Event (SL7 Olney SF - KB3 D1) 1:31:56 [4] ***
spiked:5/10c shoes: new black O
Unfortunately not many happy campers. Realistically, I did very poorly. The comments from many others were very unkind, both relating to the course and the map and the area and...
S-1 Down very steep track and aimed off from there at 2 very distinct wash aways before a clearing. Came across what I thought was the rock feature and then down to w/c. nothing on offer, searched and searched and went as far as the minor track which was to lead to #2. Still nothing. Back N again, nothing and several of us searching. Eventually delved deeper into the green to finally locate control. Realised then that the "w/c" we were searching along was a false one generated by flood rains previously. OKAY.
1-2 Back to minor track and into green, and almost overshot it (so revert to proper reading of mapping) but saw a mound and several people leaving it in a hurry.
2-3Bearing, noting minor track crossings, read feature well.
3-4 Bearing, around vegetation
4-5 Quick out to track, noted minor track and break in vegetation and nothing for it but into the "unknown"... and it was very unknown. Wasted too much time here aimlessly searching and not getting any reward. Thought to relocate by heading to minor track (which was the sensible AP and would normally have been my chosen path), but instead went back to track and tried again a little further N via the minor track. found it easily ... then.
5-6 Alongside w/c and a bit of a struggle through green.
6-7 Possibly best leg performance.
7-8 Around vegetation and a little off line but quite good.
8-9 S to track, then reading twists and turns of track and in i go. Kept persevering to edge. Good leg.
9-10 Back to track and climb and using bifurcation of track contoured around to w/c. thinking I'd dropped a little it didn't surprise me to have to climb. I could see Helen O'Callaghan climbing the w/c towards same goal. And we shared the effort and disappointment of not finding a flag at the rockface. Both of us disheartened and confused. Seeing vehicles further up w/c I realised I'd ended up on the branch ie the contouring had been too good, in fact I should have dropped not contoured. Down hill and I decided to drop into the w/c itself and go downstream... and woo hoo a flag but quite a scramble to get to it.
10-F Climb climb climb up to Finish.
I didn't end up with any passengers ie leeches, but others did.
I didn't love this and it was brutal but basically I did quite poorly. 25:35 behind winner and 10:58 behind 2nd. Will be a big ask to break into top 2. Need to stave off 4th and 5th.