Northern Nights

[seabird]

A big big thank you to all those hardy South Ribble volunteers stood out in the most appalling weather last night.

Our journey to the event through countless previously non-existent fords was a fitting prelude to a race which was the ultimate test for waterproof maps.

Great fun sloshing around in the mud.

[rado]

Would echo those thanks to all the helpers last night. Everyone seemed remarkably cheerful despite the howling wind and at times driving rain.

A good little map that was probable best used as a night event with some testing little complex areas.

The couple of stream crossing I took extremely cautiously and I would not have wanted much more water in them..

Thanks to all

[Familytaxi driver]

Yes I really enjoyed it despite the conditions. Some semi epic rivers to be waded in the dark and all alone added a little xtra to the driving rain and wind. At least they helped to rinse some of the mud off.
Only when i reached the finish did I realise that it had actually stopped raining at some point during the past hour and a bit that I'd been out.
Cakes handed out at download were very welcome too.
Thanks to all the helpers and officials for being so cheerful on a truly wild night. Looking forward to the faces at work tomorrow when I tell them that yes I did still go out night orienteering despite the weather and yes I did enjoy it!

[Siani C]

Wow - what a wild night!

I didn't want to get out of the car but I'm glad that I did. Enjoyed my course apart from the stream crossing. I had a start time around 6pm and the initial stream crossing was interesting but OK. However, on the return leg I really struggled to get across - I wonder if the water level at risen significantly by that time. I'm 5'1" and slightly built and was really worried I was going to get washed away - took 12 minutes to find a place where I could jump across.

The little bag of cakes at the finish was much appreciated. Thank you South Ribble.

[rado]

The next river up the valley - the Wenning has an EA gauge on it and you can see that the height of the river was close to its all time high about when we were crossing those "streams"

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ho ... ionId=5072

[Familytaxi driver]

The river that we had to cross just before the finish had water height markers in - I was looking for a "good" place to cross + climb out the other side and saw 1 marker just showing above the water level - too submerged to see what numbers were there just a few black lines showing. I didn't take that as a good omen.
I waited until there were a few lights coming down towards me so at least someone would be aware I was there.....

[Zokko!]

Thanks to all the competitors for showing up and making it all worthwhile. It was a beautiful moonlit night tonight, if only.

You may be interested in the Controller's comments which have just been published. These tell some of the story from the organising team's point of view.

[Familytaxi driver]

Quentin's comments make good points about carrying a spare torch + a red flashing LED. I lent my spare hand torch to someone who's headtorch failed so they could get back to the finish. That left me with no back up light for myself.
I also wondered how far a whistle distress signal would have carried in the wind. Red flashing distress light makes more sense in the dark.
I wasn't intimidated by the river crossings just wary - did curse a bit though with the 1st crossing being between controls 1 +2. Instant soaked feet + legs.

[seabird]

Likewise I had to give up my back up spare torch to another competitor whose light had failed.

Being the last starter - and slow - I was on my own for all the stream crossings.
Although the streams were very noisy I never got in deeper than lower calf height when crossing. Much lower than the fierce wide and deep rivers we had to cross 3 times on Day 2 of last years OMM,

The rivers definitely seemed higher on our return trip to West Yorkshire. High up just east of Bentham on the B Road we topped one rise and immediately descended at speed into a flood which sent a mighty wall of water up and crashing over the car.

Only saw one vehicle defeated by the water, however.