 leepback | Posted: 25 May 2010, 10:46 PM [NZ Time] 
Had a Barry Crocker and my Garmin even decided to freeze. Bummer! |
| trudger | Posted: 26 May 2010, 12:10 AM [NZ Time]
The 2nd control on Medium Red should be entered in club annals as how to NOT set a control for a number of reasons. First: the area is heavily overgrown and would be better avoided as searching for a control flag in such an area is ridiculously disheartening and can do nothing to promote the sport (I seriously considered DNFing). Second: I am surprised that someone that complains of not being able to read the map detail would choose such a complicated area for a control site. Fortunately it was good sunny weather and not raining. Third: there is something wrong with the map in this area. What appears on the map is very difficult to relate to what one walks over on the ground. What looks like mounds on the map (open round circles) appears as deep pits on the ground and would be better marked with the pit symbol. In fact I think there is a whole second erosion gully system that doesn’t appear on the map. Fourth: some like to argue that placing control circles on a map is not an orienteering technical skill. Whilst cursing and trying to find this site I almost agreed with them for a while, except that I was pretty sure I had placed the centre of my control circle on the brown circle right beside the blue creek, just as it appeared on the master map. Fifth: I seriously doubt the control flag was in the correct spot and was more likely on one the brown dots (mounds) to the north of my control circle and hence out of the search area.
The only reason I found the site at all was because Dennis stumbled upon a flag on his second traverse of the area and let out a shriek of joy to advise everyone else that was stumbling around in the jungle.
A better control site would have been the tree root mound 100m to the north. That would have given people a route choice to contour around from the first control or take the track option and merely traverse the overgrown area, not search around in it.
|
| squeaky | Posted: 26 May 2010, 1:22 AM [NZ Time]
the control in question was the 7th on the long red with control 6 being in close proximity in the ditch across the creek and track. i thought it was a good control especially on the long red because it was challenging. the shortness of the leg made it tempting to point and hope or to get into the control circle and search which is the wrong approach for the type of control, technical with low visibility. with a good close attackpoint ie the track bend/ creek bend/ rocky ground and careful compass work the control was easy to hit. having said that i too missed it due to my sloppy compass work but was able to identify the small gullies to the northwest of the control as my catching feature, and come back into the control correctly. i can't vouch for the map accuracy beyond where i went but i thought it was accurate and correctly placed. i also visited this control twice, on a second training course with josh and glen (the short red) approaching from the medium control 1 not using the track. we overshot, hit the creek just above the small gullies and came back into it, and again the map seemed correct. |
| trudger | Posted: 26 May 2010, 2:14 AM [NZ Time]
Its a bingo control squeaky, some will find it, some won't. Those that find it will say "what's your problem" those that miss it can attack it twice and still not find it when looking within 10m of the major creekine, ie. centre of the circle. But yes, being so close to a line feature tempts one to parallel and look. I take your point that in such low visibilty a very accurate bearing from a nearby feature was the best way. Heck the rocks I found were so overgrown they were hardly visible, I wonder if they were the right rocks! So you didn't see any large washouts? (pits) If you had run into one they would have been over your head, but I'll be dammed if I can find any V's on the map. But pits on our maps are usually knee deep, perhaps that's why they don't appear *grin* there being no symbol for sinkholes. |
| trudger | Posted: 26 May 2010, 2:20 AM [NZ Time]
addendum: this map legend does have a symbol, black v for DEEP PIT |
| wetmit | Posted: 26 May 2010, 3:51 PM [NZ Time]
Enjoyed the medium red. Was happy with my approach to all the controls thought looking back I should have gone a different way for 4-5-6. Not sure whether 4-5 should have been a bit straighter like Graeme F, or the extreme east like Andrew H, or the extreme west on the road (but no one has logged that as their route!) 5-6 should have been more direct, though the path I took appears to be the most common route.
With the site for control 2 I was unsure of how to read the circle when drawing the course but on entering the area when running it became a bit clearer to me. I came from the track and did not go far enough across the creek at first but after turning east for a bit I spotted it behind me when I looked back to confirm the features around me. This was not an area I had looked at for a control when I set here last year as I kept the courses further west on the southern end of the map and used more to the north (including a bit not printed this time!) |
| leepback | Posted: 26 May 2010, 6:20 PM [NZ Time]
I had some trouble with No2 and couldn't actually tell the watercourse definition when I went in (seemed really wide) and didin't go in far enough. I also saw a very deep hole but it looked to be a dried up waterhole that may or may not have been on the map as Blue. (I was panicing and not reading anything that well at that stage)
Finally I went back out to track, made an actual positive attack point and went back in. Once I located the mound the control seemed to be displayed OK. Cant remember it being too hidden, just further in than I expected.
I then proceeded to very much blow the next control running into the forest section without a really good handle on where I was entering from. With a few unmapped newer tracks I got confused and ended up really South having to come back along the road and then did see the brocken fence and attacked from there.
Overall I didn't pay enough attewntion to my attack points on various sections and paid dearly for this oversight. I was needing to get away quickly (hence the early start) and the added 15 minutes or so was costly in that area as well making a fast car trip away necessary(and possibly a couple of km/hr over the limit).
I'm going to have a blinder at DK's score course in a couple of weeks time. Should be a hoot. |
| basilbrush | Posted: 27 May 2010, 6:32 PM [NZ Time]
When i can get my head back on straight i may be able to do a bit better than i have been. Too many things going on currently - but thats just an excuse. I still have a problem with veering off that really started to show its ugly head at wattle ridge. I think need a holiday!
See my 4-5 leg for an example of this in action (when i get around to uploading it).
Tried the long orange to pass the time (and got more lost than on medium red on 2-3) and so ended up traveling around 15km for the morning. After that was just too tired and hungry
As for my Med red control 2 (which seems to be a popular discussion point) I overshot it on the track and had to backtrack as i had chosen the wrong attack point. Luckily i heard someone cussing and was able readjust my line of approach.
Looking forward to the score course |
| cariar | Posted: 28 May 2010, 8:00 PM [NZ Time]
Had wanted to do the Medium Red but MessE and basilbrush nicely and politely told me not to so tail between my legs I reverted to Short. Interested to find later that several controls were common so pleased about that. It also made for interesting discussions with footprints. S-1 along track and down watercourse, rather than take longer around track route. I had decided that if I couldn't run the Medium I'd do a lot of cross country to make up for it as I'm not really interested in times at local events. Overshot a little but John L was parallel and he overshot and went back, I persevered and then he charged past spying it from above. Track to the much discussed/fabled #2 - just found it thick and high (for little people) and was just to the right of it. Sally-A there at same time also was a bonus but we were doing our own thing. I clearly found the mounds etc, knew where the w/c was so just went west. Got it so NW along w/c searching for a reasonable crossing point but had to go further than I would have liked;track then along dry ditch and then bearing to #3. Arrived at minor w/c a little south but 6 people were at the control so headed there. Long leg next so did small amount of track to get me across big, thick green stuff and then bearing "north" to track. Right on target so took track around to control. Army guys there, too. Mix of bush and track to #5. Track generally south east then unfortunate route choice to #6 via to shallow gully via dark thick stuff, car wreck and finally to control. Then uphill to rocky ground #7 via other bits of rock then headed for Finish. Really enjoyed the course - found it physical and challenging. Much happier with nav this week than for Sugarloaf and according to Leepback's philosophy I must have been faster this week as I didn't get any leeches. I think I might be immune now... ha ha.
Thanks Sir Arthur - really enjoyed it and it was good training for me at this time. |
| trudger | Posted: 28 May 2010, 9:33 PM [NZ Time]
can we have a discussion on course lengths sometime please. I thought they were meant to be measured along a reasonable route someone would take. My Gramin tells me I 'ran' 6.4km for the 4.6km course. But I admit the straight line distance is 4.6...... |
| basilbrush | Posted: 29 May 2010, 2:08 PM [NZ Time]
Both courses are now up cue my horror at my mistakes..
Trudger - thats my understanding the stated course length is 'as the crow flies' or the purple lines.
Cariar - oh dont listen to me what do i know  |
© Ruffneck Productions