The Warren

Known Hazards

Restrictions: Do not land on any of the bowling greens, the caravan site, or Railtrack fenced-off areas. Hazards: The Warren is among the most committed paraglider take-offs in England. There is rotor behind take off so make sure your glider is well under control when you launch. There is also a risk of being lifted up very quickly when inflating near to the edge. Wind direction at take-off can be deceptive. Take time to make an accurate assessment of conditions. If the direction of the wind is outside the range of the wind rose do not take off. The cliffs can be treacherous when the wind is blowing outside the specified range, even when the wind speed is low. Do not fly if the wind is off to the south west (225° - coming at you from a point past the end of the harbour wall) and be cautious if the wind is SSW (200°) and veering. Do not fly within 200ft vertically or horizontally of the railway line at the bottom of the cliff. Landing on Jock’s pitch involves awareness of the position of the various power and telephone cables close by. Be fully aware of cloudbase. Cloud can descend very quickly and fog banks can roll in from the Channel. The nearby radio mast (2 km away due NE) is 436 feet amsl at its base and 1240 feet amsl at its top and is a useful reference for low cloud. Be very cautious when the forecast and observed Relative Humidity is high, and certainly when it’s over 90%, as there is a strong connection between high RH and local fog formation. Other remarks: Novice pilots should not fly at high tide. It’s a good site to organise retrieves, so as far as possible engage in conversation with fellow pilots before taking off. Be courteous and respectful in the take off area. A public footpath runs across the front of the take-off area. The access to the bottom may be restricted in summer: ask at meetings for details. Cars may currently be driven to the bottom all year round, access via the turning near the modernised Martello tower off Wear Bay Road. However, please be very courteous to the camp site officials, and do not leave your car near their entrance or where it may obstruct the narrow lane any longer than necessary. Bring a charged 2m band radio with you. Mobile phone reception can be poor at the bottom landing area.