August 2008 was the dullest since 1929. An improvement finally came in the second half of September. I enjoyed the dog ends of the summer thermals at Nont Sarahs on Thursday 18th and at Hawkswick on Saturday 20th.
Nonts is a site I’d flown only once before. The 3500 ft airspace is usually the deal-breaker, but not when cloudbase is only 3500 ft! What’s more, it’s only a 30 minute drive from my work to the car park next to take-off.
When you turn up at a site where no-one knows you, you want to look cool. I failed. I submerged a foot in a mud-filled crack concealed in the heather and arrived on take-off with one blue boot and one brown boot. I hid my embarrassment behind my shades, took-off and thermalled straight up to 3 grand.
After that, I felt fit for a chat and met Sam Cullingworth (aka Sammyskygod), who told me of his solitary dream to break the UK record from Nonts in a SSE. I then had another blast around the valley and went home in time for tea! I told myself I’d been a good boy and rewarded myself with a couple of beers.
The weekend, I was to meet Leo in the South Lakes, so I stopped at Hawkswick on the way up. Cloudbase was again no more than 3500ft, but the thermals were good enough to explore 7.5 K down the ridge and back, further than I’d previously been.
Hawkswick is an excellent site, as was proved the following day. With a lighter wind and a remarkable 5000 ft base (1500 ft higher than elsewhere), John Ellison did a 27 K triangle. I must go to both these sites more often.
