Number in series 70; Year of publication 1986 - Fell and Rock ...

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Ed Cleasby 165natural thermal courses but a hostile environment for a hang glider. As I enteredthe valley the air became rougher and I unconsciously eased back on the speedbar countering any turbulence: there was lift here somewhere. The glider wassinking fast, vario silent until a light tug on the bar stopped the slide and thevario needle slowly rose, the first gentle tones rising to a high trill as it reached8up (8007minute climb). Quickly I had enough height in hand, and bankingover, began circling, mapping out the lift and trying to exploit it to the full. Likeriding a wild horse I stayed with it, rising above sheep trails and summit-boundwalkers until all the paths converged on Skiddaw's final cairn. Six hundred feethigher I'd lost it, and could relax, able to take in the sheer grandeur of thepanorama spread out below. Ahead to the west lay the sharp rising spur ofUllock Pike, the sunless east flank in deep afternoon shadow, and streaming outtowards it, looking very small, the rest of the gliders, eager to be on their way.Just south of Ullock we were all together again, the three of us fortunateenough to have radios working together to exploit the good lift. EventuallySteve, Ian and I reach the murky chill of cloudbase and momentarily the grounddisappears as stringy tendrils swirl about us, trying to suck us in. Circlingtogether under the same cloud we steadily progress, drifting in tune with the skyand maintaining our height whilst, far below, Latrigg, Keswick and the snakingA66 slip silently past. Our first objective, Clough Head, lies three miles awayacross the St. John's sink hole. Sometimes it's a hard gap to cross, but this timeit goes easily, and an hour after take-off five of us have made it. For the sixthpilot the day ends prematurely when he blunders into sink and is forced to landa mile short: nothing is worse than being on the ground whilst others drift byoverhead.The next four miles down to Helvellyn take a little nerve. Technically it'squite easy, but the landing areas along Thirlmere are very limited, even for ahang glider, unless the reservoir is low. Clough Head enjoys our attention for awhile, the steep gullies carving up the hillside from St. John's Vale making aninteresting place to explore. Sandbed Ghyll especially evokes memories for meof a winter ascent a few years earlier, and flying past the upper crag I'm amusedto find I can't break the habit of searching for new lines.Someone goes for it, and chicken-hearted, the rest of us are content to watchuntil with no problems his 'Magic' is no more than a dot in the sky aboveHelvellyn. Working independently I manage to build up almost 3000' over thevalley and, with the confidence that height gives, turn south towards Thirlmere.Soaking in the view, the next ten minutes is pure nostalgia. Drifting past CastleRock I can easily pick out the ant-like climbers — it looks a busy place today.Across the valley Raven Crag hides in the shade, just a lone couple visible,basking on the heathery summit. Did I really do routes on these cliffs? — fromthis unreal vantage point it seems a world away now. On down the length ofThirlmere, nothing disturbing its smooth, black surface. The level is high: nochance of landing there today.us
166 THE MODERN ICARUS!Aware that I'm gradually losing height, I have to start thinking again anddecide to crab towards Helvellyn's shallow upper slopes to see what they have tooffer. Having completely forgotten to maintain radio contact, I'm suddenlysurprised to see Steve and Ian come floating over just above me having followeda more direct route along the main ridge. Tacking back and forth we graduallymove southwards towards Dollywagon Pike, using every minor bump and bowlin the terrain to gain the best lift from the quartering wind. Occasionally we flywithin a few wingspans of the hillside. Sheep and fellwalkers pass close below,often oblivious of our presence, as with bowed heads they concentrate on thetask in hand.Crossing the gap towards Seat Sandal we blunder into a small but well formedthermal rising out of the broad ghyll below. At first weak, it strengthens withheight till we're rocketing up in steep spirals and dropping over Grisedale Tarn.To Ian, a keen fellwalker and Munro bagger, it's an incredible experience, andon reaching over 4000' his gasps and whoops of amazement fill the headphones.Time is now pressing, and regretting our late start we quickly head offtowards Heron Pike. As we pass over the deep gash of Tongue Gill, level withthe top of Fairfield, the sun is well past its zenith and with all lee sides now inshadow, thermal activity is decreasing. Grasmere basks beneath a sky almostdevoid of cumulus, and our hopes of a final boost to clear the difficult groundaround Ambleside fade.Ever the optimist, Steve abandons the weak ridge lift produced by Heron Pikeand heads out over the valley, whilst unconvinced by this last-gasp tactic, Ianand I are content to watch. Although visibly sinking out he makes no attempt toturn back, and when all hope seems gone he is rewarded by the best lift of theday. Suddenly the whole valley seems to be lifting as a deepening shadow of coolair noses slowly in from Easedale and triggers it off. Pulling speed we dive offinto the rising air and as turn follows turn we achieve our best height gain of theday, topping out at 5000'.From high over Snarker Pike the view is magnificent, with the whole of theLake District spread out like a giant relief map, whilst in the distance, beyondthe dark silhouette of Great Gable and the Scafells, is the gentle shimmer of theIrish Sea. Now more than ever I curse my clumsiness in pulling the air releaseoff the keel mounted camera over Ullock Pike.As Steve strangely heads south towards Lake Windermere, Ian and I continueout drift over Wansfell and Troutbeck, steadily losing height. Despite havingenough altitude in hand to reach Staveley three miles ahead, we take a lastchance on Troutbeck delivering up a final offering of the day. But the day isfinished and after twenty futile minutes roaming back and forth on the ridgebelow 111 Bell, we give up and elect to land. At 5:30pm we touch down atLimefit Park. Shortly afterwards Steve lands at Staveley to a hero's welcome andtea and biscuits, but now for me the hard part begins: a twenty-five mile hitchinto the night to retrieve the car — nothing is entirely for free.336
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100 YEARS OFROCK CLIMBINGIN THELAKE
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EDITOR'S NOTESGeoff CramIn June 188
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4 THE FIRST ASCENT OF NAPES NEEDLET
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6 THE FIRST ASCENT OF NAPES NEEDLEb
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10 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIM
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H.M.Kelly and J.H.Doughty 33for the
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H.M.Kelly and J.H.Doughty1892 Moss
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H.M.Kelly and J.H. Doughty1923 Toph
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John Wilkinson 47men: Birkett, Peas
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John Wilkinson 53are now Hard Very
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John Wilkinson 57have radically tra
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John Wilkinson 6 5being made by the
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John Wilkinson6SWith the opening up
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Pete Whillance 73good routes on Low
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A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIMBIN
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A SHORT HISTORYOF LAKELAND CLIMBING
Page 71 and 72: Ron Kenyon and AlMurray 89climbed b
Page 73 and 74: Ron Kenyon and Al Murray 91spotligh
Page 75 and 76: 94 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLIM
Page 77 and 78: Ron Kenyon and Al Murray 97In the E
Page 79 and 80: 102 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLI
Page 81 and 82: 106 A SHORT HISTORY OF LAKELAND CLI
Page 83 and 84: 110 THE NORTH-EAST SPUR OF THE DROI
Page 85 and 86: 112 THE NORTH-EAST SPUR OF THE DROI
Page 87 and 88: ROCK CLIMBING IN NORTHERN ITALYAl C
Page 89 and 90: AI Churcher 119Sergent and Caporal,
Page 91 and 92: 13 MILES FROM THE EQUATORRay Cassid
Page 93 and 94: Ray Cassidy 123and I suddenly found
Page 95 and 96: W. Heaton Cooper 127One element see
Page 97 and 98: June Parker 131show a new route bei
Page 99 and 100: 136 THE ABRAHAM COLLECTIONwas a for
Page 101 and 102: 140 THE WASDALE CLIMBING BOOKClimbi
Page 103 and 104: SCAFELL CENTRAL BUTTRESSG.S.SansomR
Page 105 and 106: G.S.Sansom 145bulge, above-mentione
Page 107 and 108: MORE OF C.B.Bill BirkettWhen the ed
Page 109 and 110: 150 MOREOFC.B.ground, rather overha
Page 111 and 112: 152 CLIMBING IN THE MIDDLE AGEStemp
Page 113 and 114: THE MAN WHO BROKE THE NEEDLEGraham
Page 115 and 116: G. Sutton 157tooth....'Ron's voice
Page 117 and 118: G. Sutton 159view; they must have b
Page 119 and 120: Ed Grindley 161A couple of hours la
Page 121: 164 THE MODERN ICARUS!This was now
Page 125 and 126: Angela Soper 169whispered happily,
Page 127 and 128: 172 THE WELL-OILED MACHINE - TWELVE
Page 129 and 130: 174 THE WELL-OILED MACHINE - TWELVE
Page 131 and 132: A. Harry Griffin 111the same mould
Page 133 and 134: A. Harry Griffin 179merged together
Page 135 and 136: 182 WAY OUT WESTone of them picked
Page 137 and 138: 184 WAY OUT WESTseverity it was of
Page 139 and 140: 186 WAY OUT WESTwho made me a pair
Page 141 and 142: SCOTLANDThe Fell and Rock members c
Page 143 and 144: Jim Sutcliffe 193June Parker report
Page 145 and 146: NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESAlan Murray & P
Page 147 and 148: 198 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESIvor the Bo
Page 149 and 150: 200 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESBLEAK HOW C
Page 151 and 152: 202 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESJoker Man.
Page 153 and 154: 204 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESPrivate Eye
Page 155 and 156: 206 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTES6a. Climb t
Page 157 and 158: 208 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESBURNT CRAG
Page 159 and 160: 210 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESYEW CRAGAut
Page 161 and 162: 212 NEW CLIMBS AND NOTESSilverstone
Page 163 and 164: 214 IN MEMORIAMGladys died peaceful
Page 165: CLUB OFFICERS AND MEETS 225Libraria
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