Managing club: Southern Hang Gliding Club · Access: membership
Site briefing
Planning information for High and Over
Take-off
There are two take-off areas. From the car park, follow the left path for the south-east-facing launch, or the right path for the east-facing launch. Both are smallish — the east one particularly so. Rig away from the immediate take-off areas; paraglider pilots should only approach the launch once clipped in and holding a mushroomed glider.
South-east-facing launch — there is a stock fence right in front of it. The farmer and the National Trust have agreed a four-span removable opening that makes a clear launch from near the bowl side towards the northern end of the launch area.
Opening the fence gap (combination [members only]) — remove the padlocks at the central removable post; the code is [members only], set against the engraved black line on the face of the lock (set the other side and it won't open). Push the button at the base of the lock to open it; hold the lever handle while removing the lock, as the fence is under tension and the arm may fly up rapidly (gloves help — the locks are often oily). Raise the lever arms to about 45° and replace the locks immediately in the holes on the arms so they aren't lost. Raise one arm fully, slip the chain link off the post hook, remove the spike at the base of the metal post from the lower retaining ring, and lay the post on the slope; repeat on the other side. Remove the central post from its socket and lay it behind the remaining span on the right. Pick up one metal post and walk in a circular arc across the slope, lifting the fence so the sawn-off post doesn't drag, and fold the mobile section back against the solid fence, retaining it with the upper wire strands. Repeat for the other side, and check no wire is sticking out that could snag a line.
Closing the gap — reverse the procedure: replace the central post (lower retaining ring to the left, where the ground is lower), insert the metal-post spike into the lower retaining ring, pull the top towards the central post until the chain link slips over the hook, remove the padlock, push the lever down until the tongue goes through the slit, and reinsert the lock — making sure the code is NOT left aligned with the black line. Repeat on the other side and leave the area clear and tidy. Report any problems to the Sites Officer or a Committee member; photos and full instructions are at shgc.org.uk/highandovergate. If you dropped the fence at the start of the day it is your responsibility to close it — if you leave while gliders are still flying, hand that duty to someone else.
East-facing launch — the first sloping terrace below the stile. Expect a steep wind gradient: PGs typically inflate well back and ground-handle forward to the edge, or lay out on the edge and walk down the slope; HGs should cliff-launch from the edge, or run off the point at the lower end of the terrace (HG pilots may prefer an alternative site).
Landing
Top landing (south-east launch) — the area is immediately behind take-off and needs a careful approach. Avoid over-flying the road, beware rotor or steep wind gradient behind the trees, and land between the sunken pathway and the front fence — do not land or get dragged into the sunken pathway. It is much easier to land in the gently sloping field below and to the left and walk up a few yards.
Top landing (east launch) — the area immediately behind take-off; watch out for the fence, the trees, the slope, the wind gradient, rotor and spectators — a fairly challenging landing. It is very easy to land in the next terrace down to the right and walk up a few yards.
Bottom landing — the field immediately below the take-off slopes; keep enough height if you need to cross the river to reach it. Do not land in the field on the opposite bank (no permission); if you unavoidably do, pack up and walk north-east up-river 500 m to a bridge. There is no vehicle access for retrieves in the bottom landing — you will have to walk back up; paths lead up to each take-off.
Access and parking
The public car park is two miles from Seaford and one mile south of Alfriston on the B2108. There are no daytime restrictions, but overnight parking is not permitted; there is a lay-by opposite that can also be used. It gets very busy — park considerately, and if it is very busy do not block the road (there has been police interest in the past); instead park down the road on the outskirts of Seaford and walk or hitch up the hill.
Before you fly
Conditions & airspace — High and Over
Live wind for this site. Guidance only — always make your own assessment on the hill.
Wind forecast
Wind — High and Over
Consensus (mean) · daytime hours · updated hourly
Forecast model
Consensus (mean)
UK Met Office
ECMWF
Météo-France AROME
ICON (DWD)
GFS (NOAA)
KNMI HARMONIE
GEM (Canada)
MET Norway
ECMWF AIFS
JMA (Japan)
Best match
km/h
mph
kts
Average of the main models — cuts single-model noise
Loading wind forecast…
On
Marginal
Off / cross
Too light
Flyable arc E – ESE (from). Each cell shows the mean wind and the gust — e.g. 18 g 32 = 18 gusting 32 km/h . Green is the ideal 8 – 24 km/h band; amber is getting strong (up to 32 km/h ); over 32 km/h is too strong. The arrow points the way the wind blows; the label is where it blows from.
High and Over is in the Cuckmere valley south of Alfriston, between Lewes and Eastbourne and just north-east of Seaford. By road it is best from Seaford on the A259, then north on the B2108. If you drive through Alfriston village, take care — the high street is very narrow and usually full of tourists. From the car park, follow the left path for the south-east take-off, or the right path for the east take-off.
Local guidance
Hazards and cautions
The main slopes are too steep to safely slope-land and walk out. The bowl is almost entirely tree-covered — some trees are large and the coverage impenetrable — with many fences and trees surrounding the take-off areas. The river and levees are an obstacle for bottom landing: the water can be over 10 ft deep and very fast on the ebb, and the oxbow lake is stagnant with a smelly muddy bottom. There is a busy road close behind the left-hand take-off, and a sunken footpath and a tumulus on the eastern take-off. In winter the whole field is often flooded.
Airflow: High and Over works best with the wind coming from the east into the coombe — if the flow is up or down the main valley, you are probably at the wrong site. The bottom-landing area can be turbulent when the wind is off, particularly off to the south in sea-breeze conditions, and the wind at the foot of the river cliff (below the left-hand take-off) can switch without warning. The site can become very thermic and turbulent at short notice — it is subject to local sea-breeze effects and can be affected by wave and convergence, and is well known for fast changes in wind direction and strength and very gusty thermals. Never fly it without a full site briefing. If you see catspaws on the river, do not fly — that indicates rotor from the Willingdon massif. There is often sink over the trees in the bowl; avoid that area if the wind is off to the south (heavy sink/rotor from the right-hand take-off and the spur down by the white horse). A fully recirculating rotor can set up over the car park — beware rotor anywhere behind the bowl, and do not fly over the car park or the field behind without plenty of height to glide clear; this rotor can be severe and has caused incidents.
Exact launch
Launch GPS
50.78794, 0.14203
Members also see the gate / padlock code (where a site has one), the Safety Officer’s contact, and the downloadable guide (PDF).
Forecasts are planning aids, not safety clearance. Check current observations, official airspace and NOTAM information, local rules and your own experience before every flight.