Beaudesert

[Homer]

Did anybody put in an official protest?

I was very tempted.

As Neil says, I tried to approach from the east. On the map this looks the best way of getting around the rhodos. The problem was that the rhodos extended eastwards into the light green forest and there was no obvoius edge to them as suggested by the map. Once in the block of light green it was impossible to get to the control from the east. I spent all my wasted time to the east of the rhodos in the light green. There were various changes of vegetation in this area which it was possible to believe were the veg boundary on which the control was sited.

After eventually finding the control (on the third attack from the north) I was then able to leave it directly to the west, i.e. through what was marked as dark green on the map whereas the light green to the east of the control was impenetrable!

Some acknowledgement by the planner/controller of this issue would be appreciated.

[Spookster]

I approached from the south, and was already in the semi-open to the west of the rhodos by the time I worked out what was what. From there it was easy to approach and find the control from the north west. As Neil has said, at the control the rhodos to its west seemed quite small.

Some acknowledgement by the planner/controller of this issue would be appreciated.

I accept that the map needs modifying where the rhoddi’s had penetrated the wooded area and I will pass on the information to the mapper. I just hope it didn’t detract too much from the rest of your course.

No mention of the issue by the controller.

[buzz]

Control 151.... Did anybody put in an official protest?

I assume not as the results were published. Personally although I gave up searching after about 6 or 7 minutes but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the event which was excellent in every other way in my opinion.

I think your analysis is exactly right Neil - the competitors experience seems to depend on whether you attached from the West or the East. I tried to find the gap in the Rhodies to the south east and ended up on a very obvious veg boundary in the forest which I expect was to the east of the control. Some people suggested there were actually more Rhodies to the east of the control than to the west.

Did the planner and controller ever try to approach the contol from the South East? it did seem the safer route on the map to me given the Rhodies to the South and West.

[King Penguin]

Homer's description sounds exactly like my route.
There is a big patch of roddys extending into the light green which are completely unmapped. Approaching from the SE I thought these were those to the S of the control, so fought my way into them. When I eventually emerged into the light green beyond I had clearly gone too far and went NW to hit the track at the botton of the shallow reentrant W of it. Attacking the control from there was easy, but 4 - 5 minutes lost. The rhoddys on the map W and S of the control were almost non-existent on the ground and the big patch on the ground which I fought my way through are completely unmapped.

[distracted]

I accept that the map needs modifying where the rhoddi’s had penetrated the wooded area and I will pass on the information to the mapper. I just hope it didn’t detract too much from the rest of your course.

I don't understand. Surely this is something that you do before the event, not after it? Especially as the planner/controller would have been out in the forest and tested potential approach routes to controls for fairness, as part of the planning process...

[Big Jon]

Mapping rhodedendrons is always one of my favourite parts of field survey......... In some areas they can be nice clear distinct lumps but they are almost impossible to map if they are spreading low to the ground and with lots of gaps in them. I commiserate with the mapper, but would have hoped the planner and controller could have avoided dubious controls - though maybe they had no choice with positions of starts/routes through forest etc.

[graeme]

Not specific to Beaudesert - I was at a better event

Mapping rhodedendrons

How do you do it?

There seems to be two option. Either you try to mark every bush as fight (at best accurate for the first event) or you just lazily map the whole lot as light green.

The advantage with the former is you can tell whether its an area you can run quickly through between the bushes, or where you have to fight through the odd bit, or you need
to avoid altogether. The disadvantage with speckled green is that some idiot planner will stick a control in there, and the mapper will get the blame.

[Sunlit Forres]

The disadvantage with speckled green is that some idiot planner will stick a control in there, and the mapper will get the blame.

I take it by the term 'idiot planner' you mean somebody who would be idiotic enough to give up hours of their own time to plan an event knowing that there are pompous know-alls out there waiting to jump on their every mistake. Come on Graeme, you're better than that.

[graeme]

Er, no. I mean somebody who would put a control in a place where it can't be found using the map.

As for .. idiotic enough to give up hours of their own time to plan an event
That's a form of idiocy I suffer from in spades

And ... knowing that there are pompous know-alls out there waiting to jump on their every mistake ... I'm always happy to have my mistakes pointed out, that way I might not make them again .

Sorry if you read "I was at a better event" as a criticism of this specific planner, it was meant to be a joke. I assumed it was self-evident that Cannock Chase would give better orienteering than a rubbish tip and demolition site in central Edinburgh.

[geomorph]

Moving on.

on courses 9, 10 and others, the leg 205-227 (14-15 on 9) was the long leg.

Without looking at people's routes/times and within 10 seconds, tell us the route that which you think would be best and why
[url]http://www.walton-chasers.co.uk/gadget/cgi-bin/reitti.pl?act=map&id=41&kieli=[url]
( there were about 5 major routes with another 5 minor variations )

[graeme]

In 5 sec. Straight through the white
NW on big path
SW on little path
NW on path, then straight from where it crosses the line.

In 30 sec - realise this is wrong. Steve Nicholson has a maxim that you should never cross the red line - its always further than you think. I want to come in from the lake S of the flag, so I'll stay south the whole way: bearing early on, then pick up tracks and edge of open area, cross track and in.

Might cut of go round more or less depending on how nice the woods are.

(checks routegadget) OK, that's Colin Dickson's route, assuming the green looks unpleasant

[EddieH]

The route I instantly saw and almost certainly the one I'd take, (although all depends on the forest) is the one that on checking Colin Dickson took. I am glad that it is the fastest of those that have put up their routes with Neil C taking 2 seconds less for the same route.

[EddieH]

Oh no, on closer inspection Charlie Adams goes notably faster and much straighter - the forest must have been nice (or the paths a mudbath?)

[NeilC]

Oh no, on closer inspection Charlie Adams goes notably faster and much straighter - the forest must have been nice (or the paths a mudbath?)

Ah, but Charlie had had a ten minute rest earlier in the course.

[Spookster]

Ah, but Charlie had had a ten minute rest earlier in the course.

Ooh, you're evil! But it was only 8 minutes.

I reckon on that leg you start on the tracks/paths, but leave yourself the option of turning off into the forest, if when you get there it looks ok. The tracks weren't too muddy, but the forest was mostly fast, even the light green, so Charlie's straight(er) line route was good.