Longshaw National

[EddieH]

We've had this before regarding King Penguin's comment.

There are ways of marking forbidden to cross features and compulsory crossing points. Simply stating it i the program is not enough - whatever anyone says not everyone reads it, and even if they do they may not remember.

If it is necessary for reasons of continuing access then it i VITAL to make it as clear as possible - and it is hard to think of any other reason why such a restriction would be necessary from KP's entry.

[Paul T]

Those who went straight had probably either not read the details or forgot this part in the heat of competition.

I will hold my hand up as one of the many who ran through the gap in that wall after #180, though I hadn't realised until it was just pointed out. The crossing came early in an easy leg where many people would not (should not?) be reading that level of detail. Though the bend in the connecting line is clear now, the overprint for the crossing point isn't and obviously wasn't at the time.
In my defence, it was a big gap, that wall was in the same state as the 6 or 7 we had previously crossed and, judging from the tracking either side, we were far from the first to make the mistake. It didn't feel wrong at the time and let's hope it caused no problem with the landowner. I'm happy to be DQ'd for my sin but would be even happier (and much less likely to do it next time) if :
- the overprint shows clearly what should not be crossed.
- the control descriptions also identify where crossing points have to be used.
- if people are likely to stray, then it is marked on the ground.
I did read the final details but mentioning things like this in ever bigger font won't help. The information we need to complete the course safely and legally should be on the things we carry with us.

Anyway, the event was really well put together in difficult conditions. Driving past the parking area in heavy sleet after the Saturday sprint, we half expected to be driving straight home on Sunday morning so well done DVO. I especially enjoyed the rocky slope from 110-186-180. This is a physical sport after all and if the ability to move through difficult ground like this can't occasionally be tested at a national event, then where? Because the navigation looked fairly easy, I chose to stay low and didn't lose any more time than normal to Roger

[OCM45]

Great event and a tough test, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Many thanks to DVO.

Like KP, I went to the marked crossing due South of 180 and reckon I lost more like a full minute (which meant Paul T overtook me by 30 secs! ). At the time, I thought I'd done fine on what was an easy leg but the splits show it was my worst leg of them all! That said, having looked closely, there is another crossing point to the NE leading to a helpful path and avoiding all of the extra climb I did. However as the line doesn't pass through the crossing point would it be a valid route?!

[IanD]

re. reading of details in advance and course 4.....
The details said where the red line is bent the crossing point it goes through is compulsory.
After 180 at the end of the rocky traverse on course 4 the line to the next control bent down to a gate in the wall by the side stream...

Furthermore, the map shows two crossing points, and although the red line only goes through one of them, I interpreted the presence of two as allowing a choice, and aimed for the higher one.

Now that you remind me of the precise wording of the details, maybe I did wrong? But if so, why was the second crossing point on the map?
Hadn't spotted the two previous posts when I added this, apologies for repeating the same point.

[King Penguin]

I hadn't even spotted the second crossing point which the line did not go through.
The gap in the wall that I saw people using was between the two crossing points.

[Gnitworp]

I'm happy to be DQ'd for my sin but would be even happier (and much less likely to do it next time) if :
- the overprint shows clearly what should not be crossed.
- the control descriptions also identify where crossing points have to be used.
- if people are likely to stray, then it is marked on the ground.

- a control is placed at the crossing point?

Fool/cheatproof?

[JennyJ]

On 186-180 I was one second slower than Quentin. I don't know which way he went, but again, having seen what the terrain was like, I changed my plan and climbed to the top. Jenny Johnson had been with me at 110 and had the same two legs; I gained 20s to on 110-186, when we both went the same way, but over a minute on 186-180 when she went low. So there was another option! According to the planner, on 186-180 the going right down by the road was actually OK, but it was difficult to see this from the map and it would be a brave orienteer who started this uphill leg by dropping four or five contours for some terrain that may or may not be good.

I actually went down from 110-186 too and think the planner is wrong - the felling near the road made it slow.
Also I ran (slowly but still ran) the taped route partly because my calves were so tight I thought they would seize up if I walked it and partly because it is not really in the spirit of orienteering to take a time out as a chance to rest and plan the later legs - that's why they are usually time limited time-outs. I figured the only reason this one wasn't time limited was because it was decided at the last minute.
I would have still made the wrong route choices 110-186-180 though!

Thanks to everyone involved, I really enjoyed the event. Must remember not to invite top-class orienteers to stay over for races in future!

[Vidalos]

Routegadget for Longshaw National now available on the DVO website , so lets see where you all went then !