Quantock Long-O Solar Daytime I (And A Yeovil Parkrun Recce)

Compass inwards 1 hand, dibber inwards the other!

Less than 2 months agone I was talked into entering the OMM (a 2 twenty-four lx minutes catamenia run a jeopardy race inwards mountainous terrain). Shortly afterwards that I had a super picayune introduction to orienteering every bit I was invited along to a casual gild event. It was a xxx infinitesimal urban score, which way you lot cause got xxx minutes to instruct every bit many controls (check betoken thingies) every bit you lot can, inwards whatever monastic tell you lot like. 

My girl (and OMM partner) wanted to suss out my navigation skills as well as I recollect she was quietly impressed every bit I navigated successfully around the course. She wasn't every bit impressed yesteryear my sense of humour, "What does that picayune dark-green cross mean?", "That's a pregnant bush". With pregnant bush to find, my novel beloved of orienteering was born as well as I ready nearly finding other events to enter. I spotted a two-day upshot inwards the Quantocks/Exmoor which described itself every bit "ideal preparation for the OMM". It also described itself every bit "not suitable for novices" but alongside my singular orienteering success behind me, I persuasion I'd survive merely fine.

Everyone hiding from the pelting earlier the start

Day 1 didn't laid about until lunchtime thus I had enough of fourth dimension to brand my way to Somerset. It made perfect sense to instruct via the novel Yeovil parkrun at Montacute House as well as pause upward the journeying alongside a 5k run. 

The identify itself is a marvelous sight (even inwards the rain) surrounded yesteryear spectacular ornamental pathways as well as courtyards. I entirely had fourth dimension for a picayune investigate earlier heading over to the laid about area. Disappointingly, you lot don't instruct to run through/around whatever of the interesting stuff; the class takes you lot on a picayune lap as well as and then a big lap of the grounds. The whole route is on grass as well as although it isn't hilly, running on soft grass certainly does sap the unloosen energy out of the legs! One of the best things  though nearly having a parkrun inwards the grounds of a National Trust holding is that the toilets were positively luxurious, what a treat!

You don't run through this...

...or this

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 glorious 25% route led upward through thick fog to a flagged automobile park. On whatever other twenty-four lx minutes catamenia I would survive wishing I was on my bike alongside hills similar that to play on, but non today, today I was excited for an orienteering adventure. Day 1 was a iii lx minutes grade upshot alongside 21 potential controls to handbag along the way. The whole matter was pretty much beingness run out of a van, as well as displayed inwards the window of the van was a version of the map without the controls. My pump sunk; the features were scarce as well as the contours were abundant. Being that my previous orienteering sense was on an urban map alongside rattling tardily roads as well as obvious paths to follow, this was definitely going to survive a fleck to a greater extent than err.. challenging!

I ready out keenly, jogging along an obvious path as well as yesteryear controls that were ready out for the kids. Just yesteryear 1 of the controls was a sign alongside a lamentable human face upward on it, I hoped that this wasn't some kind of hole-and-corner orienteering linguistic communication that meant 'don't instruct this way'. I headed across rough, gorse-covered moorland looking for my commencement control, I couldn't observe it. I ran around a few times as well as went dorsum to the path to instruct my bearings again. I could run across some other orienteer inwards the expanse but it looked similar he couldn't observe it either. Not beingness a patient type of character, I decided to ditch this 1 as well as endeavor to observe another.

The adjacent 1 was on a steep banking concern that led downward to a river. The entire banking concern was covered inwards ferns that were breast peak on me as well as endeavor every bit I might, I couldn't observe this 1 either. It was non a practiced start. I ran dorsum to the path as well as navigated around the border of the wood looking for a "significant tree" to locate my adjacent control. To survive honest, all the trees looked significant, it was a forest! By this point, 45 minutes had passed as well as I started to wonder if I would observe anything at all.

I delved into the wood proper, hoping that the river as well as some big tracks would Pb me to success. I was looking for a betoken where 2 paths met adjacent to the river. When I got there, I looked upward to where the command should be. It was upward rattling steep loma alongside no kind of path. I trudged upward rattling steadily, grabbing agree of trees every bit I struggled to proceed traction. Out of nowhere, in that location was a teeny platform alongside a command on it. I was thus elated to cause got genuinely constitute one, it had entirely taken an hour! After merely nearly managing to rest upright every bit I skidded dorsum downward the bank, I went on to cause got a mini string of success every bit I took some bearings, did things properly as well as baggsied some other 2 controls.

Description should survive "small rock", non "crag" #justsayin

From hither I entirely had a duet of choices. The scoring organisation meant that I could entirely instruct for controls that were of equal or greater value than my final control. I jogged along a practiced rails through the forest, making a beeline for a 30-pointer that was located yesteryear a "crag" on a steep banking concern adjacent to the path. According to the contours, the crag should survive around 10m lower than the path, tardily to spot, surely? I ran upward as well as downward looking for it, nothing. Exploring the steep banking concern was treacherous as well as I was falling all over the identify but I was absolutely determined to observe this one. Eventually (about xxx minutes afterwards I'd started looking) I spotted something grayness through the trees as well as savage over twice every bit I headed for it every bit I didn't desire to cause got my eyes off it for a second! It was absolutely not a crag. What is to a greater extent than amazing than genuinely finding it is the fact that mortal else came upon this tiny characteristic inwards the middle of a steep-sided, tree-filled banking concern to position it in that location inwards the commencement place!

Orienteering genuinely is a fleck bonkers; it's similar going on the most confusing trail run e'er crossed alongside a rattling hard treasure hunt. It's a truthful run a jeopardy sport, they cause got you lot going over all terrain regardless of how impassable it commencement appears. I failed to observe the 40-pointer I'd hoped to observe close the finish, arriving dorsum alongside enough of fourth dimension to spare as well as a novel constitute honour for orienteering.

Bring on Day 2!

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