True to tradition it was pouring with rain at 7.30am as we (Matt and JB) rendezvous in Taunton on our way to Nympsfield for a day on the ridges. The forecast gave the wind approx. 280ish @ 27kts and gusting but with heavy showers in the nicely unstable airmass. Trevor had set a 360k ridge task - NYM (Nympsfield), BAT (Bath Racecourse), LCL (Lower Clopton - up near Evesham), BAT,LCL,NYM. which seemed very possible as long as we didn't get washed down in the expected showers!
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| Ground Features along the Cotswold edge |
We launched into glorious sunshine at around 11am and set off south along the ridges for Bath. We soon discovered that if you were unlucky and got low down on the ridge, usually because there was wave interference or because the sink from a thermal had killed the ridge lift, it became very turbulent and difficult to climb.
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| Heading south over North Nibly in glorious sunshine - Tyndale monument under left wing |
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| 400ft and in survival mode in the Wooton bowl. Very rough and not working very well! (Tyndale monument in distance) |
So we tried to stay higher by pulling up in thermals and climbing rather than just bombing along lower down. In the strong wind the ridges were an excellent trigger for thermals and staying high was fairly easy and enabled us to dodge the rain showers that were coming in thick and fast by mid day.
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| Climbing high and dodging the showers (overhead the M4) |
A lot of time was wasted while we waited for showers that were blocking our way to clear through so after turning Bath for the second time and getting stuck at 200ft for a bit soon after, we decided to abandon the last run up to Lower Clopton and be satisfied with 249k and a nice cup of tea back at Nympsfield!
All in all a thoroughly good day out - JB
