May
2/5/2025 Mallerstang
Several options, but I went for Mallestang as it seemed a bit different to the usual Wether/Dodd site.
There was only a light wind on the walk up, but it seemed settled on W. Went to the top and shortly after Cefn arrived, then within 15 minutes Jacob, Andy and Tom. The wind had increased in the thermal gusts to soarable so Cefn took off and before long was climbing out in front of the hill. I followed within minutes then top landed to switch on my tracking. Back in the air it seemed good and soon I was climbing too.
With everyone in the air we briefly formed a full gaggle. The climbs were OK ... but getting a bit rougher and never going that high (about 3600' at best) and they didn't solid enough to follow over the back. The others had a triangle planned, but I left options open as the wind at height was far from light. The next hour was a bit of a rock and roll struggle with broken thermal and the wind going off to the NW as the SB semed to be washing through the valley.
I moved to the south end where the cliffs face more into wind and may be less exposed to SB influence. Again, rough climbs that soon petered out. A while later I thought enough was enough and others having gone down, then back to the cars. This proved tricky with a wind well crossed and feeling fresh. I got about a third of the way before landing on top as the ridge wasn't working.
The landing was fine, but strong gusts were coming through - I must have picked a good time to land. I waited, thought about discretion being the better part .....decided to pack and expected a long walk back and down to the cars. I walked about 100m and was clear of the worse part of the crags, sat down and reassessed conditions. It seemed better and I had a nice grassy launch area. Anything to save an hour's walk.
I relaunched easily and followed the ridge back north ... slowly and without any problem to land by the car in a moderate wind. All were now down .... Jacob managed the second TP and was in the Moorcock cafe, Andy by Pendragon Castle.
Not the greatest day's flying. LINK
5/5/2025 Wild Boar (N)
Lakes or Dales? It seemed a lot windier in the Dales, but forecast to drop. It wasn't a great direction for the Lakes either being ENE/NE. Cefn, James and settled for an in between approach. We drove to Shap, checked out the direction and strength and opted for the north end of Mallerstang. It's an easier approach and tends to have lighter wind as the valley opens out.
We arrived at the take off 'bump' to find it pretty ideal, the wind on and even on the light side. James launched first and was soon heading south onto the main ridge. I followed and had to scratch a bit to stay up at first; Cefn followed, but unfortunately went down and had a carry up.
James continued down to Swarth Fell, I followed, arriving almost too low after the long crossing, but managed to get up. It wasn't long before the sun breaking through relaesed a good thermal to base. James led off after reaching base first and I followed about five minutes later and a k behind. We were alraedy split up.
Staying high I passed over Baugh Fell, then Ayegill Pike where another climb kept me at base. James got stuck here for a spell and I carried on. The day had settle into strong, often rough climbs, followed by long periods of bad sink - so height could quickly be winding off. I seemed high as I reached the moors in front of Barkin - then it got a bit fraught, a lot of height vanished so I turned 90 degrees and headed for the NE bowl of Barkin. I expected a soaring session, but instead ran into the best thermal of the day - smooth, strong and all the way to base 4,700'.
The climbs were good if a bit rough after that, down the Lune and passing Kirkby Lonsdale. I had a goal at Garstang and so heading east (a bit crosswind) would have been the sensible route. However, I was getting (irrationally?) spooked by the turbulence and just ploughed on.
Over Hornby I was a bit low, but spotting several gulls thermalling I joined them - and another very rough thermal gained me 1000' before I called enough. The rest was a long glide to land just beyond Caton.
Mid flight I noticed my GoPro lanyard wasn't attached and with freezing cold hands I couldn't reattach. Having walked a fair way to the edge of my landing field I noticed it was missing. A field search soon found it to my relief.
6/5/2025 Whernside (W)
Rob and I walked up under a good looking sky and with the wind rather off to the north. Rob Lund was preparing on take off and all seemed fair. However a combinatioon of being off the hill slightly and only thermal gusts meant it proved hard to stay up. We all had several attempt but each time had to resort to a top or slope landing.
Eventually I got a good climb out to 4300' ... but that was it! The sky which had looked OK was washing out. I could barely make Chapel le Dale and it was obvious the sea breeze had come sweeping in. The only way was down and into a marked headwind. I landed in a breezy southwesterly sweeping up the dale. For my pains I had a two mile walk to the White Scar caves cafe.
My shortest ever xc from 4,300' above Whernside. LINK
7/5/2025 Great Dummocks / Cautley
It looked OK as we (James and I) arrived - if rather breezy. However one glider was flying (Richard Meek). Ahead was Andy, Cefn, Glenn and Chris. I walked up last onto the take off knoll to see Cefn about to take off ... the others had gone higher although it was windy enough here.
Cefn launched with style and was soon on the upper slopes. The others took off, climbed and I followed last. The flying was OK, plenty of lift and the thermals were fine too ... except they didn't seem to go that high. Trying to skirt off the north end I went towards Kensgriff and almost got decked. Managed to get up then hit a very rough thermal that at 3300' I decide I'd had a enough of. I knew I had insufficient height but went anyway only to find myself flying low over deep valleys with a long walk out in prospect.
At one point, and pretty low I found what felt like a strong core, then after maybe several turns. lost it, found it and then lost it again ... it was very broken. I made about 400' and then carried on in desperate hope but to no avail.
Another long road walk .... until on reaching Tebay a ccar window opened and Glenn shouted ... we've got a lift - to Kendal. Thanks to Glenn a walk to his car and a ride back to Cautley collecting Richard en route. A pint in the Dalesbridge.
9/5/2025 Stags
We initially set off for Cotterside and whilst I had coffee, Rob and James encountered the gamekeeper and so it became Stags as the fall back option.
The wind was a little off to the east, but OK ... a short parawait and we were away as the thermals were starting to work. My initial plan had been Cotterside to Leyburn and back, but with that scuppered it became an unplanned 'loose' whatever. I knew I didn't want to end up with a big retrieve so it would be local.
I soon climbed out and set off towards Nappa as the clouds were there, Stags was still blue. I arrived over Nappa and the clouds were really wokring well. Laid out below was the A team (Nappa is a SSW to SW and they had the wind well off to the east). The drift was light and the sky downwind really tempting as the alignment suggested a good convergence. I almost went several times but tried to maintain some discipline. A triangle possibility (it was totally blue towards Leyburn) loomed but upwind a single cloud over the valley then ... a blue sky. Still ... in for a pound. A long crossing to Semer Water and into sector. Thermals proved hard to find, a few weak ones but nothing that really could get me high again. I was after getting over towards Yockenthwaite, but with height reducing I scooted back to Stags. It was a close thing ... I came in below ridge height, saw others parawaiting and thought it very touch and go.
A weak, but consistent climb met me on the approach to the ridge, by the trees and soon I was back high again under a nice sky. Over the next hour I stayed high, pushed over the back onto the moors behind Mallerstang to extend the FAI as far as possible (31K) and then flew back to land by the cars.
Not a mega flight, but not a mega retrieve either
10/5/2025 Cautley
A few days before Cautley had seen some action, but had proved disappointing. Today looked better. As we arrived Chris K and Pete D took off, but the wind seemed well off and they struggled to find any climbs - and you need a decent one to clear the Howgills effect.
Rob, James and I walked up to find Tam laid out. At times it was gusty, then short calm spells and it seemed like a turbulent ride was in store for a place that can be a bit gnarly. Pete D got a climb and was soon leaving, Chris followed much lower and it seemed uncertain he'd make it (he did).
We launched. After the usual up and down, then nearly down James and I found a really solid, strong climb that didn't relent until over Tebay and touching base at 6500+ feet. Sweet! We worked well together and having just a single other glider proved so much easier than on one's own. Finding the cores, mapping the thermals ... it all became a different game to my usual solo flights.
We progressed north. Rob had set a goal near Hexham, but given the SSE drift it meant a lot of cross winding which in the end proved too much. James amd I got separated north of Penrith and the lift got a little more ellusive. I'd seen no other gliders up to this point - then three appeared - one low, and two off to my right at my own height. I tried to join them but they continued on. However they did draw me towards a lovely climb that got me to my high point of the day - 7300'. They continued into the haze. Now ... just south of Brampton I had a choice ... continue north or go east. I knew it unlikely I could make Hexham, but remembered there was a goal flight in my S5. Goal was boxed up against the Spadeadam range and unsure if I could cross the idea of continuing didn't appeal. I stopped short of the S5 goal ... which I realised later I'd not even activated so it wouldn't have counted. I came back upwind to get near the Haltwhistle bus/train options back and landed in a light breeze.
A nice flight, not that hard or memorable and I could have done a lot more with the final sections. In hindsight I think just carrying on north was the best option.
Easy retrieve ... a bus ride into Carlisle and back with the Dales/Derbyshire boys who had all flown from Parlick.
20/5/2025 Dodd Fell
A fair crowd gathered on the higher take off at Dodd Fell. - I counted about 18, mostly J36 with a smattering of others. It almost looked like a comp meet making plans to fly far.
The sky looked really excellent at this stage, better upwind than downwind, but with no wind. For almost three hours it was a waiting game as a huge cloud sat and blocked out the sun leaving the hill and valley in full shade. So we sat, chatted and waited - at this point it looked like it may not happen .. and then.
Glen took off in the gentlest of breezes ... at least it was on the hill, it had come from every direction. Perhaps he expected to go down, most others probably did too. But he maintained, then started climbing slowly - and the rush started, sometimes three abreast. Soon most were milling around in weak, occasionally surging thermals .... searching for better, but generally going up slowly - not all were so lucky.
Whilst a group set off for the north end, I stayed at the south with John H - at least we had a climb ... and it was getting ever stronger and the lift more extensive. Together we climbed to over 7000' and all sorts of possibilities opened up. We both had radio comms ... but no contact could be made - we both tried. Downwind was an option, but the sky seemed a bit messy and starting to overdevelop and the wind at height was light. We went upwind.
John was ahead, but seemed to be losing quite a lot of height approaching Newby Head ... ever cautious I held back, maintained the height and decided maybe 200m to the north may be better. The forecast had suggested convergence and all the sign were that it was just a case of getting in the best place ... so I made the decision to skirt along the south edge of a good cloudline that I felt could only be the convergence. This seemed to work ... I lost little height and could slide under odd darker bits for a top up. We both passed over Brantside but I had the height to continue whilst John had to stop and scrabble around. My height wound off crossing Garsdale, but Baugh was ahead, a good thermal objective with a with good, dark cloud to the right over Grisedale. I simply made the decision to push on, thinking the cloud had a good chance of working. I got down to 2900' which felt low after being so high ... before finding weak patches of lift, but nothing very organised. Eventually, it all came together and I was climbing back over 6000'. John came in below ... low. He hunted around but didn't find anything and headed back to the moors behind Widdale. He would eventually land at the Moorcock.
Another decision. if this was to be an FAI triangle then how far to push it. The sky looked really good over Swarth and Wild Boar. But continuing meant the sectors got pushed further out. That would have been OK except the Nortthern sector was look very over developed and a bit grim, whilst to the south the sea breeze seemed to be pushing in and killing off the convection. I was also having to do this without any gaggle help.
Initially I set off going for the northern sector as the thermal drift was from the SW. Then ... I opted for the south and reversed back towards Whernside. As expected I didn't find much, but I had a lot of height, the sector got tagged and I headed back to Dodd. It was a decent but uneventful glide until approaching Dodd I was back in the strong convergence and climbing back over 5000'. Deciding to stretch the triangle out I followed it over the back as far as the 28% rule would allow - which was about level with Wether Fell. Then back to land by the cars. The lower I got the more noticeable the SW sea breeze ... never especially strong but it slowed progress although I arrived with plenty of height.
A very enjoyable flight that at 3pm seemed only for the birds. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I think the flight had a lot more potential and maybe I should have carried on towards Wild Boar and take the northern sector back ... but would it have worked? I think it had a very good chance? I think with some company it would have.
LINK (Not many photos, no one to really video).
22/5/2025 Semer Water (north)
Rob U and I found ourselves under a great sky, but probably on the wrong site. Ideally we'd have gone to Worlds End, but time was against us and with it approaching 1pm before we got going, Semer became the handier, place. Semer takes N to NNW ... and is a better face than the popular SE side, being longer and more reliably thermic. The downside is the airspace limitations for xc downwind.
We laid out on top. The wind was off to the NNE consistently and composed of mainly thermic gusts - followed by nothing. The sky looked good - although we did have a lengthy shaded shutdown. It was going to be tough to connect and get away. We each tried three short flights and top or slope landed ... there were thermals, but they were the broken gusty type.
We waited.
Just past 4pm I took off for the third time and connected over the north spur - the drift being along the ridge. This time it worked out. The climb initially wasn't that strong, but with height it improved and became a solid 2/3m/s climb. Soon I was approaching 5800'. Rob managed to come in below, but didn't have the same luck and was left scrabbling in bits. That climb out proved the key that unlocked the sky and the rest of the flight.
I headed south over Yockenthwaite towards Birks Fell. It was now 4:30pm and time was pressing. I'd hurriedly changed my goal at the last minute and that change became a big problem later. Getting low approaching Birks I was rewarded with a strong, but rough climb to a modest 5000'
One feature of the big solid climbs is the big solid sink that often follows them. Soon I was sinking rapidly again into Upper Littondale, On the far side are some flat limestone escarpments and high fields. Again a good climb came along and allowed a nice glide south over Malham Tarn ... very scenic.
Coming off the moors was always going to be tricky .... I got low over a moorland road before finding a weak climb worth persisting with. Than a lone gull appeared off to my side, about 100m away. As he seemed to be doing better he became my thermal buddy and showed me a better core. The sky now seemed to be almost all lift ...at almost 6000' I headed south on bar, still climbing and aware of the airspace dropping to 5500' not too far away - I ended up flying along side it for a while to reduce height.
Ahead was Barnoldswick .... goal still about 20k ahead. Down at 2700', it felt low, I found weak lift ... then over a rounded, brown moor, better lift ... that I should have stuck with, however goal was now within reach. At 10k to go I realised I'd (somehow) stuck it in the middle of a large built up area. Generally, I scout a goal on GE, the approach, field and powerlines ... this time on xctrack I hadn't been able to. It was the dumbest place to have put goal.
I got to a major dual carriageway - then it was very built up and there was goal, about 3 k ahead and in the middle of lots of buildings. I could reach it, but couldn't clear and couldn't see any playing fields. At this stage I wished I'd used the last climb more fully. I landed near Barrowford ... knowing the area and that I could get a lift there.
A long chat with a very nice farmer, a short walk and I was soon rewarded by a lift with a nice lady called Fiona. An interesting lady in many ways I could identify with. I got dropped off outside Gisburn and Rob was soon there with my car.
A grand day out ... and although late it was an unexpected treat.
Print