Lets just say it was so nice to get back orienteering after a year!
I did the blue course. The aim was always to take it easy, concentrate on navigating correctly between controls, remembering old skills and building confidence. Mostly it went ok with just a few minor route and navigation errors although I am uploading my route to RouteGadget when I finish this post, so I may discover more errors than I am expecting. My uphill fitness is off though - too much trail running following flat rivers! In the end comfortably middle of the pack (and within view of Jeff!)
Al went on the yellow course on her own. Looking at her map later it looked to be a tricky yellow with a few controls off paths (including one in a reentrant not easy to see from the path) and more decision points between controls than I would expect. Still she did really well, although she unfortunately ran right past control 3 straight to control 4 (something we all do at least once!). Her time woud have been good though, so she is looking forward to next time.
Sebastian, initially shadowed from afar, got himself in a pickle when he could not spot one of the marked subtle paths. He just could not see it and, after a few runs up and down the path, needed a bit of help for the rest of the course. He still had fun though - especially jumping (and wading in one case) in every puddle on the walk back.
It was lovely to say hello to various QO-ers we bumped into throughout the event which was run fantastically by BOC.
Time to hit RouteGadget!
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Yes, it’s great to be back!
Glad to see the children weren’t put off by their mixed fortunes.
Looks like you got a handle on the terrain Phil soon after forgoing the lovely direct route to number 3. My experience of the area certainly told as I remembered the importance of hitting the crossing points accurately and avoiding the multiple knolls of the decoy town at the top of the hill.
I asked if they had a Brown map spare at the Start and in retrospect, glad they said no! Can’t believe my limit is 1 hour now having done 2.5 hours non stop at Broughton Burrows in Autumn 2019 but actually delighted with how my run went.
It was actually fun making two or three mistakes and then seeing I hadn’t lost my relocation skills
Just watched our ‘race off’ @Jeff.Pakes. My worst leg was 2-3 with my terrible route choice, but it looks like I started clawing it back over the next few controls. You would have been in sight at controls 8 and 9, but my mistake at 10 (running too far down the path) and your good route choices on the long leg to 12 and to 14 (my legs took a hammering in the gorse!) meant I had no chance to catch up!
I was frozen on the spot’ at the start - I forgot to check what direction I was facing beforehand! I might actually look at the control descriptions next time (‘north side of middle tree’ is probably worth knowing with hindsight!)
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Glad that wasn’t a real head-to-head, as I’d have buckled under the pressure! Each time you were catching up I thought ‘that’s it’ but somehow I managed to stay ahead