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Event info

UPDATED 15 June '24
GENERAL GUIDELINES AND SAFETY
1. No BHPA card (or international equivalent) = no participation.
2. Update your AirTribune details in good time.
3. An “assumption of risk” form must be completed at registration.

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Flying site

The X-Lakes Challenge is a ‘hike and fly’ event, where you create your own adventure in the Fells of the Lake District. In June 2024 the start is from Grasmere Sports Field.

The English Lake District is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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  • 34 Pilots Confirmed
  • 34 Pilots total registered
  • 60 GBP Entry fee
Go to Pilot List
  • 50 Pilots max allowed
  • 7 Countries presented
  • ✅ EN-D & below allowed
    ❌ CCC wings prohibited
  • This is not an FAI sanctioned event
  • left before start of event
  • Registration will open on
    20/01 18:00 (Europe/London)

  • 🛰️

    The organiser will supply Live trackers to you, for safety and scoring

    Live trackers supplied
  • 📱

    The region generally has good phone coverage

    Good phone coverage
  • 🛰️

    Live Tracking is MANDATORY in this event to score. The organiser will provide the trackers.

    Live trackers mandatory
  • 🛰

    The organisers will download the tracklogs at HQ for scoring

    Tracklogs managed
  • 🎉

    There will be an organised party during or after the event

    Party
  • 🎵

    There will be live music or a DJ at the event

    Live music

Contacts

Event info

UPDATED 15 June '24
GENERAL GUIDELINES AND SAFETY
1. No BHPA card (or international equivalent) = no participation.
2. Update your AirTribune details in good time.
3. An “assumption of risk” form must be completed at registration.
4. A radio operating at 135 – 179 VHF (and mobile phone) is compulsory.
5. All flying equipment must be homologated in an airworthy condition and be BHPA approved and comply with the latest edition of the following EN certification standards:
• Paraglider: EN 926-2 and 926-1 or LTF 91/09 (including CCC FAI class), having aspect ratio under 7,2.
• Harness: EN 1651 with certified protection, or LTF 91/09
• Emergency parachute: EN 12491 or LTF 91/09
• Helmet: EN 966 or snowboarding EN 1077 class is accepted.

SITE RULES
• No fires
• No BBQs directly on the grass
• All rubbish to be put in the skip by the pavilion
• TAKE HOME your recycling please
• Generators must be on trays
• Toilet chemicals must be GREEN
• No noise after 22.00 or loud music at anytime
• Landing is allowed in the main field in the marked area
• No DRONES without event director permission
• Dogs must be on a lead at all times

26 May update: The Cumbria Soaring Club Lakes Charity Classic website page was updated (26 May) to include up to date information and details on how to apply for the Community Impact Fund for deserving Cumbrian causes, Telegram groups to join and how guests must pre-book this year to attend. ALL competitors, participants, guests and crew should be familiar with this information and visit the page before arriving on Thursday 20 June. https://www.cumbriasoaringclub.co.uk/lcc/CSC_LCCMain.php

Cumbria Soaring Club members enjoy a £10 discount on the donation when entering. The entry donation includes one meal.

Camping/vans/motorhomes are permitted and charged at £10 per person, per night. (No hook ups).

The X-Lakes is a hike and fly, vol-biv challenge run by pilots for pilots.
The event is a 'Not for Profit' ; raising funds for local charities and is run in conjunction with the Lakes Charity Classic competition.

Please explore the X-Lakes website for details of prior events
AND FOLLOW THE LINKS BELOW FOR PILOT EXPECTATION:

EVENT ETHOS: https://x-lakes.uk/x-lakes-the-ethos/

RISK STATEMENT: https://x-lakes.uk/x-lakes-challenge-risk-statement/

Flying site

The X-Lakes Challenge is a ‘hike and fly’ event, where you create your own adventure in the Fells of the Lake District. In June 2024 the start is from Grasmere Sports Field.

The English Lake District is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With open fell tops and wide valley bottoms it is an ideal arena for hike and fly. The challenge involves ‘bagging’ as many of the 1,000-foot Wainwright Fells as possible, either by foot or paraglider.

The 2-day “Hardcore” Challenge is an approximately 22-hour event. Timings will be confirmed by the Task Committee immediately prior to the start but competitors should plan to start from 8 am Friday and fly/hike until 4pm on Saturday, resting between 9pm and 7am on Friday night. The start and finish location are defined but the route and flying choices are entirely the choice of the participant.

Selection and entry fee

The X-Lakes Entry Process
Pilots must pre-register. Participants should self-certify that they hold the BHPA ‘Pilot rating’ (or the International Pilot Proficiency Information (IPPI) level 4) in order to enter the two-day ‘Hardcore’ event. Decision making can be very challenging when fatigue kicks in!

A maximum of 50 places are available for the two-day ‘Hardcore’ X-Lakes challenge.

If they apply, the previous years’ top ten (as per results listed on the website) will be automatically offered an option for a place to compete in the two-day Challenge event. The three top-placed competitors in the previous year’s one-day ‘Academy’ event will also be offered an option to participate in the two-day ‘Hardcore’ Challenge event if they want to take part.

The remaining places in the two-day ‘Hardcore’ Challenge event will then be awarded on the basis of a ballot after entries have been submitted. The organisers will reserve five places as wildcard positions to be awarded at their discretion.

The one-day ‘Academy’ event will run on the Friday. Please don’t try to register for both. The two events are targeted at different pilots.

If successful entrants will be invited to make their charitable donation. If they fail to do so then their place will be offered to another pilot.

Documents required at registration

  • The FAI IPPI card is an International card that states your skill level. It is issued by your National Association and matches the level or your flying Licence

    FAI IPPI Card
  • The organiser requires you to present your National flying licence.

    National Licence
  • You will need to sign an applicaton form at the venue. Usually the organiser will provide it on arrival.

    Signed Application form
  • You will need to sign a waiver or release document to show you understand the risks. Usually the organiser will provide it on arrival.

    Signed Waiver/Release form

Cancellation Policy

If entrants wish to cancel their entry, then there will be no refund of the charitable donation.

If the organisers have to cancel more than four weeks prior to the event, then all payments will be offered for refund although entrants may opt to allow their unused entry fee to go forward for donation to charity.

Both events will proceed regardless of the weather.

Prize fund and scoring categories

Entrants will carry trackers and a live leaderboard will collate the scoring. We aim to conclude the scoring of the two-day event by 18:00 on the Saturday. Prize-giving will follow, pilots are invited for a meal which is included in your entry.

The Hardcore event awards a trophy for the overall highest score. A further trophy is awarded to the highest scoring competitor in the Vol Biv class. A ‘Jo-median’ prize will also be provided for the person coming in the mid-field position in the two-day event to recognise the value of simply taking part in the X-Lakes challenge!

There is a prize draw open to all entrants.

General schedule

Thursday 20th June
14:00 Earliest arrival all others - collect meal ticket, wrist band and pay for camping at the gate.
16:00 -19:30 - Official registration
19:30 - Safety, weather and tracking briefs

Friday 21st June
06:30 - Tracker collection, equipment inspection and confirmatory briefing
08:00 - Hardcore and academy Hike and Fly start
20:00 - Land by time
21:00 - Hardcore Day 1 stop

Saturday 22nd June
07:00 - Hardcore Day 2 Hike and Fly restarts from within 400m of Day 1 finish
16:00 - Finish and countdown point deduction
17:00 - Time out (negating all score)
18:00 - Special guest talk and event meal
19:00 - Official scores and trophy awards. Prize draw and raffle
20:00 - Evening entertainment

Sunday 23rd June
Depart by noon
Freeflying

Daily schedule

2-Day Hardcore Challenge Schedule :

Thursday:
14:00 Earliest arrival all others - collect meal ticket, wrist band and pay for camping at the gate.
All competitors and their supporters will be welcomed to registration from 16:00, followed by the event briefing at 19:30. During the briefing the task committee and organisers will discuss local weather and possible route options. The technical support team will demonstrate the tracking systems and the safety support systems will be discussed. A local knowledge expert will discuss the complex mountain systems and how the sea breeze will affect the area during the competition, this will help you with your route selection.

Friday:
Competitors are required to report to collect their trackers at 06:30 on the Friday of the event. The task committee may elect to have a confirmatory briefing at 07:30 in which case all participants will be informed by SMS/group chat facility.
The event will begin at 08:00. Any change to this plan will be shared by SMS/group chat facility.
During event hours, the pilot can only elect to walk or fly. No other form of transport is allowed.
A compulsory over-night rest period begins at 21:00 on Friday. All competitors need to stop flying by 20:00 (obligatory land-by time) and report in their last position to the event organisers by 21:00.
Pilots should attempt to send a text message “ALL OK” after their 21:00 end-of-day, to help assure the organisers and their supporter of their safety.
During the night, the pilot can choose to either camp out, vol-biv style, or to spend the night in a hotel, house, van etc. During the obligatory rest period, from 21:00 Friday until 07:00 Saturday, the pilot can move using any form of transport.

Competitors who carry all their own kit and whom spend the night out in the hills with no support will be deemed to be competing in the vol-biv competition. Pilots must self-declare if they are camping out, vol-biv style during registration.

Saturday:
At 07:00 on the following day, the pilot must then report back to within 400 meters of the place they left on the previous day, where they can continue the event. While they must start from within 400m of the spot they were at the previous evening, they must not start until 07:00, but can choose to leave later.

The 2-day event finishes at 16:00 on Saturday, and all competitors must sign in on the athletes board.
Late finishers will be treated as follows:
– 10 points will be deducted from the pilot score for each ten minutes of lateness. The 1st second past 16:00 results in 10 points being deducted, 20 at 10 minutes and 1 second, up to 60 points at 4:50 and 1 second.
– Over an hour late scores ZERO.
For the remaining points to be valid for scoring, all competitors must report back to the event HQ and sign the athletes board before 17:00 on the Saturday at the latest.
In any case where a competitor cannot make it back by 17:00 on Saturday they must call in and report back by this time. However, all their points will be forfeited.
Any competitor may quit the event any time. However, they must inform the event organisers of it and must return their competition tracker to the event HQ. Failure to report quitting or return their tracker could disbar the participant from future events!!
At 18:00 Kinga Masztalerz will give a talk on her flying journey followed by prize giving at 19:00.
To end proceedings we have evening entertainment with a talk and music starting at 20:00.

Sunday:
Depart by noon
Freeflying

Accommodation and Activities

Camping on site is available for £10 per person per night payable on arrival. Pre-booking is not necessary. Modestly sized motorhomes and caravans are welcomed on the sports field. Camping is available from Thursday to Sunday. The grassy tented areas are flat and it is usually possible to park alongside your tent. Free showers. There are NO electric hookups for campervans.

Non-competitors / guests are also welcome to camp and attend but must pre-book via this online form by 16 June https://forms.office.com/r/pV7hmr9sEH

If you prefer not to camp, search the usual online accommodation portals for Grasmere Village options to suit most budgets.

The X-Lakes hike and fly challenges are now officially Cumbria Soaring Club events and will again run alongside the LCC. They overlap with the LCC events so it is not possible to take part in both.

How to get here

The map below shows event HQ / Grasmere Sports Field location.

Please follow this link for a map of Wainwrights:
https://x-lakes.uk/x-lakes-info-map/

1 Stock Ln, Grasmere, Ambleside LA22 9SJ, UK
Grasmere United Kingdom

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