Merthyr Common

Merthyr Common is a friendly South Wales ridge with a reputation for cross-country, and its main west-facing bowl is unusually roomy — in good conditions it will hold more than fifty gliders without feeling crowded. That capacity falls away quickly as the wind swings north or south and the lift band narrows, which is the thing to judge before committing to a busy day. There are three separate takeoffs. The west launch is a minimal carry, the southwest a very short one with a shallow slope that suits hang gliders, and the small north face is used mostly for training but will soar when conditions line up. Hang gliders and paragliders share all of it, so where you rig matters as much as where you launch. The site sits on a cliff edge, and everything that implies in strong wind applies here.

Launch & conditions

Three takeoffs. West is a minimal carry — when rigging or inflating, watch for hang gliders overshooting the top landing. Southwest is a very short carry with a shallow slope suited to hang glider launches from the top of the ridge, so keep an eye out for paragliders launching lower down. North means carrying across to the trig point, and is used mainly for training.

Getting there & local rules

The track from the north is closed; use the track from the south at Mount Pleasant, whose entrance is roughly 200 m south of the 30 mph speed limit sign. For the west and north takeoffs, park well back behind the wooden post on the right-hand track rather than driving up to unload, or use the left-hand track and park at the base of the hill south of takeoff, watching for gliders coming in to land. For the southwest, park at the roadside and carry up.

Local rules & hazards

This is a cliff edge, with the usual hazards in strong winds. There can be a sharp wind gradient in the top landing area and strong sink in the lee of the hill, so do not land too far back.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Merthyr Common, 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 Merthyr Common with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.