional wafted up the face and the early pilots were already making their way to base over the snowy Ben. I've seen Scotland look amazing many times and this was right up there.

All fingers and thumbs and suddenly all of a rush I took a quick pic of Krystof's route co-ords and then said f**k it ..... didn't put them in or declare and took off. If I'd known I should have taken the extra 15 minutes.

A quick climb got me high ..... Mike in a rush to catch up with the leading pack just dived off east and that was the last I saw of him untl he landed about 7pm. I eventually headed east. All a mixture of stunning views, rodeo rides with some beefy thermals and what seemed slow progress - I put it down to the scale of the place. Mostly I was high, on two occasions scratching rocky outcrops at what felt  ridiculously low and with a long walk out in prospect. It concentrates the mind!  Then ..... it got easier and  base kept rising until arriving back nothing seemed to want to go down! I regret that at this stage I didn't just tour the Ben for a photo shoot.  It was handy and the north face gullies were still plastered with the late Spring snowfall. Why, why, why ........... I sure wish I had, such a rare opportunity beckoning. 

Eventually, the main men arrived back from multi point bagging and wowed each other with tales. Finally, we headed to the fish and chip restaurant In Glencoe for food and beers and all under a fantastic Scottish evening. The light on the hills and mountains was amazing.

That's Scotland .............. hardly ever failed me - best flying in the world.

Video stills link