The usual swithering on teh phone to Tommy got things to do...might over develop...wind uncertain and light....and so on. We decided to reassess at 9:45. At 9:45 it still looked good. Light SW going S and nothing on the forecasts to say OD. On Derek's advice not to over think it, we headed for Broughton and met Fred there for the walk up the hill. This had the usual discussion on the nature of existence and the ultimate purpose of mankind and so on.
We got to the top, shortly followed by Sean and and slightly behind Mike and Steve with there fancy hang gliders. It was slow to get going, as Fred had predicted, because of all the moisture. It did eventually start and I had a flashback to 1990 watching fred transcribing perfect circles in zero lift. I think peoples flying style is as unique as their handwriting.
I had a brief discussion with Sean on the prospects of going XC and he said he was thinking of heading for Peebles and I said I would follow him if he went. We took of into the now working air and climbed quite easily to a few hundred feet ATO. I kind of felt with the S wind it would be triggering of the shoulder, so I pushed forward over it and it was, but it was a bit nasty. The climbs were quite squirely low down. The glider did the Carrera Rumba, where alternate wingtips flap in an alarming way. Then it felt like it was going to stall, so I put my hands up. Nothing much happened though, so I was probably just being dramatic.
Anyway, there was a nice big cloud forming up over the next hill up the valley, so I pushed forward towards that and got a good strong thermal. Sean seemed to have been positioned about 50 feet above me and just over might right shoulder all day and we climbed up together to about 1200 feet under airspace. Then Sean started shouting about getting to airspace and needing to head off. We established that his vario was set to meters and his grip of the 3 times table when under pressure is not the best, so we calmed down and climbed up to 500 feet from airspace.
I will follow you I said and watched as Sean flew 180 degrees away from Peebles towards Edinburgh airspace, into the flat, overcast ground. Is this some clever strategy I thought? There being a big hill in front of us, in the right direction, with a cloud building above it and in the last obvious patch of sunshine. I decided the clot had probably moved and headed for the hill at 1/4 bar. I got a thermal half way there and did a few circles to find Sean following me.
Getting close to airspace, and with the ground rapidly shading, I pushed on for the hill and got horrendous sink. I did not use enough bar, or alter course which was a bit stupid. When I got to the hill it was almost working but not quite enough. Sean cruised in a few hundred feet above me and made a determined effort to stay up. Not the first time I have watched him from a few hundred feet below hanging onto nothing with infinite patience. It did not work out this time though as high cirrus had pretty much shut everything down. I headed of for Broughton and Sean headed to Peebles.
I got Sean to phone a Taxi after we landed as my reception was only good enough to send text messages and we got back to cars for £10.00 which was very reasonable. Border Taxi's if you need one. met up with Tommy and had a bit of a blether to Bob M, Mike, Steve and some guys from Glasgow, before heading home with Tommy, stopping for chips on the way. Tommy was saying it had shut down after we left so nothing lost really. To be honest I left because it seemed less traumatic than staying at Broughton and getting another mauling. Good day out for everyone though.
Except Derek who had over indulged the night before. Despite the enthusiastic 8 pint emails, Tommy speculated written while stting his pants on his head, the hangover won in the end (I assume).
