Orienteering race 1:16:08 [4] 11.0 km (6:55 / km) +310m 6:04 / km
shoes: xTalon
Glendoo Ridge, Brown
Enjoyed this, good map, good course, navigated fairly confidently apart from #11 and kept a reasonable pace until the descent from #21. Got caught by Hugh at #11 and was behind until he went wayward at #16, which proved I was not following! Hugh got away from me once we reached the steeper descent towards #21. Disappointing that the circles were not cut. They hid a lot of detail.
#1 Along path past stream and down through wood to ride. Hesitated wonder could I be too far east? But thought unlikely so went east and got it.
#2 Straight and hit it bang on. Kite was visible from far.
#3 Quickest split Followed contour, kept below couple of peat banks, across the marsh and up to control.
#4 Quickest split again by a reasonable margin. I didn't go straight but went round all the peat banks via the 2 water holes.
Was actually leading at this stage!
#5 Was careful from #5 to #9 and was relatively slow compared to others through this section. Of the 5, I could have been tidier at all but #7
#10 Was worried about this one! Did OK, felt I may have been low and hit gully 2 contours below.
#11 the only bad one with 3 minutes dropped and would have been more if Hugh hadn't come along. I navigated away from 10 too low and was always one peat cutting too low and then lost contact. I was working my way back uphill when Hugh came and I reluctantly went in and punched.
#12 Followed Hugh down, but feature was between 2 long peat cuttings.
#13 interesting one because I did not follow Hugh and we had 2 quickest splits! Hugh went left of straight, down into valley, loosing height. I went round the head of valley.
#14 a bit of an uphill slog. Hugh was still in view, but he got slowed up in rough ground which I avoided, so clawed back a bit of time.
#15 Hugh popped up from depression as I was leaving #14 so nailed this one! I had my bearing ready though!
#16 Got past Hugh as first he was left and once we rounded a turf cutting he took a line too far north.
#17 Straight
#18 Was slightly right, picked up 2 gulleys and then could see control. Hugh was closing in fast!
#19 I was slower here and Hugh got ahead
#20 Hugh to his waist in bog hole! Why he went in that direction......Punched ahead
#21 Follow line of stream down. Hugh pulled comfortably pulled away once we hit the steeper terrain.
#22 Struggled to find descent route through quarry. Probably should have gone round. Wood was dark!! and combined with sweat and contact lens, I struggled with vision.
#23-finish No issue, just tried to stay on my feet with all the trip hazards and fuzzy vision!