Saunders MM

[ba-ba]

Is this weekend, taking in the north-east of the lakes.
The event centre is in Wet Sleddale, near Shap, and where Withnail and I was filmed. Needless to say my partner will be sick to death of me quoting it by the overnight camp (even if beer is on sale there!), but will there be farsical tent-swapping scenes as everyone tries to escape uncle monty?!

The Klets class is looking tasty with a few recogniable names on the start list - Rhys FR, Ed Catmur.

I'm on the Kirkfell class with an MM virgin, hoping not to get embarrased too much by junoirs and vets.

Just hoping for some lakeland rain now...

"We want the finest wines available to humanity. And we want them here, and we want them now! "

[deebee]

Looks like your prayers could be answered, we've had one day of rain (in the last two months) this week with another one forecast for Sunday plus showers on Friday. It'll keep the dust down

[Scott]

Awesome weekend. My knackered legs from last weekend aside, conditions on Saturday made it all a bit too easy, but today was a proper test.

There were the usual Saunders grumbles about creative grid references and "interesting" control descriptions - despite having eventually found the thing, I'm still none the wiser as to what a "bield" actually is - but all-in-all a very enjoyable weekend. Huge thanks to all involved for an excellent event (and especially to the poor souls tasked with marshalling control 160 in the midst of a small hurricane today).

[mharky]

a type of bothy

[Scott]

Thanks! It turned out to be a small length of stone wall, 3ft high by about 15ft long with a little kink in one end, and we were trying to figure out its purpose - if it was a bothy, presumably it used to be in slightly better repair.

[mharky]

aye, i think it's more on the shelter side of things than an actual hut...

The flaunting flow'rs our gardens yield,
High shelt'ring woods and wa's maun shield;
But thou, beneath the random bield
O' clod or stane,
Adorns the histie stibble-field,
Unseen, alane

-Burns

[Tatty]

Most impressive Mharky

[RJ]

....... I'm still none the wiser as to what a "bield" actually is - .....

They are just short stone walls of various shapes and sizes and were designed to provide shelter for the sheep on the fells. The whole of the Lake District are littered with the things. Many of our maps have dozens of them on. They make excellent control sites, particularly when they are in poor condition and in the middle of a reed patch of in bracken!!

[LostAgain]

2 contrasting days!!
Thankfully overnight camp was dry a reasonable.

Day 2 was a true test of navigation and determination.

I felt sorry for the later finshers (>17.00) on day 1 who found that Wilfs (Scotts) had packed up and gone. This did not feel right. If you advertise milk and beer available to purchase at overnight camp then surely it should be available to all who finish before courses closed at 20.00.

For some 17.00 could have been only 7hrs running, Klets, Scafell and Bowfell, this is still a respectable time!!

Maybe next year they could put in the details that Milk and Beer will be available for only the early finishers?

[DaveK]

I felt sorry for the later finshers (>17.00) on day 1 who found that Wilfs (Scotts) had packed up and gone. This did not feel right. If you advertise milk and beer available to purchase at overnight camp then surely it should be available to all who finish before courses closed at 20.00.

Yes, this was a shame - perhaps a voucher system for the milk/beer could work - purchased at reception and presented at the mid camp?

[LostAgain]

Yes, this was a shame - perhaps a voucher system for the milk/beer could work - purchased at reception and presented at the mid camp?

This is a good idea, would allow the vendor to have sufficient for all and if not claimed, no risk as they had already received payment.

Where there's a will there's a way!

[Copepod]

Agreed, milk, beer etc should have been available for all who finished while courses were still open.
Having said that, I'm usually marshalling on MMs, so was so glad to be competing, allowing me beer & milk on Sat night and running rather than sitting somewhere getting very wet on Sunday! I often get back to start / finish after Wilf's stops serving food.
"Borrowing" my brother in law (who drives) from my sister and his daughters / my nieces and Laser Comp tent from my partner who usually competes in more elite courses, but was at Cliffhanger / D&W in Sheffield instead, was a great combination.

[ba-ba]

cracking weekend. My partner suffered a little bit on the first day and we missed the chasing start, a much better 2nd day though when the clag came down saw us with the 2nd fastest time of the day, I must say I enjoyed the rain and wind more than the sun
I did feel sorry for the klets staggering in at 7 with no beer/milk
Someone said that marsbars/sandwiches were on sale at overnight - was this true? If it was it's not quite right - liquids I can understand as it's the summer, but food removes self-survival aspect

[LostAgain]

Someone said that marsbars/sandwiches were on sale at overnight - was this true? If it was it's not quite right - liquids I can understand as it's the summer, but food removes self-survival aspect

Yes, baps and other food was available, but sold out very fast. This was certainly not the case last year, so I do not know why they changed it this year. Not something to be relied upon. However neither is milk etc for the later finishers