checking all Rex's controls for the Vic Long Champs. It only took me 2 days.
As someone who won't be able to participate but can empathize - thank you ... both, on behalf of those that will.
Several issues: sore knee, rough country, big hills, continual fallen timber/ ribbon bark and lots of trips/slips (boots not very good in wet country). Otherwise l would have done more. Great views though.
Not really that keen on going too far into remote country on my lonesome.
I'd have thought VRA would have a policy that setters/vetters have to do so with a buddy! When is the rogaine? I'm a bit sad about not getting to do any 24s this year :(
If you want nice open intricate country, consider coming to the 2020 ARC.
Sounds good. Our event is on the 22 and 23 Sept - right before the Aus O champs. You could pop over for a warmup.
I think the VRA would prefer a buddy system, but seem quite short on volunteers. I always leave my intentions and check in afterwards.
The VRA has avoided biting the bullet on volunteer load for decades. So strong on tradition and weak on sensible innovation. Hash house for 6 hour events. Need I say more. As for field checking by oneself in the Strathbogies- not a good look for the organisation if you broke a leg. At the very least a VRA owned beacon such as the Garmin InReach with paid up subscription. That would enable the sending of an emergency beacon or in a lesser situation the exchange of text messages. And it can be set up to provide a GPS dot trail recorded on a web site. The cost- $700 up front plus the annual fee which is as similar sort of price.
I've got company for my next day in the bush, so all good.
I must suggest the Garmin InReach though.
I and many of my buddies have a personal locator beacon. I think it was only NZD400 and no ongoing fees except for a battery every x years. Its a no-brainer. I thought the system, and the devices, would be similar all round the world.
Yes there is a question of principle that we volunteers stand our own computers, software, mobile phones etc when once we would have claimed for photocopying and postage stamps. I put my foot down recently and am logging all the volunteer kms that I do, and claiming. It's not as if the contribution is evenly spread.
I own a simpler beacon (Spot), but I decided the flexibility of being able to send and receive messages as well as the laying of a 10 minute GPS trail on a web site means if anything really catastrophic happened I could be found even if I hadn't activated the beacon.
I'm thinking of getting a beacon (scared myself a bit riding on my own). Not as good (but better than nothing) where there's phone reception the life360 app works ok. We used it in the Grampians the other week for a bit of race tracking and I intend to use it (and check in/ out with people) when I go off places on my own.