CROESO - What was your favourite day?

[freaky_phil]

Finally starting to dry out now, so what was your favourite day at this year's CROESO? All the days had great areas and were well planned but for me it was a toss up between Day 3 and Day 5, Day 3 as I thought my course was excellently planned and Day 5 as the area was technical yet very fast. I've plumped for Day 3, running through rivers of mud in the pouring rain on a superb area - doesn't get any better than that for me!

[Oldman]

It has to be Merthyr Common. Runnable but not too fast, with few line features allowing a drop in concentration.

[Mrs H]

I've voted for day 5 for the lovely setting, nice weather, good course etc. but i loved day 6 for all it's challenges - both from the weather and the terrain and i also thoroughly enjoyed day 4 being a total contrast and more my kind of area. - but it was all good actually.

[Gnitworp]

I've voted for Day 6 in spite of problems with the lack of contrast between the 'solid' yellow and the brown contours and form lines. Contours in the most runnable parts were the least readable. If the whole lot had been marked as 'rough open' the contours would have been much clearer, and it would have made a thoroughly challenging and enjoyable event even more so; one would have been able to 'flow' across the detailed areas rather than have to stop to scrutinise the detail.

As a matter of general principle, colours, paper and printing methods need to be considered to give maximum possible clarity of relief features whatever the ground cover.

[HOCOLITE]

I thought Merthyr Common was the only area where my course fitted the runnability as described in the program. Although day six was technical and challenging the map was a disappointment. I thought Pwl Du was not as good from this side as the side previously visited. I found day five disappointing as it was not really runnable, however day four was much better than expected and well planned by Paul. Clive had the worst job with the Blorrenge but with one exception I felt my course was very good for the terrain.

[Brian Hughes]

I thought all the areas and maps were of high quality, though I was totally incapable of running through the Blorenge terrain. Probably enjoyed Day 5 most, due to the sun and some long legs which I always love.
Brian

[Oldman]

I found day five disappointing as it was not really runnable.

I wonder where your course took you: I thought it was eminently runnable, even at my age!

[Barny of Blandford]

Thoroughly enjoyed all the week despite the weather. Found the Blorenge very heavy going and the least enjoyable area. Would like to visit Day 1 and Day 6 again especially when the weather is nice as that was my first visit to both areas.
The competition in my age group - M60 - was fantastic and very competitive which helped to make the week even better.

Most enjoyable was Day 5 - very fast and clean - very runnable (at least on my course) and could find everything on the map - thought the interpretation of boulder areas and rock areas was brilliant - well done mapper. Also well done to planner.
Thanks to everyone for an excellent week

All I need to do now is work out why my legs and brain did not work together and how I can improve

For the keen ones - do not forget the New Forest Long O on Sunday 7th September - details on SOC website. Good practice for 2009 British Championships Also full range of colour coded courses including black and red.

[housewife]

I enjoyed all days (didn't do the last day).

Day 2 was marred by two controls (6&7 on course 4) being in the most unimaginably tussocky s***e. Why do planners do this? Does anyone enjoy this? It marred what would have been a perfectly pleasant course. Same with the Scottish champs this year. That heather we were taken through was dull and depressing. They wouldn't have planned a course through head high nettles, so why plan it through head high tussocks. My sis did day 2 and didn't orienteer the rest of the week. We are supposed to be encouraging participation, but when controls are in areas of tussocks so miserable for all, it is really discouraging.

Something also seems to have gone a bit awry with the timings at the end of this course. Despite running cleanly from 9 to the finish, I dropped from a 10 sec lead at no 10, to 31 second behind at no 12. No 11 was not working for me, but was for the winner, Julia, who was given a split time for 11- 12 (about 150 metres) of 8 secs. The next fastest split was 37 secs. Can controls with SI slowly die so that they give wrong readings? All a bit confusing, but congrats to Julia who won after running well through the week.

The mapping on day 4 was the worst I have ever seen, especially bad was the 2nd last control no 183 - absolutely appalling - and those tracks marked as gulleys...

These are just some minor grumbles though. The week as a whole was excellent. The planning was good, the areas were good, the scenery was stunning and the welsh junior squad cakes were ace! Thanks for a great week guys!

[IanD]

Four great days, which I would be hard pushed to choose between. If pushed, I'd go for Day Five (Myndd y Garn). The day in the woods was OK, but not what I came to Wales for. The disappointment was Day Two, The Blorenge, with it's bingo control sites and seemingly random "mapping" of marsh and bracken.

Overall, a really good series, the best Croeso I can remember

[Oldman]

The mapping on day 4 was the worst I have ever seen, especially bad was the 2nd last control no 183 - absolutely appalling - and those tracks marked as gulleys...

Do you really mean the mapping? I had 183 too and thought it and the surrounding area well-mapped (but actually quite reasonable to be used as a control as well).

[redkite]

Thought all the days were great. Particularly enjoyed Merthyr Common and Mynydd y Garn. Both were tricky but very runnable.

Didn't run day 6 as organising, but the comments I received were all very positive. Hopefully we will be able to use the area when the sun shines. Even the farmer didn't seem to be upset at the state of his fields at the end of the day. We had great fun getting the last of the cars out of the area after 10 hours of heavy rain.

[Marky Mark]

Enjoyed them all, a great week.

[EddieH]

I can only be positive about it all. I possibly enjoyed day 5 the least, not because of the area the planning or the weather - simply because I felt knackered (though fine again on day 6). I managed to run up the tussocks on the Blorenge but really struggled on Mynydd y Garn.

Day 6 was great - just a pity that in the rain of days 3 and 6 the cloud remained stubbonly just above the area - they'd have been even better in the fog.

Major congratulations to such a small region for putting it all on.

[housewife]

I absolutley mean the mapping around control 183! The control was on a gulley, that was supposedly next to a ditch and another gulley. The gulleys both petered out to the north into dry ditches. I was too far north (I found out later) and I, and the 10 or so people also milling around, all agreed that there was only one dry ditch in the terrain. The control was placed on a very distinct (decidious / coniferous) vegetation boundary which was not on the map. Believe me, I went to have a look afterwards! I was soooooo hacked off at having paid £10 to run a race which had used such a b****cks map, and PUT A CONTROL on one of the worse parts of it!