Sunday 16th, October. Talgarth Last Minute.com

Talgarth Airfield basking in the evening sun

At about 22:30 last night I saw a post by Simon M on a popular social networking site, enquiring about the possibility of a quick trip to Talgarth. A few text messages later and the adventure was organised. 6am departures to meet up on the road to Wales, quick brekkie at a cafe a few miles before the Black Mountains Gliding Club, rig and be ready for the 10am briefing.

The forecast low cloud and hill fog was due to clear mid morning, and for once things seemed to be going to plan weather wise, the 8-12kt westerly wind had even started blowing. Simon in SM (ASW20CL) and Matt in M5 (cooler ASW20L) were 2nd and 3rd in the aerotow queue and were soon deposited on the spine of the south bowl of Y Das, which was working well in the westerly wind.

SM turning north in the Cwmdu Valley

The wind strength and direction allowed us to run between Hay Bluff in the north and Pen Allt-Mawr at the southern end of the Cwmdu Valley, a straight line distance of about 14km which also gave the hill walkers time to recuperate between flypasts. Later after some forays onto Langors Hill and as the air dried out some weak wave set up in the Cwmdu Valley in which SM climbed to almost 3000' using some wave boosted thermal to make the transition.

After 5 hours of flying it was time to put the gliders to bed, before pub dinner and the couple of hours drive home. (Well it would have been if we hadn't missed the turning!)