"Impassable" veg at the British Sprints

[greywolf]

Thought I ought to have a look at the final details for BSC... maybe it's my aging eyes, or a glitch in the pdf maker, but the apparently "forbidden to cross" green

BSC FD.jpg (40.74 KiB) Viewed 26569 times

looks closer to 410 Vegetation very difficult to run than 421 Impassable vegetation

ISSOM 2007.jpg (135.24 KiB) Viewed 26544 times

Hope it's the right colour on the maps!

[DM]

Looks half way between to me which would add more doubt for me if I was going. If there's a key you'll have something to refer to, if not you'll be relying on memory of what you saw on screen or printed in final details.

It could also be connected to your screen. Unless the screen has been calibrated for accurate colour rendition, you may not see what was intended, assuming that's right of course.

Given a choice of fighting through deep vegetation and easier ground I know which I would take.

[buzz]

Well the dark green, olive green and yellow all look the same to me - I had to get the kids to tell me which was which. Usually the dark green stands out and occasionally olive green and yellow look different - it all depends on the printing. Hopefully the planners won't be using olive green as a 'trap' like last year. If they do and I get DQd I might appeal - it's time something was done about map colours.

[roadrunner]

FWIW, looks the same on my PC as well - but the olive green also looks a bit different from the printed version, so that may just be the PC screen or PDF file.

The old (2006 and 2010) maps of the area don't seem to use the "forbidden" green/black at all, but I see that SMOC's 2015 map (of a different area of MK) uses both that and the "fight" green, so I'd hope that the new map will be correct. I can't see that a route through "fight" would ever be a good choice in a sprint event; the biggest risk is if there's a just-passable gap, which would result in a DQ if that feature was actually forbidden to cross.

[NeilC]

Given a choice of fighting through deep vegetation and easier ground I know which I would take.

I can't see that a route through "fight" would ever be a good choice in a sprint event

We regularly encounter hedges that one can easily force yourself through - and save significant time. These are excellent examples which may need to be forbidden to cross to prevent damage. It's easy to say don't plan legs that might tempt a competitor to cross such a feature, since sometimes you have to rely on such features to provide good navigational challenges. Clear taping and signage are helpful in such circumstances but sometimes a marshall is required to prevent transgression (not to catch trangressors).

[roadrunner]

Given a choice of fighting through deep vegetation and easier ground I know which I would take.

I can't see that a route through "fight" would ever be a good choice in a sprint event

We regularly encounter hedges that one can easily force yourself through - and save significant time. These are excellent examples which may need to be forbidden to cross to prevent damage. It's easy to say don't plan legs that might tempt a competitor to cross such a feature, since sometimes you have to rely on such features to provide good navigational challenges. Clear taping and signage are helpful in such circumstances but sometimes a marshall is required to prevent transgression (not to catch trangressors).

That was what I was alluding to just after the sentence you quoted:

the biggest risk is if there's a just-passable gap...

and I agree, it's best to tape/marshal such places, although it may be sometimes be impractical. (By the way, is it allowed for marshals to tell people not to go through?)

[GML]

I can confirm that there is a key to 'Forbidden access' symbols printed on the maps and that the Impassable Vegetation on the printed maps is darker than it appears in the Final Details.

[DM]

Neil

I wasn't referring to hedges which I agree might be tempting to some if there is a gap or hedge is low and jumpable (seen it done and reported the runner)

I was referring more to a wide/deep band of something like rhododendrons that can be tricky to get through. I think many would take easier ground and keep moving.

I've also seen people reach across olive green to punch controls and then say it was ok because they didn't cross the area.

[canol]

Well I'm not going this year for a number of reasons but the main ones being frustrated about the cheating that goes on and failure of officials to act when numbers are reported. In one instance last year I was so ....frustrated... that I caught up with the infringer, ripped their number off and handed it in to download. As a result I got disqualified.

[buzz]

Well I'm not going this year for a number of reasons but the main ones being frustrated about the cheating that goes on and failure of officials to act when numbers are reported. In one instance last year I was so ....frustrated... that I caught up with the infringer, ripped their number off and handed it in to download. As a result I got disqualified.

I've heard of road rage before, but never O' Rage! I'm surprised you didn't get banned for life!

[greywolf]

I can confirm that there is a key to 'Forbidden access' symbols printed on the maps and that the Impassable Vegetation on the printed maps is darker than it appears in the Final Details.

Thanks - the key might be helpful for those who don't know the symbols but getting the colours right on the map is the important thing

[canol]

I've heard of road rage before, but never O' Rage! I'm surprised you didn't get banned for life![/quote]

Yes but I feel so much better now I am taking the tablets!

[andypat]

I've heard of road rage before, but never O' Rage! I'm surprised you didn't get banned for life!

Yes but I feel so much better now I am taking the tablets![/quote]

Agree its frustrating when people break the rules but yeah - I'd have banned you for longer also. I can remember at least two specific occasions when grumpy older (and I'm nearly 50) orienteers (one male and one female) screamed at me for jumping over a fence or a wall on both occasions which were mapped as crossable and perfectly legal to cross.

I have to say if either of them had tried to impede me or rip off my number they wouldn't have needed disqualifying

If you do see someone cheating just remember their number if you feel that strongly about it.