Abertysswg

Abertysswg is a popular Welsh ridge site with room for up to 20 gliders in good conditions, and wave lift is a regular feature here. It's also shared airspace: model aircraft pilots use the site often, and mutual respect for each other's flying time is part of the local etiquette. Launch is a minimal carry to a narrow takeoff, often crowded with rigged hang gliders and parked vehicles, so care and control matter even before wind gets involved — true wind speed at the top of the hill can run noticeably higher than what launch itself suggests, so check there if in doubt. Turbulence is a real factor in stronger winds, and pilots with fewer than 50 logged hours should only fly here with an instructor or club coach alongside. If you top land close to the road, watch for moving traffic and rotor coming off parked cars. Never land in the field just south of takeoff, and if you do end up landing in any other field by accident, walk out through the gate rather than over a wall or fence.

Launch & conditions

A minimal carry to a narrow takeoff, often busy with rigged hang gliders and parked vehicles — care and control matter here. True wind speed at the top of the hill can run higher than launch suggests; check there if in doubt.

Getting there & local rules

From Tredegar, follow the minor roads toward Markham. Park along the edge of the road, leaving enough room for gliders landing or being carried across.

Local rules & hazards

Turbulence is a real factor in stronger winds — pilots with fewer than 50 logged hours should only fly here with an instructor or club coach. If top landing close to the road, watch for moving traffic and rotor off parked cars. Never land in the field just south of takeoff; if you land in any other field by accident, walk out through the gate, not over a wall or fence. The site is also used by model aircraft pilots — respect their flying time as well as your own.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Abertysswg, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Abertysswg with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.