Dartmoor Long-O 2014
Last twelvemonth I entered an lawsuit that was completely beyond the limits of my full general orienteering ability. This year, the two-day lawsuit which is run jointly yesteryear clubs inwards the Quantocks together with Devon, was taking house inwards Dartmoor. Over the lastly twelvemonth it is condom to nation that I create got developed absolutely no farther navigational competence, but I was only downwardly the route on my holidays so it seemed similar a no-brainer.
I roped in/guilt-tripped a vaguely willing friend, Holly, on the proviso that it would live a actually fun lawsuit to produce equally a pair. On the origin day, Holly would live 2 weeks away from walking downwardly the aisle together with I was made to hope that at that spot would definitely live no leg breaking or whatever action that would effect inwards wearing a cast on her marriage ceremony day. I agreed to the hope 87% together with signed her up.
On arrival at the lawsuit HQ, I was recognised straight off from lastly year. Hopefully that was due to my highly memorable elevate rather than my memorably shoddy performance. I knew I'd picked the right partner when nosotros did our pre-event kit checks together with Holly, similar me, had brought along Jaffa Cakes equally her master copy nutrient source.
Despite a morning time of horrendous rain, Dartmoor greeted us amongst sunshine together with nosotros ambled joyfully to the start where nosotros critically observed the attire of our swain competitors whilst munching a Jaffa Cake. When nosotros reached the front end of the queue, nosotros picked upward a map (read: Holly grabbed the map together with wouldn't permit me deport on it for the remainder of the day) together with made a vague plan.
Day 1 is a marker event. You create got a certainly amount of fourth dimension to get together equally many controls equally you lot tin but your controls are non allowed to reject inwards value (i.e. you lot can't teach 1 worth 10 points later you've collected 1 worth 30). We headed for the nearest 10 to start us off. I tried to explicate how it is normally easier to stick to paths equally much equally possible but inwards all her enthusiasm, Holly fancied taking the direct route.
We headed directly into a hilly plain of ankle-turning tussocks together with whilst my long-legged gazelle partner leapt across airily I lost non only my basis but also, briefly, my feel of humour. It didn't lastly long, nosotros were inwards the vicinity of the control. At least, nosotros convinced ourselves together with each other that nosotros were. This ended upward beingness the subject of both days. Regular quotes included, "I experience that it is definitely here somewhere" together with "We must live right on it". We did non divulge the origin 10, so nosotros sacked it off together with headed South for a 30-pointer.
We were determined to locate the 30-pointer. Despite, again, beingness "right on it", nosotros spent xv minutes searching inwards a trench earlier I took a closer hold off at the map together with realised nosotros were likewise far westward yesteryear close 500m. We finally got ourselves inwards the right house together with inwards a bright stroke of luck, some other brace were inwards the same spot together with had but establish it for us. One hr together with 50 2 minutes in, nosotros had picked upward our origin control.
With 1 inwards the purse nosotros were on a roll, nosotros together with then STUCK TO THE PATHS together with establish the adjacent command amongst ease, together with then another. By this fourth dimension though nosotros were quite far S together with I was panicking close getting dorsum nether time. I create got made the fault of beingness tardily dorsum earlier together with when you lot are individual that doesn't marker real highly inwards the origin place, I know how embarrassing it is when your fourth dimension penalization puts you lot into minus points.
On reflection that evening, nosotros decided that our invention of ready on would live to movement a petty to a greater extent than slowly, together with examine to live a lot to a greater extent than accurate. This invention went incorrect from the start. After stopping to teach of import self-timer trig scream for photos, nosotros made a massive error. We establish a control, but it was the incorrect one. Then nosotros spent a teensy combat likewise long looking inwards alone the incorrect house for the right one.
The 3rd command evaded us for a curt while. I moved upward to high dry reason together with couldn't believe it, "I tin run into it! Right on the border of the marsh!". Holly took the knee, whipped out the monocular together with informed me I was looking at a sheep amongst an orangish pose out sprayed on it.
Thankfully it was some other glorious, sunny 24-hour interval inwards Dartmoor together with so nosotros didn't stress ourselves likewise much amongst the actual orienteering or actually whatever of the project inwards hand. If all nosotros achieved was a 24-hour interval inwards the fresh air, that would live okay. Mostly, that is what nosotros achieved.
The 4th command was a manned command scream for together with but equally nosotros arrived nosotros overheard the 2 blokes pondering close where nosotros mightiness be. We proudly announced our arrival together with they seemed real relieved that nosotros were safe. We had taken quite a long fourth dimension to teach there. After finding the adjacent control, which was nearby, nosotros decided nosotros had petty to no peril of successfully making it roughly earlier the cut-off. Instead of embarrassing ourselves trying, nosotros trekked back, via a pub for a quick cuppa.
The full general success charge per unit of measurement in all likelihood wasn't much higher than lastly year's attempt, but the added bonus of some fantabulous companionship together with some astoundingly bright Dartmoor conditions made the weekend real worthwhile.
Can't hold off to run into the organiser's faces when I become for 3rd fourth dimension lucky adjacent year.
I roped in/guilt-tripped a vaguely willing friend, Holly, on the proviso that it would live a actually fun lawsuit to produce equally a pair. On the origin day, Holly would live 2 weeks away from walking downwardly the aisle together with I was made to hope that at that spot would definitely live no leg breaking or whatever action that would effect inwards wearing a cast on her marriage ceremony day. I agreed to the hope 87% together with signed her up.
On arrival at the lawsuit HQ, I was recognised straight off from lastly year. Hopefully that was due to my highly memorable elevate rather than my memorably shoddy performance. I knew I'd picked the right partner when nosotros did our pre-event kit checks together with Holly, similar me, had brought along Jaffa Cakes equally her master copy nutrient source.
 |
| Tussocks produce a marvellous project of hiding enormous holes. |
Day 1 is a marker event. You create got a certainly amount of fourth dimension to get together equally many controls equally you lot tin but your controls are non allowed to reject inwards value (i.e. you lot can't teach 1 worth 10 points later you've collected 1 worth 30). We headed for the nearest 10 to start us off. I tried to explicate how it is normally easier to stick to paths equally much equally possible but inwards all her enthusiasm, Holly fancied taking the direct route.
We headed directly into a hilly plain of ankle-turning tussocks together with whilst my long-legged gazelle partner leapt across airily I lost non only my basis but also, briefly, my feel of humour. It didn't lastly long, nosotros were inwards the vicinity of the control. At least, nosotros convinced ourselves together with each other that nosotros were. This ended upward beingness the subject of both days. Regular quotes included, "I experience that it is definitely here somewhere" together with "We must live right on it". We did non divulge the origin 10, so nosotros sacked it off together with headed South for a 30-pointer.
 |
| Pretty certainly there's a command inwards at that spot somewhere. You go, Holly.. |
With 1 inwards the purse nosotros were on a roll, nosotros together with then STUCK TO THE PATHS together with establish the adjacent command amongst ease, together with then another. By this fourth dimension though nosotros were quite far S together with I was panicking close getting dorsum nether time. I create got made the fault of beingness tardily dorsum earlier together with when you lot are individual that doesn't marker real highly inwards the origin place, I know how embarrassing it is when your fourth dimension penalization puts you lot into minus points.
On reflection that evening, nosotros decided that our invention of ready on would live to movement a petty to a greater extent than slowly, together with examine to live a lot to a greater extent than accurate. This invention went incorrect from the start. After stopping to teach of import self-timer trig scream for photos, nosotros made a massive error. We establish a control, but it was the incorrect one. Then nosotros spent a teensy combat likewise long looking inwards alone the incorrect house for the right one.
 |
| "Yep. Definitely a sheep." |
Thankfully it was some other glorious, sunny 24-hour interval inwards Dartmoor together with so nosotros didn't stress ourselves likewise much amongst the actual orienteering or actually whatever of the project inwards hand. If all nosotros achieved was a 24-hour interval inwards the fresh air, that would live okay. Mostly, that is what nosotros achieved.
The 4th command was a manned command scream for together with but equally nosotros arrived nosotros overheard the 2 blokes pondering close where nosotros mightiness be. We proudly announced our arrival together with they seemed real relieved that nosotros were safe. We had taken quite a long fourth dimension to teach there. After finding the adjacent control, which was nearby, nosotros decided nosotros had petty to no peril of successfully making it roughly earlier the cut-off. Instead of embarrassing ourselves trying, nosotros trekked back, via a pub for a quick cuppa.
The full general success charge per unit of measurement in all likelihood wasn't much higher than lastly year's attempt, but the added bonus of some fantabulous companionship together with some astoundingly bright Dartmoor conditions made the weekend real worthwhile.
 |
| We were taking ourselves real seriously.. |
Can't hold off to run into the organiser's faces when I become for 3rd fourth dimension lucky adjacent year.
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