The best pictures we find are published as the picture of the month on the web site home page. Here you can view previous pictures. To see the picture at its best, click on the image for a larger picture. There may be the occasional gap where a picture was not published.
September 2020
Fed up lugging heavy paraglider bags up hills? Here is Phil Kew trying out his new mountain glider at Sandbeds north of Carrock Fell in the NE Lakes. The glider is a single skin AirDesign UFO. The Harness is a String from Neo and it all fits in a 26 litre pack. Photo by Sarah Eilbeck
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August 2020
Malcolm Grout says Thursday 9th July provided some late evening soaring at Bewaldeth. The development of convergence cloud over Skiddaw and inland was impressive. About an hour after picking up from the SW the fairly stiff breeze died away to almost nil very quickly. Rob Grout is flying his Gin Explorer. Photograph Malc Grout. The view is SW from Bewaldeth (to the north of Keswick) with Bassenthwaite lake in the background.
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![Picture of the Month](images/PicofMonth/202008pom_thumb.jpg) |
July 2020
Malcolm Grout reports "Sunday 14th June provided a good days flying despite many forecasts predicting rain by the afternoon. Once the high cover cleared out by around 11:30hrs in the North Lakes, the thermals got going. A mid day launch from Grisedale Pike took myself and Rob straight to cloud base. Rob flew home and landed in the field by his house. I had a pleasant tour round some of the fells in the local area including a landing and relaunch on Sail." The photo shows Bud Patterson thermalling over Crag Hill in the North West Lakes. Bud's legs are pointing towards the summit of Crag Hill and Crummock Water is above the wing. To the right of the wing is the ridge leading towards Grasmoor. Photo by Malcolm Grout
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![Picture of the Month](images/PicofMonth/202007pom_thumb.jpg) |
June 2020
Some of our sites were able to re open in late May. Malcolm Grout reports "After a layoff of almost 2 months to the day we were lucky enough to be able to start flying again on 20th May, with a decent enough forecast for Wasdale. The inversion started at just over 3000ft amsl so no great heights to be had, but plenty of thermal activity provided for an interesting tour of the valley. Eventually after many attempts we found a lifty line into wind across the valley to Lingmell where not surprisingly in the wind direction and strength the air was 'interesting'. A fine day out was head and home in time for tea." Paul Clarke is over Kirk Fell and the view is to the SW with Wast Water on the left. Underneath Paul is Stirrup Crag at the north end of Yewbarrow. Photo by Malcolm Grout.
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May 2020
No flying this month so its back to the archives to remind us what we should be doing! This was taken on a lovely April day on Barkin Fell which is our most south easterly site. It works in a SE wind - Dentdale is to the left and Barbondale is to the right. Crag Hill is in the background. Photo by Heather Stevenson
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April 2020
In mid March before the Covid-19 lockdown, Cumbria Soaring Club organised a zipwire reserve deployment day on the Keswick Climbing Walls outdoor zip wire. Here is Chris Little testing out the zip wire on the rehearsal day. Jonny Simms did a great job in organising the day which was a great success. Hopefully we can do it again next year. We didn't deploy real reserves and used dummy packs - we felt that the real value was extracting the reserve from the harness.
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March 2020
A lot of storms and rain this month. Patrick Holmes was out on the 7 February and reports that they flew on Blencathra in the North Lakes "taking off from above Middle Tongue on the ridge between Blease Fell and Halls Fell top; we flew for an hour along the ridges of Blencathra.
Richard Bungay was flying the GIN Gliders Camino and Patrick Holmes was flying the BGD CURE 2.
Photos taken by Stuart Holmes."
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February 2020
Malcom Grout reports "St Bee's again! Monday the 20th January saw a number of pilots at St Bee's in a reasonably stiff breeze. Both the main cliffs and dunes were soarable, although with the wind off to the south slightly it was not possible to progress south past the end of the dunes. We had been in touch with Dave Eva earlier to let him know it was too windy at Bewaldeth, so a big thanks for letting us know it was on at St Bee's. The pilot is Rob Grout, photograph Malc Grout." This is the south side of St Bees looking to the north
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January 2020
In Winter, you have to be able to grab the opportunities when they come! Patrick Holmes was out in early December and reports "Taken during the lovely spell of sunny weather at the beginning of the month. A 10 minute fly down in zero wind at sunset from the top of Catbells, landing in Newlands Valley. The photo was taken with a chase cam attached by a length of line to a hang point near the trailing edge of the glider." Skiddaw is the high point in the centre of the photo, Derwent Water with Keswick in the background on the right and the Newlands Valley to the left.
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![Picture of the Month](images/PicofMonth/202001pom_thumb.jpg) |
December 2019
Just because winter is coming, it doesn't mean you can't fly! Malcom Grout reports that on 10 November "Rob, myself and Paul Clarke launched into a nice breeze from Yewbarrow at the head of the Wasdale valley. We made a tour of all the tops on the north side of the valley from Buckbarrow to Gt Gable returning to land at the foot of Yewbarrow. We enjoyed some nice convergence as the wind veered and a low save from tree top height above the landing field which just could not be ignored. A fine day out for the time of year." Scafell Pike is directly above the wing with Scafell on the right with the gap of Mickledore between the two peaks.
Photographer Malc Grout. Pilot Rob Grout flying his Gin Explorer.
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![Picture of the Month](images/PicofMonth/201912pom_thumb.jpg) |