Mike Stieber's view from the DG400.
Flying cross-country is a long-term goal of many glider pilots and planning for an eventual cross-country transition during your early days of soaring is a wise move: there is a lot to know and flights will take you over territory that you have not seen during your training. This page is intended to encourage pilots who are interested in safely flying beyond gliding distance of the airfield. It's not for everyone, and there are risks to manage, but looking back over my short time in soaring I know that venturing away from home for the first time was my most rewarding experience and that cross-country flying holds a lifetime of challenges that can never be fully mastered.
We are fortunate at Rideau Valley Soaring in that our club encourages qualified pilots to use our equipment for cross-country flights. Of course, you have to buy beer for your retrieve crew when you land-out but that's a long tradition and while they're drinking your beer, convention dictates that they listen intently to the entire story of your flight.
When you are flying cross-country, you are responsible for ensuring that the retrieve crew can get you and the equipment back home at the end of the day. The keys should be in your car ignition, the car filled with gas, the trailer attached to your hitch and the lights all working. You should also know how to de-rig the glider and reassemble it before the next flying day.
From the vent of the LS1. 
There is a wealth of knowledge to be mined before your first x-c flight. The internet, instructors, great books like Helmut Reichman's Cross Country Soaring, Canadian Advanced Soaring's Cross-Country Clinics, and cross-country experienced members are all fabulous resources. Gather as much information as you can and digest it over the longest period that you have (including our wonderful Canadian winters). When you are ready and the club agrees, stretch your wings and set your sights on that distant spot on the horizon noting all the clouds along the way. Have a great flight.
The Online Contest (OLC)