Route choice

[FatBoy]

less distance but more (some) climb.

there must be almost a whole 25 metres climb on peter b's route, it's not exactly ben nevis is it.

No but 25m is 25m. Effectively this is +10% on the course's climb. In my opinion (state of fitness?) then this outweighs the slightly shorter distance in this case. There's not much in it though I have to admit.

[Becks]

I must admit that after the mistake of going cross country to the first control (and losing a minute to dad on a 150m leg!) I was well put off doing it ever again, which is why I wouldn't have gone for Peter B's route!

[Dan]

but there is no real cross-country in peter b's route. the crash down through the white after the open areas is downhill and so it would have to be horrendous to slow you down much.

[FatBoy]

It wasn't nice around 7 so you were tempted straight back out to the path. The blue course control was further down the re-entrant so perhaps lead people on the blue closer to Peter B's route, although I still would have avoided the climb and turned downhill to meet the Becks route.

[Matt L]

I would definitely have done the Peter B-route. Maybe trying to cut the corner through the open area a bit more, the undergrowth can't be to bad in the winter.

I'm also with the Peter B route. As for cutting off the corner of the rough open. I tried that at the BSSC... horrible fir tree things... so better of going round.

[rocky]

i take it the dark green was totally impassable? since its downhill might be tempted to go due north and then plough through the tough stuff. shortest but i guess it depends on the vegetation.... not seen a bramble for quite a while!

[FatBoy]

i take it the dark green was totally impassable? since its downhill might be tempted to go due north and then plough through the tough stuff. shortest but i guess it depends on the vegetation.... not seen a bramble for quite a while!

Don't fancy that much. The middle greens were pretty rough - really close knit plantation. I'm guessing the dark green was worse!

Just been really sad and done some measuring:
Becks (+me): 2.10km
PeterB: 1.68km
Rocky: 1.53km
Straight: 1.27km

Looks on the face of it that perhaps the route I took was excess distance - more in it than I thought I have to say. At the speed I did the leg multiplied out the extra 420m took about 2:20 so would I have taken that much extra to do the climb and the couple of off track bits? Pretty close I'd say but maybe I'll have to eat my hat