JULY

10/7/2025  Wether/Dodd

A spell of unsettled weather led into another heatwave. Exceptional flying down south; fairly poor in the north.

Another 'Not a great forecast' with a lowish base and poor rasp. There was a lot of low cloud to the west but much better further east and forecast to burn off.  Given a light westerly Wether seemed as good as anywhere and local. So I took a lone trip as no one else appeared that keen.

At the road-head it was on, soarable and with a good sky downwind towards the VoY ... it even had cu's developing out front. However, no pilots to be seen. I walked in 200m and laid out ...I reckon just insiide the gate would have been fine, aside from the millions of thistles!  A second pilot arrived and walked over for a chat. A visitor I think as he was new to the site so I gave a briefing. He set off back for his glider and I took off into surprisingly  abundant lift given it was only about 10mph. 

The next hour was very easy flying, lots of ridge lift and each cloud had a thermal going to base. I was entering cloud at 3'100 asl. I'd set a goal across the VoY but getting there to the higher base and excellent sly would be tricky - 30k+ . I almost left, but as the next climbs downwind  were starting to disappear and the sky blue out I though base too low. The thought of a struggle followed by a  hot walk back deterred me. So ... the ridge it was.

A few other gliders arrived, but no one took off. Although quite light in the air I suspected on the ground it was windy.  I decided to land for a chat and to find out. An easy top landing,  but it was a bit windy. Ian Brindle came over and we chatted about life in general. Given it was breezy on the shallow take off slope, I went further down and took off fine.  Another long soaring session, less thermal, but again no one joined me (Ian packed and headed over to Dodd - good move). 

Finally I went and landed by my car and set off down to Hawes for a coffee. I almost drove home and then thought ... it's only just gone 4, the wind has settled to more WNW and why not try Dodd. Back up to Dodd. A lone glider was now flying Wether - our visitor I think.

Ian's car was there at Dodd  ... but no sign. I walked to the front, nice breeze and took off ... then I spotted him flying to the south and high. The flying was so relaxing - no xc pressures, smooth,  with lots of  lift as the valley released the day's heat. I wanted to stay longer but had to be back home by 7pm. I headed towards the car, took some close video of Ian more than satisfied with about three hours of super flying for the day.   As I drove towards Newby Head Ian was still flying so I guess he got 3hrs on Dodd. 

An excellent day  and very few pilots out.

VIDEO stills LINK

11/7/2025 Wether Fell (again)

It was a hot day of blue skies and little wind. Wherever you went it would be tricky.

An enforced late start saw Rob and I head over to Wether to check the roadhead (always a good indicator) and with a few plan's B's .  We arrived, peered over the edge to find a light breeze square onto the hill so it seemed as good as anywhere. We walked in, sat and moved the gliders a few tmes to alleviate the boredom. The breeze was definite but light.

Rob weakened first and took off ... it was not far off OK but a short flight became a  slope landing.   I tried, found a few small thermals, but eventually landed along the ridge top. Rob however did better, managed some height and got a solid 30 minutes. After that it was short flights and slope landings. Later Joseph turned up, just we thought the day was finished ... but maybe the better spell was still to come.   As we drove away he was still flying, not very high, but he was sustaining. 

Very few photos LINK

13/7/2025   Carrock

The Dales seemed very wave ridden and probably blown out ... so where else but Carrock.

I arrived to find a few flying, more laid out and a few battling through the bracken up the hill. The wind however was nicely on, light but more than enough for a launch just abve the bracken line. Preferring my own easier approach I was soon at a take off after a welcome feet dip in a VERY chilling stream.

I flew for about an hour and a bit.  At first, with the sun out, there were a few decent thermals that unfortunately never went very high (best was 2800') - but the ridge lift was good and it was nicely bouyant. I had a few trips over to Sandbeds and the hill behind but found almost no thermals that way. Then to the south ... same result, however the slow moving shower out front was now almost on us so time to land. The first spots arrived as I touched down, but it was light and short lived. Later it cleared out and some went back up the hill. Meanwhile Mark, Glenn and I went to the Mill Inn for a pint.

Just a bit of video LINK 

16/7/2025  Semer N

A light and confused northerly, which kept changing its mind in terms of direction. Cefn and  I discussed the options which didn't really help us decide. I suggested Semer N as it seemed there was the merest hint of a touch of W in the northerly and a bit more wind than forecast. 

I arrived to find the sun breaking through, quite a nice looking day developing and a sound breeze square onto the slope. A quick photo and message out to the group and I was able to take off low on the shoulder. I expected a scratch but was quickly hoisted above the top in abundant, smooth lift. It wasn't to last.

For while it was OK and enable me to explore the main, back ridge. I probably got about 20 minutes until the wind eased and turned slightly more NNE.  I landed back near the top and reassessed . During this time Cefn and Harry arrived and the wind fell light.  Some chatting, waiting and wondering ... would the wind return? Well, it did, but only in short spells, where we could get airborne, catch the odd broken thermal, manage a few turns before landing. That became the pattern.

By mid afternoon, as per the forecast, the wind fell light, the sun came fully out and it got rather warm. The wind now began a gentle drift along the ridge and ocasionally over the back.  With coffee beckoning I packed and walked down and Cefn flew down from the top point.

Whilst I had egg and chips in Hawes, Cefn settled for huge chocolate/coffee/cream diet.

A few stills LINK

18/7/2025 Three Men

A very dreary , morning with light drizzle gave way to a lovely, late afternoon/evening.

I initially set off for WS, but being a little late I thought it quicker and easier to go to Three Men and save an hour.  In the end a flock of sheep being moved onto the moor meant I didn't save anything in the end.

A very light wind at the parking, not unusual so worth a walk up. I had to go to the top to find it just soarable but nicely on.  I took off not really expecting much as all the decent clouds were off to the north.  It only took a few beats before a surprisingly good thermal allowed me to follow it back over the top ridge and gain a fair height.  Unfortunately it was the last of the day and only scraps remained. A top landing and a protracted fly down was all that remained.

23/7/2025  Park/Ingleborough

A rather grey morning, but it was forecast to be dry, cloud above the tops and a nice NW breeze. I  arrived at Park to find Rob somewhere near the top, on my walk in his glider popped up and stood awhile, I'd rather hoped I could take off low down and avoid the full walk. His glider  indicated a W wind (so a tadge off to the W) ... where I was it still seemed a low launch was possible.

A skirted around the lower section until I deemed it on enough (it turns from N to NW) and there seemed enough wind to simply soar up. So it turned out ... an 8mph wind and Park soars easily from near the bottom. Two beats saw me level with the top.  We flew around for 30 minutes (top landed for a short spell) before I decided to try for Ingleborough. I had three attempts at crossing  but  didn't really get close on the first two with the wind being more WSW at this end. There had been some thermals around, never going very high -  base was only about 3200'. On the third attempt I made it across fine, the wind now veering more to W. I flew around here for a while, noting lots of wallkers coming up from Crina Bottom. I was also able to use the face that runs along to Little Ingleborough. Further north Rob had found the thermal of the day and seemed high at about 3150 on my FLARM screen.

I headed back north before deciding, as the wind was now NW, to try Ingleborough again. That slight change in wind direction made it so much easier and the whole ridge was now in play.  Back then to Ingleborough. A short fly around the summit to gain height before heading back north losing very little height on the way. My total distance was now pushing 20k (it could have been more had I not top landed for a chat); on relauch I'd  not bothered to push off the north end for a better start. A pity.

I headed out losing little height, passing over Ribblehead and on to Gearstones before turning back for a landing near the ice cream van. 

It hadn't looked like one of those great xc days, but the flying was really nice and relaxed and the ridge had soared easily.  Later Rob bought the coffees in the Station Inn.

Video stills (it was a lot brighter than the pics appear)    LINK

25/7/2025  Brigsteer

Short, and not very sweet. Took off into a gale, got threatened by a buzzard and landed at the bottom in a wet field.  Happy to be down.

26/7/2025 Brigsteer (again)

Tempted out by Tim (on site) several of us arrived to find him on the ground and less keen than previously. The wind strength was OK, but off to the west which is never good unless you can survive the take off - in which case it can be a very good direction.  A meandering herd of about 50 cows provided the first excuse to delay, so I slowly cleared them and Westie gave it a go. Once out to the tree line he climbed rapidly and didn't have any problems. Still some dither so I laid out and got ready.

By the time I was all dressed and the wing ready for flight it actually felt quite light, and with the wind annoying off to the W not guaranteed to work that well.  One false started where I aborted as it just wasn't feeling very lifty; then away, down the field at low level, over the fence and through a small gap in the trees.  The lift was poor, the wind off the slope and the trees looked very close. The only place I could find any lift, or at least stay up was in a small, tree'd corner over to the left. I persevered, any lower and it looked like a bottom landing. A good ten minutes of hard work and I finally managed to get a small thermal to allow a transition to the main scar. Phew!  It rather put others off for a while.

The lift was now good, with a fair height possible and some decent thermals coming through. Later things improved on take off and the others had little problem getting to the main scar. I had almost two hours of excellent flying, generally smooth and regular good climbs. Towards the end I managed a trip across the valley to not quite Whitbarrow Scar. Tim meanwhile found an alternate landing we'd never tried (or wanted to) before.

We rounded off an excellent day with a few pints in the pub in Brigsteer village, watching Danny wafting around above our heads.

Some video stills ... LINK

28/7/2025   Rebecca

I've been promising to return to Rebecca for some time ... three decades absence is long enough.  I first flew it on hang gliders when I lived 10 minutes away ... now it's about an hour to get there. I've never flown it on a paraglider, but they've come on a lot since and a few locals fly it.

It had been a windy day, blown out ... but the evening promised better with the wind easing and the direction staying around WNW maybe backing slightly ... so ideal really if it did as forecast.  I arrived about 6.30pm and made the short, easy walk to take off. I actually love the junk .... because I love junk (see video). It felt OK, bang on, still rather gusty and still a little strong. I decide to give it until 7pm when the drop off should begin. Take off is huge, very grassy and lots of places to launch including lower down the slope. It's a long ridge, but not steep, however the ground rises up from the estuary 3km out front.  It's essentially the spine of the Furness peninsular.

Just after 7pm the wind eased and I laid out. Take off was straight forward and the lift abundant. I tracked north for about 1 km and headed out front climbing steadily all the time. Typical Rebecca as I remember it ... smooth, and lots of enhanced lift (signs of wave at this stage) Soon I was about 1000' ato. and my ground speed had gone into low single figures - it was windier at height.  After maybe 30 minutes the wind began to ease considerably, by which time Alex (Butler) had arrived and was about to join me. Whilst we didn't have the same height as before, it was reliable and allowed the ridge to be followed north ... the wind also now indicated a more NW to WNW. Instead of backing, it was tending to go the other way.  We just flew around rather enjoying the relaxing nature of the flying and videoing each other.

We both landed together, it has a really good top landing area plus options. I'd had about an hour and a quarter of rather nostagic flying and it was well worth the trip over.  Alex, living pretty local, I'd assumed to be the local expert. It turned out it was his first flight there.

An excellent evening, and as the chippie in Ulverston was closing he gave me a portion big enough for four plus sausages ... all for £2!  A great evening out and back for the 10 O'Clock news

YOUTUBE LINK

30/7/2025 Tailbridge

Cefn was ready to go as I arrived. It's not my favourite site unless it's a westerly when it provides access to the main Mallerstang ridge. Whilst the wind speed was perfect, the direction wasn't ... quite, it was more like WNW. Cefn walked his wing across to the short NW face. I opted to launch near the car as it faces W at this end and wasn't far off.

We both soared our respective bits, short beats and they worked OK.  No great height, but at one point almost enough to tempt me to cross to Mallestang. I had a following wind and the slope in my favour. However, I didn't and went over to the NW face to video Cefn, before returning to land back at the south end.  

Up to this point it had been fairly light, smooth and no problems. I launched again, to almost immediately be hit by strong, very rough air - it had suddenly switched to a SW. I was going backwards and not enjoying it at all.  I landed well back. Cefn joined me 15 minutes later.

The wind backing may have created a convergence out towards KS ... but it may not have been a pleasant one. We'll never know.  We departed for coffee and snacks to the J38 Truckstop.