August
1/8/2024 Whernside W/Magnet
A damp, early morning, but it cleared out by 10am to leave a lovely looking day - except for a low base at 3200' - that never rose much all day. At 1pm I collected Kev's gear for checking, itemising, photographing and re packing. Then .... it looked good for an afternoon of flying so teamed up with Rob at the Marton Arms and we made the short drive up Kingsdale.
No wind at the bottom - despite a forecast and clouds that suggested light WSW. A warm, 30 min walk up - the higher we climbed the better it got. On take off a nice soarable breeze and the optimum direction to fly the full ridge from Chapel le Dale to Dent valley. Alan had walked up from his house and joined us at the far end.
We had a superb hour and a half, good thermals that were solid and took us to base - a bit tempting to leave as we seemed to be in a decent convergence line - but base seemed too low to risk it over the moors. Really nice when the whole length of the back of Whernside works and it makes for great sight seeing.
Landed by the car, drove home - had a meal and then a late evening sorting Kev's gear on the Common and doing the various jobs until 9pm and a beer.
VIDEO LINK to Kev's Libra RS
4/8/2024 Grey Scars
We've entered a week of windy conditions so it's hard to find any flying ops. I tried the night before ... even waiting until almost dark, but it remained too breezy. This evening seemed better (a relative term - it was a grey, sombre sky). A lighter wind (just) that actually went lighter as I walk up .... OK strengthwise, but then off to the SSE. Hence not soarable so I settled for a fly down.
The aim was some video and a bit of glider testing. I didn't get much of either.
11/8/2024 Stags Fell
A decent rasp and the first flyable day in a week. Whilst the excitement settled on Semer it seemed too SSE. I drove up to Ribblehead, stopped and thought ... it's a defo PyG day, but do you fancy the walk? (Remembering the last time - and the walk out). So ... still being early I carried - all the way to a very busy Semer.
Semer was flyable, but well off to the south - Cautley then. Passing back through Hawes a glider launched from the east end of Stags - but didn't do well. A quick glance showed a ground, stuck crowd - OK a look at Stags on the way. That then became a walk up and across to the far end - the wind well off to the east. Typical of the Semer versus Stags conundrum.
It took a while, the wind occasionally light, then gusty, always of and the first group got establish on the cliffs section - it got busy! When I got off the first group had departed, the cliffs again becames increasingly busy and a bit fraught with counter direction thermalling. Don't they know Sunday is always right?
It was gusty, wind-blown and by 2pm totally blue .... two good climbs with no company (very relaxed) took me to a modest 3600' before I headed forward again. Not sure I was that tempted and I had to be back by 4pm. I was also not flying my usual Photon, but invited to try another glider. So ... the day sort of served its purpose.
Having had enough of the conditins and with job done I landed and headed back. Despite my rather negative take on the day some excellent flights were done to the Borders.
12/8/2024 Three Men
Horrible day until 2pm ... then it brightened to leave a lovely evening after 6pm.
Tom, Rob and briefly Geoff and myself. Light initially, later it got a bit better. Scratchy, then soarable, but never spectacular. Still when the sun came through it was a lovely place to be.
Note: released the rear loops at 85 hrs.
A few video stills LINK
14/8/2024 Windbank
They say the definition of madness is doing the same thing, but expecting a different outcome. I dispute that .... it doesn't apply to paragliding with all its variables, plus good or bad luck thrown into the mix. While others were intent on down-winders I went for my usual triangle (slightly enlarged as I planned on a higher base and the wind veering more W later for the final tricky leg. I've done it before when I sailed around under a 6000' base - easy. Since then the final leg has become my nemesis - four times now!
The Windbank take off was busy - but flying action was still in the future. A light southerly, then became a better WSW - so rather crossed. Several tried, most slope landed - and tried again. By this time it had started to work and the majority got off and found their first thermal ... some didn't and it would be fair to say it wasn't always easy. Gaggles formed and the down winders were away. what follows is essentially my flight experience.
A climb of sorts formed over the south end of the ridge ... so with a launch and be damned attitude I headed that way, found it ... and it gave me a good kicking, really quite nasty low down. However, beggars can't be choosers. With some height (but start not tagged) I headed back onto the ridge proper and took a better climb. Back south to tag the start cylinder. Chris, I think was intent on doing the same, but got seduced by a thermal and small gaggle and his plan changed before it started. Off he went. So Mr Bond ..... you're on your own again and I set off back up the ridge.
Despite all the gliders, the ridge seemed quite empty of wings, especially where I was heading - so no markers. In a good climb over Arncliffe I was joined by Tom S, together we headed up the ridge - Tom's task the same as mine. Always being slightly higher and ahead I was breaking trail - basically go north and go for the clouds that were forming better that way. This involved pushing out and trusting they were - in the main they did. At some point I wanted to drop back over Yockenthwaite, but with height, as that way was still blue and I wasn't sure the actual ridge was working I stayed on the main ridgeline.
The next good climb came well beyond Foxup. Tom struggled here - fought it for a fair while but eventually gravity won. Back over 4000' and on my own again, I crossed over Yockenthwaite, headed west and tagged TP2. As the previous time a few weeks back, it seemed a push into wind, with a lot of south. At least the clouds seemed to be working out front. The thing about triangles and any wind is, it's only worth turning in the strong climbs or it's a zero sum gain ,,,,notably on into wind legs. The next TP (3) is the real toughie. Situated well behind Buckden means getting back from it towards the front ridge is slow going and you need height. I got lucky here.
A great climb took me into the whispies and I thought why not use it .... so setting a course line on xctrack I went in deeper under the darker bits. The result was popping out only a k short of TP 3. That tagged it was the slow trog forward to Buckden .... the previous time I'd taken a different line over the moors towards Gt Whernside. Things seemed OK ish ... then I was again on that same, small, damned ridge I'd scooted and ignored a few weeks back. I needed height to cross to Gt Whernside - I hung around and got a fair climb ... that was rather broken but got me back over 3000'. The crossing was OK ... I got above Haggs Dyke and expected a fair run in - I was quite optimistic at this stage. I could have got onto the top ridge, but the wind was now very across the hill and the ridge lift non existent. What to do?
Over on Windbank gliders could be seen soaring easily and getting high. Where I was - nothing, no ridge lift and a southerly (it needs a west). Getting low I decided to scoot down the gentle slopes/pastures, steps and hop the stones walls. A few surges at the half way point, but hardly the height to turn. The lower escarpment appeared - and the trees just below them. I even went behind one stand and it was not pleasant! I was now 900m from the goal cylinder.
Finally, it was a case of 30' above the ground ... bracken ahead and a stone wall with no idea what was on the other side ( it was OK actually - I discovered on walking down). So I landed and packed --- all those hours of effort to be 800m short. Crossing the river was the final highlight .... and a barbed fence, I missed the gate 50 ' further on ... duh!
I was so close to a nice declared FAI and a decent points reward. Instead it was a case of settling for a modest turnpoint flight. That is the risk /reward that goes with triangles. On the plus side I seem to know every edge, gully, slope and tree on this particular route.
Thanks to Tom S for being driver and commiserations on discovering Foxup.
Photo LINK
30/8/2024 Whernside (W)
A day that promised much, but delivered little.
It seemed OK on the walk up, other than the wind being a bit off to the north. A decent group of us - eight in total, got to take off to find the wind dying away to light thermal gusts.
A number of short lived spells that too often ended in a very sweaty walk back up the steep top section. I only recall one decent sort of climb that I left thinking better out front - followed by a rapid descent and my second walk up. That was enough - I called it quits.
Several pints in the Marton Arms for consolation.
Below: One of the early 'spells'
Print