Harting 22nd April

I have always regarded Harting as my 'spiritual home' of hang gliding. It is where after school I cut my teeth and really learnt to fly. However it can be a sod of a place and despite being of a fair size just doesn't seem to work that well as a ridge soaring site (and its a horrid ridge to scratch on). I have lost count of the number of top to bottoms Ive had here. The other side of the coin is that when its good it can be really good. I have a handful of memories of some cracking days here but, for me, they are few and far between.
So today I kind of knew what to expect with a lightish wind and a red RASP; if you could get up and away from launch it would be great, if not it was probably going to be a day with the sheep in the bottom landing field.
I arrived early around 9.30am and was ready to launch by 10.30. I considered waiting but gave it a go at 11. By that time Tim and Wayne had arrived. As I lunched I suddenly realised that I had the words 'wind dummy' written on my forehead but as my feet had already left the ground it was to late. After a short flight I bottomed out as expected.
Getting back up for another go Tony and Steve Gale had also arrived. Tony took off first and found a climb off to the east of launch, then was gone. Steve Gale looked like he was heading for lunch with the sheep but found the bottom of Tony's climb and after working the weak climb was also away. Tim ditto.
Wayne got up so I went for it again finding weak and broken lift to the east of launch. I got up (a bit) but there were also pockets of massive sink and after about 10 mins I was back with my woolly friends, shortly followed by Wayne.
So not quite the epic day I had hoped for but given it was Harting I kind of knew it was coming.
James Roy