Quantock Long-O Twenty-Four Hours 2

After an even out of existence highly amused past times my Day 1 garmin data and seeing only how much fourth dimension I spent looking unopen to for controls, I awoke educate in addition to raring to do ameliorate on Day 2. I would survive attempting the long trace of piece of job course, which was plainly 18.7kms in addition to involved finding the controls inward divulge order. I figured, fifty-fifty if I went fairly slowly, I'd likely survive looking at close iii hours. How incorrect I was.


The "start line" (... the stick) 
I  got off to a flight laid out in addition to was real chuffed amongst myself equally I navigated accurately in addition to rapidly to the outset 4 controls. Then it all went a flake wrong; I ran rapidly downwards a practiced wood path to a route in addition to over a span that led dorsum into the forest. I idea I'd examine to accept a short-cut to divulge v and, inward a 2d of madness, decided to clamber upwards what tin exclusively actually survive described equally a woodland cliff. There is a possibility that this was the worst determination I cause got e'er made. Once I'd begun, going dorsum downwards was also dangerous. Gripping whatever branch I could find, I clawed the soft ground, rarely avoiding handfuls of holly leaves in addition to brambles. I grabbed wildly at the trees equally I ascended, hugging the trunks for support. I arrived at the footpath, a sweaty, muddy mess in addition to asserted that from forthwith on, I would only stick to the paths.

I started heading for a path junction but my vertical journeying had left me a flake disoriented in addition to I was non just where I idea I was. I ran upwards in addition to downwards a few times trying to figure out what on earth I'd done incorrect earlier giving upwards in addition to going dorsum to the span I'd started from inward the outset place. One hour afterwards finding divulge 4, I made it to the full general vicinity of divulge 5. I made it at that spot only inward fourth dimension to come across a beau orienteer taking a his life into his ain hands equally he took a (pretty unsuccessful) short-cut across a ravine. Since I was all sensible now, I sacrificed the extra 80m in addition to went around.

One of the things that makes orienteering in addition to then challenging is the micro-navigation. I knew I was inside xx metres of the control, but I was inward the middle of thigh-high gorse in addition to was having a feel of sense of humour failure. H5N1 duo of blokes inward questionably-coloured lycra were my saviours equally they gave me a niggling moving ridge in addition to a nod, they'd works life it. I'm non actually certain what the etiquette is inward orienteering, in addition to whether or non this was the norm or if they were doing me a favour but either agency I was real relieved to teach past times this one.

After the v neglect I got dorsum on rail in addition to ticked off 6, seven in addition to 8 without whatever bother. It is worth noting however, that at divulge 8 I had been out for two hours in addition to ix minutes in addition to had travelled a grand full of close seven miles (with unopen to 1500ft of elevation gain). Number ix was a flake farther away in addition to I definitely chose a practiced route: a stunning wood path amongst glimpses of the valley below. The rail steepened in addition to I veered off left downwards a vague path. As I tried to transcend away on running downhill but kept belongings myself dorsum from gaining also much speed in addition to falling over, my human knee gave up. I slowed correct downwards in addition to limped to the bottom of the hill. I made it to the route in addition to tried to teach a jog on in i lawsuit to a greater extent than but it was no good, I had i real unhappy knee.

Conveniently, I came across a bench. I plonked myself down, tucked into a cereal bar in addition to idea close what I should do. As in addition to then many of the controls were farther out on the map, I decided it was fourth dimension to telephone telephone it a day, but idea I'd teach dorsum via ix anyway. It was a long slog upwards a colina in addition to when I got to the expanse where divulge ix was, I realised at that spot was absolutely no adventure equally it was going to remove some other death-defying descent on a dodgy knee. I opted instead for a tiresome plod dorsum to the start!

Despite appearances (i.e. Day 1 existence run out of a van in addition to the laid out trace of piece of job of Day two existence signified past times a stick), the organisation of this upshot was incredible in addition to the crusade that goes into it must survive enormous. I was hugely impressed past times the modest squad in addition to how smoothly the whole affair ran.

 My primary conclusion of the weekend is that orienteers are a dissimilar breed. Under the gaiters in addition to ronhills in addition to - some powerfulness state - slightly geeky exterior, they are a telephone commutation existence for whom marsh, gorse in addition to rivers are no obstacle. I idea I was a pretty adventurous type but it's going to accept some exercise to teach upwards to scratch! 

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