XScotia: a "pop-up" hike and fly paragliding race in Scotland. It's been 13 years since the first (and only) similar type of paragliding event took place in Scotland but in the depths of lockdown last year a few flying friends bravely took on the challenge. The "pop-up" element meaning the event would take place wherever the best weather was. We were one tenterhooks all week as every update to the forecast brought a new outlook: would it be epic flying or no flying at all?! The forecasts finally converged on the Thursday and the venue in the western Cairngorms was revealed.
Morning briefingGiven the task, I'd opted to take my full vol biv kit to give me maximum flexibility over the 2 days. It was a tricky forecast for the task setters but it was all setup for a bivvy at the TP and a flight to goal on Sunday, with an outside possibility of a long flight on Saturday if the wind held off.
I was slightly surprised by the competitive start (out the car park at 8.45, with some enthusiastic - but short lived - jogging) and the first gliders were in the air and climbing around 10am. Not very well prepared, I had quite a bit of faffing to do as I squeezed all my kit into my harness but got away shortly after and began to climb out. The climbs were good and I waited until I'd made it to cloudbase (around 4000 ft) before heading west, knowing all too well how easy it is to bomb on that first crossing over Glen Tilt.
The first transition was fine but I was soon back at hill height with quite a bit of wind on the ridge (not so much a ridge as an area of gently rising hills with many finger spurs out to the valley in front where the A9 is), with the air getting channelled through the many gullies and the lift broken and inconsistent. Myself and Greg scratched around for ages on one of the many spines, waiting for something to come through. Having slope landed and starting to kite back up I got lifted off by a strong thermal. The plan had been to kite up to gain height, and then cross to the next ridge to kite up again, but after being plucked into the air I went for it, landing on the lee of the next slope and bundling my glider up to walk over to the windward side.
No end of faff followed. I got my lines twisted, got a line over, fluffed a launch, got a cravat, but eventually got back up just as Greg (who had much more competently executed a similar kiting move) was climbing out nearby. I was able to scratch my way up and then got a proper climb up to cloud base where I was set up under a decent cloud street heading to the TP.
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| Spur hopping |
I made some good distance then but the lift dissipated somewhat disappointingly at the end of the cloud street and I followed another glider (Tosh) I'd been leapfrogging as they dived over onto the back of the next ridge. The wind was pretty strong on the hills now and with only 10km to the TP I'd more or less decided that was enough flying. Packing up involved more faff as I tried to avoid unpacking my harness (not possible), meanwhile Greg caught up and overtook as he managed to soar round the side of the hill, bundle up and carry on, crossing the final big glen before the TP. I was inspired and after watching his progress and seeing that he was still able to push (slightly) into wind I decided to follow.
It was a bit hairy! I was able to push into wind but there was more lift than I was expecting and I got a good buffeting as I pressed on with full speed bar. I landed on the far side of the glen with a near vertical descent. Exciting stuff! A bit marginal but ok.
After all the excitement, I assessed my options and with only 6 km to the TP - which I'd set as my goal for the day - and little prospect of more flying, I was lured in by the attractive riverside camping option. On the basis that the TP was the best take-off for tomorrow I reasonably deduced I may as well camp there, in comfort, and just hike up in the morning - as opposed to what would undoubtedly be a cold and windy bivvy on the hill top.
A decent plan, but it was only 4pm and with a race curfew at 9pm, there were another 5 hours of racing to be had! With time on my hands, and no phone signal to check how everyone else was getting on, I pored over the map, analysing and re-analysing where I could have got to if I'd pressed on. I really started to regret my decision, concluding: yes, it probably wouldn't have been worth it... no, there aren't many other good take-off options within striking distance... BUT something probably would have worked and it would have been a good challenge and physical endeavour...and a race! Oh well, we learn. So I thought....
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| Final glen before the TP |
After all the excitement, I assessed my options and with only 6 km to the TP - which I'd set as my goal for the day - and little prospect of more flying, I was lured in by the attractive riverside camping option. On the basis that the TP was the best take-off for tomorrow I reasonably deduced I may as well camp there, in comfort, and just hike up in the morning - as opposed to what would undoubtedly be a cold and windy bivvy on the hill top.
A decent plan, but it was only 4pm and with a race curfew at 9pm, there were another 5 hours of racing to be had! With time on my hands, and no phone signal to check how everyone else was getting on, I pored over the map, analysing and re-analysing where I could have got to if I'd pressed on. I really started to regret my decision, concluding: yes, it probably wouldn't have been worth it... no, there aren't many other good take-off options within striking distance... BUT something probably would have worked and it would have been a good challenge and physical endeavour...and a race! Oh well, we learn. So I thought....
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| Race glamping |
Day 2
I was up at 5.45 to a beautiful morning, after a decent sleep, and with the early morning rays warming my skin after a wash in the river, I regained some positivity! I started hiking just after 7 and up on the hill shortly after, Telegram started furiously pinging as all the race news from the previous day came through. I was amazed to discover the race had already been won (incredible effort by Bud, with Dougie not far behind) and relieved to see that Tosh and Greg (battling it out for 3rd) hadn't gone much further than the TP (my tactics justified...?!).
Tosh was laid out and raring to go, but the sun was in no hurry, and after an hour or so of para-waiting with little sign of the sky clearing, impatience (and concern for the dwindling hours before the 3pm race end, and those making progress on foot) started to grow. The sky remained stubbornly clagged in but there were strong thermals occasionally coming through and quite a lot of wind on launch still. Around 11 however, Tony appeared in the air just to the south of us and that was the trigger to go!
Some navigational carelessness almost put me on the wrong hill but I made it to the TP around 9.30 just in time to greet Bob as he arrived on top after hiking up from the A9. Spotwalla showed us where Tosh was waiting for the sun on the best westerly face, with Mike Jardine now leading the charge for 3rd place on foot, as he pressed on along the ridge.
Tosh was laid out and raring to go, but the sun was in no hurry, and after an hour or so of para-waiting with little sign of the sky clearing, impatience (and concern for the dwindling hours before the 3pm race end, and those making progress on foot) started to grow. The sky remained stubbornly clagged in but there were strong thermals occasionally coming through and quite a lot of wind on launch still. Around 11 however, Tony appeared in the air just to the south of us and that was the trigger to go!
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| A rare break in the clouds while waiting on launch |
It was at this pivotal moment that I realised I had another twist in my lines (a recurring issue I have from inconsistent packing - really need to sort that!) which I woefully tried to rectify in the wind and created an even bigger mess. As Bob, Tosh and Tony easily climbed out and started heading along the ridge I was disconnecting my lines in a fluster and cursing myself.
I was off shortly after only to find one of my speed bar lines had come out of the pulley on the riser (careless pre-flight checks as I rushed to get in the air) and the glider kept pulling to the right. For lack of any other ideas (but not thinking too rationally) I thought it must be related, and spent the next 5 mins trying to thread the line through the pulley again while compensating for the pull to the right and flying along the ridge in fairly lifty and thankfully quite smooth air. Speed bar sorted it was still pulling to the right and I only then noticed my c-lines had snagged on a bit of the riser, causing the issue.
Flight prep finally sorted, I took stock: I'd made decent progress along the ridge and could see the others ahead moving slowly. With the sun still nowhere to be seen but with reasonable lift around I figured staying high would be key to the day. Cloudbase was still below 4000ft so not much above the plateau anyway.
I was off shortly after only to find one of my speed bar lines had come out of the pulley on the riser (careless pre-flight checks as I rushed to get in the air) and the glider kept pulling to the right. For lack of any other ideas (but not thinking too rationally) I thought it must be related, and spent the next 5 mins trying to thread the line through the pulley again while compensating for the pull to the right and flying along the ridge in fairly lifty and thankfully quite smooth air. Speed bar sorted it was still pulling to the right and I only then noticed my c-lines had snagged on a bit of the riser, causing the issue.
Flight prep finally sorted, I took stock: I'd made decent progress along the ridge and could see the others ahead moving slowly. With the sun still nowhere to be seen but with reasonable lift around I figured staying high would be key to the day. Cloudbase was still below 4000ft so not much above the plateau anyway.
Ahead, Bob had headed out into the valley (breakfast at the truck stop being a very close second to making goal for the day!), Tosh was pushing on alone and Tony was scratching on the next ridge. I cruised over Tony and got a good climb off the following spur, making it to cloud base as a rare patch of sunshine converged on my flight path. The next section was the crux: a relatively featureless expanse of about 10km until you hit more defined terrain again. Tosh was low, maintaining on a small pimple of a hill, and I patiently waited until the clouds set-up ahead before making the transition. With Tosh below me, Mike on the ground somewhere, Greg nowhere to be seen, I suspected I may have snuck into 3rd place...just had to make it to goal!
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| Just need to get over this to reach the big hills in the distance... |
The sky looked better to the north east and with the sun finally breaking through I got some proper Scottish flying conditions: strong punchy thermals and strong sink! With base at 5000 ft now it was relatively straightforward xc flying. I had to scratch up the western cliffs of Braeriach after diving over the leeside of Sgor Gaoith and crossing the stunning Loch Eanich, I stopped to relieve myself at the top, check where I was going, and after a messy climb out in the slight lee of the SW wind, was on the final line to goal.
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| Quick pee stop |
It took me a while to work out where goal was exactly (closer than I thought!) but away from the mountains the climbs were good, and I cruised over the goal field with bags of height, delighted to have made it.
The day was finally booming so getting down took some time, but as I came into land I got a very enthusiastic greeting from the comp organisers Ben, Warwick, Neil and Mark, who were as delighted to see someone land in goal as I was to land there!
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| Final hill before goal |
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| Goal field below |
Gill - my diligent and helpful (but possibly underutilised?!) supporter - rocked up in the van soon after, having tried, and failed, to race me back to the camping field, and as the rest of the field gradually coalesced back at HQ after retrieves from across the length of the course, the remainder of the afternoon was spent regaling tales of adventure, hardship and the monumental effort put in by many!
Having only hiked about 10km of the course and quite well rested after a comfortable, well provisioned camp, I was greatly impressed by everyone's commitment, miles covered on the ground, and some extreme, minimalist bivvys!
Huge thanks and congratulations to the event organisers Ben, Warwick, Neil and Mark for managing to bring everything together - including the weather - for such a well run and enjoyable hike and fly event in Scotland. No easy undertaking. There's a good reason no-one else has tried since the first one 13 years ago, but lets hope this is the beginning of a new legacy!
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| Turnpoints and my track |