Welcome to my digital orienteering map archive!

I ran straight again today to make it more interesting, but it was a mistake. It was crappy in a lot of places. I learnt from day 3 though, and at control 3 when everything looked a bit weird and didn't make sense, I trusted in my bearing, and hit the control.

Easy today. I ran straight to make it more interesting. Mostly OK but didn't check bearing properly out of 9, and straight to the second last one was the wrong decision.

Going well where there were features to navigate off. Missed number 3, didn't recognise the control on the path bend as being a path bend in the snow, then lost all confidence in the bearing I had taken, and thought I must be miles off. Same with 15. I need to have more confidence that I can do it.

Cold, so cold. Forgot gloves and neoprene socks. Wet snow everywhere. Too cold to move my hands, so I struggled in the latter parts. Got frostbite in the four bigger toes in my left foot, and my big toe on the right, and my thumb. Ouch!

Oh dear. Not good at all. One of those races where you put the wrong brain in in the morning, and what could have been a respectable run goes very badly wrong everywhere. Dehydrated. Very. When I finally get to a drinks point, I drink so much I forget to punch. It was typical of the overall performance. Ridiculous!

First ever first leg internationally. I think I enjoyed the experience. The area and planning reminded me of your average jk relay, not that that is necessarily a bad thing. Whole body pain from about half way onwards. 3 races in 3 days was a bit much with my level of current fitness.

Fun course. Long grass 1-6 was tough with an early start, but after that it was the fastest forest ever. Controls hung v high, and the only big mistake was 14 (2mins+). Tired on the hills at the end. Enjoyed it. The course was better than the original, but still pretty dull. Too many controls hung too high - many visible from 100m+ away.

This one is fun for me as I drew my route on during the weekend, and have only just got my gps, so it is interesting to see if I went where I thought. Twisted ankle half way to 2. Main mistakes at 7 and leaving 9.

1 - too high, didn't want to go down too far. 2 - too low. Didn't want to go up. 4 thought I was looking for a spur not a re-entrant. 8 got the direction out of the control wrong, then the green and rides wrong. Ugly! 14 - drifted right. 16, 17, 19 a bit ditzy.

Very tough going. Fun. Thanks Gramp.

I knew 9 was wrong, but it was hard to get around the grot. Got the map muddy coming off the track from 9 and after that it was a bit hard to see where I ought to be going.

Map bag would have helped. Must have been pretty near 4 but didn't see it. Didn't go anywhere near 8. There was a hole in the map at 20/23 so just had to run in the general direction and hope both times. Went 20-24-21 as I thought 24 was 21. Great fun. I am left handed, and though I use a left handed thumb compass and have my map in my left hand like most orienteers, I will naturally put out my left hand to catch myself if I am falling, which means that my maps get muddier than most people's. It is unusually muddy in Scotland just now, but I think I have to consider taking a map bag with me.

I think the GPS track is a bit off btw.