XC Tips: As Model Ridge is a North-facing ridge with quite a steep grass-covered face, the actual face is mostly in shadow throughout most of the day. During the winter months snow can still be seen on the front when it has melted everywhere else. Thermals are generated from the farmland immediately in front of the ridge, the trees next to Busby Hall and the fields, (mainly grass). A northerly breeze will push a thermal up the face and back towards the Lords Stone café and Carlton Bank. Thermals are generally small and punchy and short-lived, but even in April these can be up to 6.5ms-¹. During the summer the sea breeze can have an effect from mid-
afternoon onwards. The wind will drop off, then veer eastwards until it is almost 90º and along the face. Any thermals now will be pushed towards the quarry / road end of the face and soaring will be impossible. It is however still possible to maintain lift as a strong thermal can sometimes drag the wind onto the ridge again. An experienced pilot will recognise the signs and launch quickly into what can be quite strong lift.
After a good first climb, most pilots either head back towards the face to top up, before pushing round to the Cringle bowl, or fly back to Carlton Bank. From or near to cloudbase head back towards the head of the Scugdale valley and on to Hawnby before dropping off the moors past the gliding station at Sutton Bank. York and the flatlands are now in sight. Cloud streets can sometimes be seen arising from the Eston (formerly ENRON) gas-fired power station. In a Northerly these cumulus clouds stretch from Middlesbrough over Cringle, towards Billsdale and beyond. Rufforth airfield used by gliders and micro-lights, to the west of York is about 52km.
Dave Smart - "In a North or North East wind it is much easier to get away from Cringle Moor. Don't waste time at Model Ridge, either ridge soar or use the first thermal height gain to get into the Cringle bowl. A useful technique to get to Cringle on weaker days is just to just to make repeated attempts. When you have a little height, head over towards Cringle; often you will just start sinking out and have to head back to the Model Ridge, but eventually your attempt will happen to coincide with a weak thermal or slightly more buoyant air and you'll make it round. You can often soar Cringle when it is too light to stay up at the Model Ridge.
If it all turns to worms before you get to Scugdale, on stronger wind days you can soar the small ridge before it. It not a great place but can keep you up while you wait for the next climb. Scugdale itself is a really good thermal generator and the north face of the valley is soar-able if you get very low - depending on the day's conditions of course.
The record for Model Ridge was set by Dean Crosby in 1995 a distance of 144.3km to Mansfield, near Nottingham on a Nova Sphinx, a glider with worse performance than a modern DHV 1. As Dean was not a North Yorks Sailwing Club member at this time, I guess the official Club record is probably held by Dave Smart [Model Ridge to Hensall 81.1km 13/07/2002 in 4 hours 30 mins] for paragliding and ?????? ??????? for hang gliding."