Snaefell to Laxey

Snaefell SW 0-5 mph

Got up to the top at about 2.30pm and met Bill. There seemed to be some thermals coming through and felt as though we could stay up. We couldn’t though with Giles, Keith, Jamie, Bill and I all slope landing. Had an ice cream and then all set up for forward launches as the wind by 3.30pm had gone. We were joined by Colin.

Jamie and Bill got off first, Jamie finding some week thermals down to the southern side and having a very extended top to bottom. Bill had pretty much the same about 10 minutes later to the northern side. Colin was off next and found something just a bit of the ridge.  I lobbed off from the northern end of the ridge, followed by Keith to the south with Giles.

The thermal was weak but after a few 360’s got a bit more established with Colin above and Keith and Giles sliding in below.  After  some time in the creamiest thermal in the world got to cloud base at about 940 metres asl. The cloud was multi-tiered so we were able to keep climbing to a second cloudbase at 1025 metres. It was real magic stuff flying around between the cloud high above Snaefell.

With no more height to be gained I headed through a gap in the cloud towards Laxey followed by Keith and then Colin about another 20 metres above. After an inital  smooth 5:1 glide things calmed themselves down and had a nice 34-37 kmph glide all the way to Laxey. There was no really lift or sink of note on the way down, just showing that anything there was had come from Snaefell.

Crossed the Laxey Glen Valley , checked the state of the Tide in Laxey harbour (in) so landed just by the transmitter above Mike Swales’ house.  Do not know where Colin peeled off to, Ballacannall perhaps. Keith landed just up the road with Giles (leaving Snaefell 200 m below everyone else apparently) making it there as well. Next glider is a Rush 2 then?

It was a lovely flight – shame I did not turn on the GPS track log until I got to the Laxey Wheel and had unpacked the camera. Nice fresh orange at the parents and then Tara came and collected me.