Monday saw the splintering of our merry band. Wyn left early, heading for Nympsfield and after a trip to Wales’s best model shop Pete Startup followed suit. Martin seized the chance to go and visit his daughter while the remaining 6 vehicle strong convoy set off to join JB at Talgarth, where Northerly winds bring smiles of expectation to glider pilots. James took the lead being the most qualified to find the turnoff to Talgarth but it we had only made it 5 miles to Ruthin before traffic, trailers and narrow roads conspired to disintegrate the convoy and satnavs had to be fired up. H5Matt and JP decided to stop about an hour from Talgarth to wait for M5Matt and slow caravan Nick Jones who were bringing up the rear relying on Matt's satnav. However while they waited they could see JB airborne on spot the gliders, which reignited H5Matt's desire to get going so as not to miss out. 4 strong, the convoy pulled out as Rowan and James Hood appeared coming down the road after a food stop in Newtown. Back up to full strength the convoy negotiated the extremely narrow road into the Black Mountains gliding Club only to be confronted by a HGV coming the other way luckily at the entrance to a farm to allow passage. Phew!
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| Eagle getting ready |
About an hour later Team Eagle led the way into the sky to join JB. The wind was a pretty fierce 330/25kts which meant we couldn't get anywhere near the ridge because of the stonking lift. The ridge from Y Das to Hay Bluff was going like a train allowing forays out into the Wye valley to look for wave before falling back top up height for the next search. Bo, the local instructor wanted us all down by 1845 because he had a hot date or something which of course meant that Rowan finally cracked the wave transition at 1715 closely followed by M5Matt and they had to abandon the blissful smooth 2kts at 7000' to join the steady procession to land. A bonus day after all.
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| Rowan climbing into the blue |
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| Matt grinning like his glider |
