Fairly low expectations entering Elite; terrain definitely not suited to me but aimed to be very careful on everything.
1 and 2 fine, fairly straight, definitely needed magnifier to see any detail on 1:15k map.
3 first instance of pretty poor ride mapping (I don't often complain about maps, but these rides were mapped with a distinct veg boundary at either side. It should be impossible to cross one without noticing!).I was pretty sure I was on one 2-3, but retrospectively garmin tells me I definitely wasn't. If I'd known this I'd have made a better decision later in the course [#25]. So came out not where expected but relocated pretty well and found 3,4,5 ok. Caught a glimpse of Scott who started 6 mins before me on 6, but then lost a bit of time being on the crag slightly W; again relocated pretty well and 7 fine.
Not a great route to 8 going round; straight seems to have been better. 9,10 ok. 11 slow because missed path option!
re-Caught Tim Beale at 10 who started 6 mins after me and must have passed me on dodgy route to 8. Different routes to 12 but arrived at the same time; he was slightly faster but think my route was better. Together to 15 where we caught Scott and then the three of us together on the long leg to 17 where I led them in. Clearly full of misplaced confidence in my ability they followed to to 18 which I missed and they both got ahead - ignored the map at this point and sprinted to get back to them. Dropped Scott to 19 and got to 20 at the same time as Tim, although different route again.
Ate an energy gel walking up the ludicrously steep hill.
Got away from Tim to 21; went above the crags and he went below. Then didn't see them 22,23,24 so feeling really good about dropping them and about the course in general thus far; knew it was going to be nowhere near the leaders but in the very physical terrain and the massively long distance, happy I was coping.
Then disaster...
2km leg to 25, had 1.5km to pick attack point, chose ride to the N since it was slightly shorter. Very bad choice given ride experience earlier! Unsurprising I'd forgotten since that was probably about an hour and a half ago at that point. Totally missed ride, decided to go into forest anyway since I'd gone pretty far and assumed I'd missed it, saw some rocks and stuff and assumed they weren't mapped [should have tried harder to match these up since they are clearly on the map and would've helped a lot!] then came out on obvious path to E but assumed it was ride to W. I can only assume this was due to exhaustion since it would have been scandalous for this massive obvious thing to be mapped as a ride and the one earlier to not have been - but anyway. Messed about for ages and eventually worked out what I'd done.
Then very annoyed at this point and messed up 26 as well - mainly because AGAIN didn't notice crossing one of these mythical rides! So ended up going via 2. 27 easy on obvious veg boundary. 28 bit of a bingo control on a tiny crag not close to anything, so a bit of miss there too.
29 on a veg boundary that was impossible to follow, but they did have the grace to map it as indistinct this time.
Finished 16th/24 - with 8 retirements, so effectively last finisher, although I was beating each of them when they retired so totally counting them. The fact that one-third of the entrants retired says quite a lot about the terrain and nature of the course - I ran 18.5km and much of that was through heather/bilberry/brashings.
Given others have complained about the rides as well, not too upset with orienteering ability on this occasion. Hope for an area better suited to me next year!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/511503782