For us glider pilots Denbigh has a great ridge. The Clwydian range. A 30km line of hills stretching from Prestatyn in the north to Llandegla in the south, designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty. Oh, it is beautiful, the purple, heather covered flanks of the slopes, gullies and ridges channel and deflect the wind providing us with seemingly boundless energy to fuel anything between high adrenaline, low level, terrain hugging, speed runs or min sink, lost in the view, floating. When the wind is from 250 it is perfect for the ridge and being in the lee of Snowdonia here is a good chance of wave too.
 |
| The ridge basks in the evening sun |
Tuesday dawned clear and with a good westerly blow. Still in the cold unstable air-mass of the past few days, thermals would be in abundance too but no showers to mess with our chances of completing the almost full length task of 5 beats between Dyserth(DYS) in the north and Denbigh ridge south( DRS) for a distance of 140 km. The topography of the ridge between the 2 turn points isn't constant so it isn't just a case of stick to the front and hold on. A bit like a race track there are places to go as fast as you can and others where you have to change down going as fast as you dare. It's all about trying to follow the best line.
The ridge was ballistic, 230 and M5 climbed to nearly 4000' behind the start and went through the gate at about 120 kts, to make use of the 1000m height loss allowance for ladder flights and trade the height for speed over the less defined first 10km of the ridge where going super fast low down isn't really possible. M5 and 230 both managed came up with personal bests, clocking in with 56 and 61 minutes respectively equating to 137kph and 151kph. Smoking!
The ridge was ballistic, 230 and M5 climbed to nearly 4000' behind the start and went through the gate at about 120 kts, to make use of the 1000m height loss allowance for ladder flights and trade the height for speed over the less defined first 10km of the ridge where going super fast low down isn't really possible. M5 and 230 both managed came up with personal bests, clocking in with 56 and 61 minutes respectively equating to 137kph and 151kph. Smoking!
 |
| Clouds over the Clwydian range, there is wave about! |
To get our breath back, we went to investigate some thermals over Ruthin and M5 connected with some very weak wave which took him to almost 6000' over Denbigh town and gave the opportunity of pushing west into wind and to a good looking cumulus with a wave sculpted top near Conwy. A strong thermal climb to cloud base and then a push out front into the primary wave and a steady climb to over 12000'. Snowdon beckoned. Pushing into the 40kt head wind burnt 5000' to cover the 25km or so to get to the turn point, just skimming the tops of the clouds over the mountains and then turning for home.
 |
| Climbing over the Conwy Valley |
230 meanwhile had not managed to connect with the wave at Ruthin and bored with trying, went back for another go at the ridge task but at a more gentlemanly pace. Another 140km completed and evidence of better wave started appearing over the ridge and as M5 arrived back from Snodwonia 230 was climbing above the clouds. M5 suffering a little chill after the wave climb went thaw out by doing a second run of the ridge task. A little over an hour later, task complete(at only 137kph this time - slow for Matt!), 230 reported passing 11000'.
Still cold and satiated from an all encompassing, ridge thermal and wave day, M5 went in to land and de-rig. About an hour later, 230 was back too, having lost 5000' jumping to the primary where he climbed back to 12500' and then bagged the coveted Snowdon turn point into the bargain(above cloud - didn't even see it!). We had each covered more than 380 km and climbed over 11000' in wave, epic doesn't quite do it justice. Captain Slow was happy, "In 30 years of flying gliders, that has to be my most spectacular single day out - it had everything!"  |
| The mouth of the Menai Strait |
