Training Log Archive: Thraws

Last day, and I didn't think I could improve on my overall score so was going to jog. Couldn't be bothered to warm up at all on long walk to start. But after I picked up the map I felt rejuvenated. Went straight through marsh to 1 and was leftwards to 2 but quickly sorted myself out and got 3 to 8 pretty cleanly, which I was slightly amazed about as the area was so technical. Fluffed exit from 8 a bit but was at the road crossing in under 30 mins and felt I was making a pretty good fist of it. Tiredness had completely disappeared. Wandered off bearing going to 17 then got distracted by lost souls near 19 and wasted a bit of time here. 20 was the long leg and involved a complete change of terrain and therefore technique as the helpful contours mostly disappeared. Fortunately the veg mapping helped and I ran almost straight into the control, then got a tow to 21. Had no plan for long leg 22, got large marshes confused, and wasted time wandering round without a clue where I was tho knowing I was near. Strange sensation after a week of orienteering competence. Sort of gave up here even though I was OK through 23 and 24. Huge marsh and hill on way to 25 depressed spirits further, and I was uncharacteristically careless looking for control. Found the right gully but was higher up it than I thought and I got the wrong control. They were everywhere! Relocated on track bend twice, but still couldn't make the low hills fit the map and probably blew about 8 mins all told. Bloody disaster, within two controls of the end of the week and in full view of the tv camera. All the times were long, so the course had indeed been a more testing one. I enjoyed it, but it would have been much nicer to end on a higher note.

Bac an Eich from Strathconon. Dropped Lu off at campsite then drove round Inverness and Beauly to the hills, where the rain started. Was late getting going and knew day would be rushed and not that enjoyable. Made a rising traverse to end of summit ridge then climbed through crags onto the spur. Not a good route. Fierce south westerly and rain combined led to waterproof failure and I was glad just to tap trig point and bale off down northern slopes to lochan below. Then reverse ascent to car. Sustained by the prospect of a recce run for Fittleworth Five on Wednesday.

This wasn't the best run, but it was the best day. The weather was superb and the area was totally outstanding. I just wish I'd had fresher legs and could have done it justice. I was dropping even before the map exchange, which I thought was down to fatigue, but was probably down to the heat. It was intense right out of the start. I got 1 but missed 2 and quickly bailed out to the track to relocate. Simplified for 3 and 4 then got paths confused for 5 and was relieved to find it. As we moved northwards the dunes got bigger and it became apparent how it was possible to actually climb over 300 metres on a beach! Obviously it made the nav and route choices all much harder too. I just missed 6, 7 and 11 so resorted to tracks for 12, which was insanely difficult to visualise in the circle. I faffed quite a bit. I was more secure through to 15, slightly off for 16, and took to beach (wrong!) instead of path to map exchange at 17. When I picked up part 2 I couldn't believe how far there was to go and my spirits sagged. I got caught here though by someone who I then kept catching right to the finish, so that helped motivate. It was slightly easier technically as well in this busier part of the forest so the biggest battle was with my legs. The bit in the open was really gruelling. Could hardly stand, speak, walk at finish. What an event though.

Wasn't planning on trying so hard today as I was tired from the hills and this wasn't one of the dune areas. The start was a wretched place, where the rain poured down on a complete absence of shelter and I arrived about half an hour early. Then I picked up the map and went haring off down the track in the company of (actually leading) some proper orienteers and straight into 1. Spiked 2 to 6 as well and was hugely motivated to push on. Got a bit stuck in vegetation of the way to 7 but was sensible through the trickier 8 to 10. 11 was potentially problematic, but ran straight to it, and got 12 clean too, then muffed exit and had to climb back up though light green. There were tracks if you wanted them through the last 5 controls, but I got tired and tried to go straight when I probably shouldn't. And then had biggest miss at 18 when I inexcusably got too hills muddled up. Still it was only two or three minutes of mistakes overall, and I felt exhilarated by run again. Weather was dire though and it poured down pretty much all day.

Beinn a' Bha'ach Ard first, from the locked gate (on Wednesday mornings) at Inchmore. After Culligran power station tried to find the mapped stalkers track that cut the corner. But it didn't exist and I ended up fighting with dense bracken, deep heather and loose boulders, and cursing. Gave up on the burn route and went straight up the hill instead. Higher up the going was good and I was at the top an hour inside the guidebook time. Went back down over the NE tops and along the non-existent (again) stalkers path to the start.
Then drove the dozen or so miles to Glen Cannich for Sgorr na Diollaid. No sign of a path, so went up a sort of spur on easiest going which brought me out eventually on the western top. Great views of the Farrar Four from here. There was plenty of up and down between here and the rocky summit. Barely a sign of other walkers - no paths, cairns, litter, anything. Corbetts are such lonely places. Just made a beeline back through longer grass and was well inside schedule again. Time for chips and coke in Inverness.

Had looked forward to coming back here for six years. And it didn't disappoint. 2 was a long leg and I was conscious of running straight through bits that offered amazing control sites. We were back there later! Used tracks to avoid any rough open, but the white forest was mostly lush - some brashings. 3 to 7 was tricky but I slowed and was going real well, then never aimed off for 7 and went right instead of left. Relocated on 2 eventually. Took (wrong) track route to 8, then got into the essence of Culbin for 11 to 16, huge and complex isolated dune formations that offered easy-ish nav and great running on carpets of pine needles. Lost more time at 20 because the ride was 'invisible' and I overshot the flag by almost 100 metres. Was another lovely day in a great forest and I was pleased with my performance.

An almost perfect run, in spite of picking up the wrong map and having to go back to the start! I just used the map to get 1 and 2 without problems and thought 'I can do this'. I was probably helped by the late start and a lot of tracking up, but I was conscious of using the map to plan a route and then sticking to it. Was sometimes cautious, but confidence consequently remained high. Got very hot in the open area but had a bit of tow through the last four controls and was round pretty clean. Quickest time and best result of the week. Totally loved the flatness of the area.

Event: Scottish 6 Days
 

The first of six days of orienteering quite unlike anything I've ever done before, i.e. runnable forested sand dunes that if you saw while out on a walk you'd just want to orienteer on. Complex, fascinating, challenging and beautiful. Light rain was falling at the start and my right ankle hurt from wearing sandals, but once I'd picked up the map I was off. And simplifying as much as I could to keep the nav spot on. Went along the beach to 4 because I missed the obvious path but didn't overshoot much. Overshot 5 as well (scale was 1:75), but used path for 7 to 9. Was loving it! Stopped short a bit on long leg to 10, and almost lost contact near 11 then just saw flag! 13 was the killer control, a re-entrant in a huge maze of trench-deep dunes that I tried to run at on a bearing and obviously failed. Faffed around for a while and found wrong control, then sort of relocated on a path, tried again, and this time got lucky. Used map to find 14, then rain started pouring down. Lost a bit more time in Christmas trees round 17 in spite of being careful, but felt reasonably pleased with the start I'd got and was happy to be in top half of results, just! The rain wrecked the atmosphere, but that was a great way to spend a holiday morning.