Slope Tour2

Windy Corner (12) is back in the direction of the TT course. You can usually find room to park through the gate and down the track and the slope looks down over Glen Roy towards Laxey where you can see the great Lady Isabella water wheel. 50deg to 90deg are favoured directions here and the landing area immediately in front of you is inclined to be boggy. Soft for a dart-board landing though. If you feel confident, land on the track between the dry stone walls or even walk back and cross the road, over the stile and enjoy one of the smoothest landing areas on the Island. Whilst you are there, look down over Baldwin at the little used 225deg to 275deg site(13).

The 33rd Milestone (14) is along towards Kate's Cottage where parking along side the road is possible for 260 deg to 280deg winds. Again, landing is on the slope the other side of the fence but be careful here as there is fast traffic just behind your back. In fact be extremely careful doing U-turns anywhere on the mountain road as it quite likely that you may be torpedoed amidships by a Yamondakawasuki. Do I need to explain that? In fact let's get off the mountain and head down south.
We have flown southerlies from Port Soderick (15).Park on the old coast road of Marine Drive towards Douglas and launch off over the edge landing in the deep heather behind.

Bay Stacka (16)is reached by driving through Cregneish village to the Chasms and following the footpath down and south to the small bay that faces generally South East. Beware of the Chasms which are vertical gaps in the rock where seams have been followed down by lead miners in years gone by. You can look downwards a few hundred feet to the sea and falling down here could ruin your day out. Watch out for the stiff winged Fulmars, now there's a subject for FSS. Cregneash (the old name) is the oldest village on the island and with its thatched cottages and traditional activities is maintained as a museum by the Manx NT. It was also the site for much of the filming of the recent movie "Waking Ned" Flying is possible elsewhere here but the cliffs are rough and not accessible if you model goes down.
Bradda Head (17) above Port Erin works well in a southerly and you may feel bold enough to lob off westerly from the key shaped Milner Tower erected by a gent who made his money out of safes. You might, we don't!

The Stacks (18) is one of my favourites. This is reached up the Table Mountain road from Port Erin and the cars are parked in a lay by opposite a kissing gate. Walk across and down to the slope that extends down some 700 feet to the sea with nothing between you and the mountains of Mourne in Ireland. 260 deg to 310 deg is the range here but crossing over the stile at the edge of the slope gives access to a little more south. This site gives the kind of lift that you dream about with 300 foot double stall turns etc. Wow, soar the higher hills either side with the sea birds but keep a look out for basking sharks here. There are some low rocks in the landing area but they have been best part covered by vegetation and so with low forward speed are not a threat. There is another landing area behind where you left the car but this should not be necessary.
The Sloc (19) is just up the road from The Stacks and parking alongside the road, one can launch into anything from 175deg to 115deg or thereabouts. Be adventurous and soar the hills on your right down as far as the car park for The Stacks.
Cronk ny Arry Laa (20) is a hill overlooking the sea which you will find on the left just as the road makes a sharp right at the top of a track. (Ridden up this many times on a motorcycle, don't try it in a car!) Oh yes, park here, climb the stile and walk to the top of the hill for superb soaring from 260deg to 320deg.

Worth mentioning here that local weather sometimes gives morning mist on high ground which invariably clears later. Persistent mist or low cloud gives the opportunity to use sand cliff coastal sites such as White Strand (21) on the coast to the north of Peel. These give excellent soaring as the wind comes in clean off the sea, rather like the sites at Hanstholm in Denmark - and that is all that they have! In very strong winds, the actual edge can display turbulence and serious shear. You may feel the wind on your back but launch positively through for happy soaring.
The sand cliff sites extend from Peel right round to Ramsey but do be aware of those that are on private ground and keep off. In fact visitors would do well to consult local club members before visiting any site.

The Maps used on this page are produced from the Ordnance Survey Get a Map service. Images reproduced with the kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Multi Media Mapping