MID WALES HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING CLUB SITES GUIDE

Transcription

1 MID WALES HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING CLUB SITES GUIDE April 2012 (Rev 1) N No part of this document may be photocopied or otherwise reproduced under any circumstances HILL SITES IN THIS GUIDE SITE NAME COUNTY WIND DIRECTION ABERAERON Ceredigion CEMMAES Powys CONSTITUTION HILL Ceredigion CRAIG Y PISTYLL Ceredigion DISGWYLFA FAWR Ceredigion ELAN VALLEY Powys FAIRBOURNE Gwynedd FFARMERS Carmarthenshire Y GAMRIW Powys LLANDDEWI BREFI Ceredigion PEN DINAS POPPIT Ceredigion Ceredigion RHIW GAM N.W. Powys

2 INTRODUCTION This guide is intended for use by members of the Mid Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club and day visitors to the area who have notified the Club of their intention to fly. Latest information about sites and weather conditions can be obtained from the Club s web site: Not all the club's sites are in this guide because some are too sensitive or rely on up to date local knowledge for their use. A site which is not listed in this guide must only be flown in the presence of a Club member who has previous knowledge of the site. Please protect sites by reasonable and courteous behaviour, both on the ground and in the air. If you are using any of these sites for the first time, please contact the Site Liaison Person to check that the details printed here are still valid. This is particularly important for access and parking arrangements. Remember that we fly sites with permission of the landowners - one vehicle parked in the wrong place could lose the site for everyone. Have a nice days flying but don't frighten livestock, damage crops or fences etc. Dogs should never be taken onto a site without the landowner s permission. There is a great deal of military low flying in the Mid Wales area during the week. You will often see aircraft flying low down through the hills and valleys. To find out details of Royal flights, Red Arrows manoeuvres, etc., call This prerecorded message is updated every day at If flying mid-week you must use the CANP system to notify pilots of other aircraft of your intended activities. Dial (07:00-23:00 Mon -Thurs; 07:00-17:00 Fri - Sun) and give the site grid reference, the height of operation above ground level and the time of day that you will be flying. Ideally, call at least 4 hours before flying. Both the above services are free and are for your safety. Use them! THE COUNTRY CODE Guard against all risk of fire Leave gates as you find them Keep dogs under proper control Keep to the paths across farmland Avoid damaging fences, hedges or walls Leave no litter Safeguard water supplies Protect wildlife, wild plants & trees If you have any changes or suggestions on the information contained in this guide, please contact Piers Nesbitt ( piersnesbitt@hotmail.com). Thanks. FLY SAFE! Page 2 of 18 Rev 1

3 COASTAL FLYING A number of the sites in this guide are situated on the coast. Please be careful at these sites. Pilots who have had to land in even shallow water have sometimes drowned. Ensure that your landing area is well clear of the water. Do not fly these sites alone. Mandatory safety rules for coastal flying require a buoyancy aid to be worn during flights near water. Pilots should also carry an easily accessible webbing cutter attached to a lanyard. Neither of these precautions can be relied upon to save you; a safer policy is to avoid flying in situations where a water landing is even a remote possibility. If in doubt about which way the tide is going, or whether the landing area is large enough, or if you are not sure of the weather conditions, do not fly. A full discussion of the safety aspects of water landings is given in the January 1996 edition of Skywings. Dig it out and read it! LAMBING TIME Many of our sites are on land used for sheep farming and without the consent of the farmers we d lose many sites. It is essential to take extra care and not to startle sheep between the end of January and the beginning of May when lambing is taking place. Please also check the website for any temporary closures to sites and follow the instructions carefully. KEY TO SYMBOLS USED ON MAPS take-off area bottom landing area P T parking area public telephone === track footpath All maps are orientated with the map title at north. Page 3 of 18 Rev 1

4 ABERAERON WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 146 Call at Clogfryn Farm, Mrs Jones or Mrs Evans, grid ref A487 south from Aberaeron. First right after one mile. Park in lay-by in lane or farmyard if family agrees. Take off is a small knoll 350 feet ASL. Check time of high/low tide! Beach landing not good for hang gliders. Possible in the green fields to the north, this side of the harbour? Do not climb over fence - always open the gate! Top landing is difficult and not advised for hang gliders at takeoff. Preferable is Cilfforch Farm (Mr. Evans) ½ mile to the south where there are flat fields and old army camp remains. Do not take this top landing to be as easy as it looks! This site has an easy take-off and forms the basis for an easy coastal run to New Quay (3 miles), but a high standard is required for bottom landing. SITE LIAISON: Trevor Hyner ( ) Page 4 of 18 Rev 1

5 CEMMAES WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: ❶SH ❷SH OS LANDRANGER: 124 or 125 ❶ Mr. Lewis, Gribin Farm. SH ❷ Mr. Jones, Brynmeirig Farm. SH ❶ Via Gribin Farm. Call at farmhouse before using track. FWD required to top. Paraglider pilots can drive to base of hill (track next to forest) and walk the rest. ❷ Call at Brynmeirig. If the gate across the main track is open, close it after you go through. If the gate is locked, get key from Mr Jones. Much better track than access ❶. ❶ Low approach over bottom gate by forest and land in SW direction in field at SN ❷ Field at SH (650 ft TTB). Unsuitable for paragliders in higher winds because of windmills. On a good XC day the sea breeze can set in as early as am which will put the lid on thermals. When the wind is NW it is possible to get a good cloud street formation off the Cadair Idris range. Also possible to fly the South end of the ridge, but any slope landings must be above the fence which runs across the hill face. SITE LIAISON: Patrick Laverty ( ) Page 5 of 18 Rev 1

6 CONSTITUTION HILL WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 135 Not required. Access is from the north side of Aberystwyth town (Cliff Terrace) or the Clarach side using the obvious public footpaths to the top. There is a private road to the top but there is absolutely no access this way. Anyone attempting to drive to the top will create huge problems with this site. Take off is the most northerly point before the boundary fence by the cafe. It has been known for paragliders to get a free ride on the cliff railway. Ideally the beach at Clarach or the beach at Aberystwyth if not too busy. Top landing is a very small area immediately behind takeoff. Take care! Beware of rotor if the wind is from the West. This site is generally not flown if the tide is in. Do not land in fields on top to the north unless an emergency. In good conditions this is an excellent site with a possible ridge run south to New Quay. SITE LIAISON: Steve Griffiths ( ) CLARACH Page 6 of 18 Rev 1

7 CRAIG Y PISTYLL WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 135 Not required. Drive toward Llyn Pendam from either the Penryncoch or Ponterwyd directions. From here follow the forestry tracks shown on map to a locked gate where there is a small parking area. From here it s a mild hike along the track, over the dam and up to takeoff. Anywhere on hill A very rare easterly, difficult to find, hard on cars, not very high, and not very steep, awful rotor over the back, the wind comes down Pumlumon opposite, and seabreeze comes in over the back. But good fun for low airtimers and others. However, be aware that it can get pretty bumpy on thermic days. SITE LIAISON: Steve Griffiths ( ) P Page 7 of 18 Rev 1

8 DISGWYLFA FAWR WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 135 Not required. The local school have permission from the farmer to drive further than the obvious parking place. Please don't do the same. Usual take-off is from the plateau half way up. In light winds it may be preferable to launch from the summit but there is not much room. Anywhere in front of hill. Look out for sheep feeders etc in the long grass. A useful site which is frequented by the local school. Tends to work best when the wind is WNW. As such, it is a good site if Cemmaes is"blown out". Difficult to break away from due to the proximity to the sea and the sea breeze, but would have excellent XC potential otherwise. Sometimes has restitution or "magic" lift conditions on summer evenings. Can get rough on thermic days as the sea breeze moves in. Training site: Please give priority to the local school. SITE LIAISON: Steve Griffiths ( ) Page 8 of 18 Rev 1

9 ELAN VALLEY WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 147 STRICTLY MEMBERS ONLY (Not part of Welsh Free Flight Federation). You MUST leave your name with the Ranger's Office before flying. Phone Leave name on answer phone if nobody is available. Heading for Rhaeadr on the Aberystwyth-Rhaeadr mountain road, pass a turning for the Elan Valley reservoirs (this road leads to the bottom landing), go uphill for 300 yards and park on obvious grassy area next to road. From here it is a quick walk to the SW and W takeoffs. SW The large field to the west of the lake. This field is boggy at the north end. Hang gliders should keep away from the lake since the field slopes away towards it at the east side. W immediately below slope. Don't land in any boggy areas since these can contain rare orchids. Also keep clear of bracken covered areas because they are used by nesting birds. SW top landing is OK on a large flat area 200 yards north of take-off. No vehicles to be taken up to take-off. No more than 10 pilots in the air at any one time. Nearest public telephone is in Rhaeadr, 4 miles east. Likely to be rough if the wind is off to the south. Excellent XC site from both the SW and W takeoffs. SITE LIAISON: Piers Nesbitt ( or ) P Page 9 of 18 Rev 1

10 FAIRBOURNE WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SH OS LANDRANGER: 124 Patrick Laverty Please make your first visit with a Fairbourne regular and park very near to the wall by the road. Don t drive to the front of the site. A long NW facing cliff with great views over the estuary and potential for mountain flying. Take-off below the windsock pole just to the left of the large rock hoping for enough wind or a committed run to help you clear the barbed wire! Paragliders can land on the massive beach at low tide or small sloping pebble bank at high tide. Watch out for people in the summer. Hang Gliders can also land on grass nearer to the estuary or in the smaller field behind the houses (ask a knowledgeable member for exact locations). This site is strictly MEMBERS ONLY. There have been some past problems and there is a real potential to lose the site if we get it wrong. Please be courteous to any potential landowner or farm worker you meet near the site. Watch out for changes in wind direction as the sea breeze starts or stops in the summer. With a lot of North in the wind and no sea breeze it is possible to fly to the ridge behind the site and then onto Cadair Idris, one of the most magnificent ridge runs in the country- but watch out for forced landings in the narrow valley in front of the mountain. There can also be wave in the winter. SITE LIAISON: Patrick Laverty ( ) FAIRBOURNE P Page 10 of 18 Rev 1

11 FFARMERS WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 146 Not required. From Llanfair Clydogau follow the Sarn Helen Roman Road southeast for 3 miles gently uphill. Turn left onto stony track before cattle grid. Pass through one gate straight ahead - shut the gate (no matter how it was found). Park off the track. HG: Map ref linked fields beside deserted farm east of take-off. Beware power lines 1/3 across fields running along the valley. Wind streamer sometimes flies from gate post in middle. PG: Anywhere on slope or at bottom to left of take-off. SITE STANDARD is CP+20 hrs absolute minimum. Do not fly from the unfenced section beside tarmac road ¼ mile south of cattle grid. This site is easily blown out and has strong compression. Can deliver low-level evening wave. Top landing approach is along line of track from gate. The sea breeze (often heralded by curtain clouds over Llanfair Clydogau or dust devils on take-off) blows over the back. This has led to a number of accidents when slope landing. Please be careful and remember the bottom landing field! The site owner is Mr Jones at Buarth Farm (map ref: ). SITE LIAISON: David Birch ( ) Page 11 of 18 Rev 1

12 Y GAMRIW WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 147 Please contact Piers Nesbitt for latest info BEFORE flying. Pilots parking anywhere other than in the designated area will jeopardise the site. If you don't know where to park please phone Piers. Easy enough but be aware that ground generally slopes away near parking area when facing into wind. Licence agreement with the National Trust is now in force. There is no parking close to the site and only 6 in the air at one time. Having lost this site a few years ago, we have only just renegotiated it's use. PLEASE contact the site liason before visiting, as the site's status is still fragile. SITE LIAISON: Piers Nesbitt ( ) From Llanwrthwl P Check if not absolutely certain where parking is allowed Page 12 of 18 Rev 1

13 LLANDDEWI BREFI WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 146 Not required From Llanddewi Brefi, take the Mountain road to Ffarmers, at the "T" junction do not take the left turn to Ffarmers, continue straight on for 400m. You'll arrive at a straight piece of road with good views of the valley below. PLEASE meet your contact there before flying. A beautiful site with excellent XC potential. Sennybridge danger area is directly downwind and must be avoided if you fly further than 25km. Anywhere in the large field on the other side of the Llandewibrefi to Llanfair Clydogau road. Please don t land in the fields on the TO side of this road. On the seventeenth of June 1999 a paraglider was attacked in the air by a Buzzard at Llanddewi Brefi. She (?) appears to have a nest in the deciduous woods to the north of take off. She will harass any thing (she can catch) at less than a hundred feet above the hill. There have also been problems with red kites attacking paragliders in the same area. SITE LIAISON: David Birch ( ) Page 13 of 18 Rev 1

14 PEN DINAS WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 135 Not required 1. From Tan y Bwlch and walk up front of site along footpath - 400ft climb. Please don't climb up the fence line running directly down from the monument around half way up this footpath (by the swing gate). This is on private land and not a public right of way. 2. From Penparcau. Park at the top of the housing estate immediately behind the site. Carry up along the track which runs from the field behind take-off and to the middle of the site. Only use gates for access to this site. Do not climb over fences! Take-off is near the monument or in the sloping field to the North. Land in field over the river to the southwest of take-off (large flat area). Slight rotor at west end. Or land on beach. Do not land at the bottom in fields on take-off side of river, this is private land normally used for horses. Anyone landing here will cause real problems. Top landing is at north end on the flat oval field. Slight rotor at west end. There is sometimes a great deal of compression at the take-off by the monument to such an extent that this can result in false wind speed measurements even when standing at the front. If the wind seems strong consider using the field for TO rather than risk a nasty surprise as the wing rises to suddenly catch the true wind whistling over the pilots head! A small but easy site. May also be flown in gentle south-westerly but can encounter 'surprise' turbulence in this direction. Wind on takeoff is twice that on the raised beach at Tan-y-Bwlch. The cliff to the South (Allt Wen) can occasionally be reached, which opens up the potential of a cliff run to Llanrhystud! SITE LIAISON: Steve Griffiths ( ) Tan Y Bwlch Page 14 of 18 Rev 1

15 POPPIT WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 145 Not necessary, but this is a sensitive site with no formal take off agreement. From the south end of Cardigan Bridge, take the B4546 to Poppit Sands. Continue on narrow road past the old car park and launch which are not used anymore, to the car park at the very end of the road and pay the 1 parking fee. Walk along the path from the car park and past the farm buildings heading west. The path climbs and follows a fence, at the top of the short climb a gate gives access to the take off. There may be horses in the field so be careful not to scare them. WARNING- Do not launch unless it is soarable. The wind must be straight on the hill and smooth, any roughness may indicate out of phase wave. On a PG it may be possible to slope land if going down, on a HG this will not be possible. No bottom landing! You must ridge soar for 1 Km to be able to land on the beach near the lifeboat station. Not often flown, but apparently winter is a good time to fly here, since cold laminar air flows can form into low level wave extending the lift band considerably. SITE LIAISON: Piers Nesbitt ( ) Page 15 of 18 Rev 1

16 RHIW GAM N.W. WIND DIRECTION: SITE CODE: GRID REFERENCE: SN OS LANDRANGER: 135 and 136 Not required. From the mountain road take the track past Glaslyn lake to Bugeilyn lake. Park by the dam. FWD not necessary as long as you have good ground clearance. the worst bit is after the gate by the old farm buildings. Check the track before proceeding as it can get washed away and be almost impassable. Difficult! Hang gliders can use the up slope at SN Paragliders must be sure of lift or face a very long walk. SITE STANDARD is CP + 20 hours flying minimum. This is a remote site and should be treated with respect. Top landing behind take-off can be turbulent. If in doubt top land on flat ground to the east. Buzzards will mob during the nesting season. They have marked hang gliders and so it is potentially very dangerous for paragliders. SITE LIAISON: Piers Nesbitt ( or ) T Dylife P Page 16 of 18 Rev 1

17 ADDITIONAL FLYING SITES Club members can use all these sites but they often have special restrictions or are sensitive sites that require some explanation from a local pilot. If flying these sites for the first time, or to get an update, please always contact the site liaison person. If you are not sure about a particular site, do not fly! Your action may lose our access to the site. Feedback on site information, incidents with landowners, etc to Piers Nesbitt please. Site Code Site Name Grid Ref Wind Dir Liaison Contact BORTH SN Steve Griffiths Notes FOEL FADIAN SN Piers Nesbitt High Sports site FRENNI FAWR SN Trevor Hyner HARLECH SH Snowdonia SS PENNANT SN Piers Nesbitt Please do not fly any unlisted sites (even if accompanied by a member) without phoning a club contact first. There may be issues with these sites which haven't been made widely known and which only the relevant club contact is aware of. Check out latest site news on our website: CONTACTS: Patrick Laverty Piers Nesbitt Steve Griffiths Trevor Hyner David Birch Page 17 of 18 Rev 1

18 Change Sheet Rev. Date Change 1 30/04/12 New Issue Page 18 of 18 Rev 1