Discussion: Anza-Borrego O Fest
in: Orienteering; General
Jan 17, 2006 12:16 AM
#
PG:
It was a very cool weekend of events in the southern California desert east of San Diego. I've posted my routes and comments. Fantastic terrain.
Jan 17, 2006 1:36 AM
#
It was a great weekend--one of the most unusual places that I've ever orienteerered. Thank you to everyone who made it possible.
Jan 17, 2006 1:48 AM
#
Jan 17, 2006 2:03 AM
#
Check out a short video of Clem on the run in from Sunday afternoon's maze orienteering. You can see it here:
http://okansas.blogspot.com/2006/01/some-video-fro...
http://okansas.blogspot.com/2006/01/some-video-fro...
Jan 17, 2006 7:59 AM
#
The Sprint is now available on BAOC's RouteGadget. Visit http://baoc.org/wiki/RouteGadget for introduction or go directly to http://baoc.org/gadget/cgi/reitti.cgi to draw your route.
Since there was no e-punch, I used the 'No Results' mode where competitors need to enter their name, total time, and any splits that they might have taken.
So, you can draw your route even if you didn't take any splits, just enter your name and total time. If you took splits but missed some, enter the ones you have and RouteGadget will average out any of the missing ones. Of course, more splits you have, the more accurate the animation will be.
Note that RouteGadget requires CUMULATIVE splits. Both splits and total time need to be in mmmss format. For example, 0:57 is entered as 57, 5min43s as 543, and 1hr12min32s as 7232. That's easy.
Since there was no e-punch, I used the 'No Results' mode where competitors need to enter their name, total time, and any splits that they might have taken.
So, you can draw your route even if you didn't take any splits, just enter your name and total time. If you took splits but missed some, enter the ones you have and RouteGadget will average out any of the missing ones. Of course, more splits you have, the more accurate the animation will be.
Note that RouteGadget requires CUMULATIVE splits. Both splits and total time need to be in mmmss format. For example, 0:57 is entered as 57, 5min43s as 543, and 1hr12min32s as 7232. That's easy.
Jan 18, 2006 5:35 AM
#
First route drawn! Take a look at
http://baoc.org/gadget/cgi/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=4...
Note that even if you didn't take any splits, you still need to enter your total time.
http://baoc.org/gadget/cgi/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=4...
Note that even if you didn't take any splits, you still need to enter your total time.
Jan 21, 2006 8:59 PM
#
Can't work out this area - it looks fantastic. Was it open or wooded?
Presumably the maze o was around natural rock 'blocks'?
Presumably the maze o was around natural rock 'blocks'?
Jan 21, 2006 10:05 PM
#
I have added
The Maze-O
to the RouteGadget. That one should be most interesting to watch. Just enter your routs.
Jan
The Maze-O
to the RouteGadget. That one should be most interesting to watch. Just enter your routs.
Jan
Jan 21, 2006 11:39 PM
#
It was pretty much open with scattered spiny things to avoid at all costs!
Jan 22, 2006 7:05 PM
#
Jeffw's comment pretty much sums it up... but here are a few more details.
On Day 1 route choice was key because going over steep contours was typically very slow even when passable since the ground was sandy with lots of small rocks (particularly on #2 and #7). Therefore reading the map well and choosing an appropriate route was important. On the last few red controls, it switched to a terrain more similar to day 2... flatter, more runnable, more spiny things. The challenge on day 2 was to run across a half km of desert and then hit a control accurately when you got into the more technical areas near the control circle. It was easy to make a 3 min+ error just around the control circle if you approached without a careful attack. At the same time, when paying attention and reading carefully, you could get in and out of controls quickly and confidently. I also found that it took a lot of concentration to maintain running speed even when you knew exactly where you were headed because of the rocky/sandy ground and the cacti.
The maze-o was fun and novel...but not the kind-of terrain you could safely put a more standard race in because it was important not to feel time pressure to take too many risks when scampering around. It was amazing to be on one very very skinny ridge and look out and see an orienteer on each of the next three parallel ridges (running, looking at a map, or on hands and knees for balance) and beyond them an expanse of desert and then mountains. I enjoyed just walking around the map exploring the crazy terrain... and not being too concerned about finding the markers efficiently. Definately an unforgettable place.
On Day 1 route choice was key because going over steep contours was typically very slow even when passable since the ground was sandy with lots of small rocks (particularly on #2 and #7). Therefore reading the map well and choosing an appropriate route was important. On the last few red controls, it switched to a terrain more similar to day 2... flatter, more runnable, more spiny things. The challenge on day 2 was to run across a half km of desert and then hit a control accurately when you got into the more technical areas near the control circle. It was easy to make a 3 min+ error just around the control circle if you approached without a careful attack. At the same time, when paying attention and reading carefully, you could get in and out of controls quickly and confidently. I also found that it took a lot of concentration to maintain running speed even when you knew exactly where you were headed because of the rocky/sandy ground and the cacti.
The maze-o was fun and novel...but not the kind-of terrain you could safely put a more standard race in because it was important not to feel time pressure to take too many risks when scampering around. It was amazing to be on one very very skinny ridge and look out and see an orienteer on each of the next three parallel ridges (running, looking at a map, or on hands and knees for balance) and beyond them an expanse of desert and then mountains. I enjoyed just walking around the map exploring the crazy terrain... and not being too concerned about finding the markers efficiently. Definately an unforgettable place.
Jan 24, 2006 4:48 PM
#
The Sprint was moved from BAOC's RouteGadget to SDO's one, together with all the other Anza Borrego events. To draw your route go to
http://www.5z.com/urban/gadget/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi
http://www.5z.com/urban/gadget/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi
Jan 10, 2007 5:23 AM
#
This is what I have to say about the weather:
:-(
I was looking forward to post-run, changing into my cutoffs and T-shirt, sitting in the shade of Peg Davis' car, and eating crumb-topped apple pie.
:-(
I was looking forward to post-run, changing into my cutoffs and T-shirt, sitting in the shade of Peg Davis' car, and eating crumb-topped apple pie.
Jan 11, 2007 10:43 PM
#
Wanted to relay a message from Rex Winterbottom, (whose organizing the Saturday afternoon sprint) He's looking for a couple people to help with starts and finishes. It's a US team fundraiser, so people associated with the team are particularly encouraged to help. We're getting to the event saturday morning, you can talk to him about it then.
This discussion thread is closed.