JFTDWS
+++ Out of Cheese Error +++
Well it wasn’t the smoothest start, with SWC having issues getting Saf on her trailer, and me having trouble getting into the parking field (it was jammed!), but it was such a lovely day it would’ve taken a lot to drag us down. POR is the orienteering phase, so we headed off to the map room to copy down our route. I may have excelled myself at this point by getting very, very confused...
I copied my route down carefully and was presented with a load of grid refs and questions (“What’s on the roof at XXXX, XXXX?) which invoked a sizeable meltdown in my mind, repeating “how the devil am I meant to know what’s on the roof – it’s not marked on the map is it?!”. I think the steward was distinctly concerned about the likelihood of our making it back in one piece at this point
It wasn’t till a good while later I worked out that I just needed to plot the grid refs and remember to answer the questions on my way round!
It didn’t improve dramatically from that point either. I went into my trademark “post map room disorientation mode” and led us out in totally the wrong direction. We spent a good five to ten minutes ignoring my compass which was telling me north was south(!) while I repeated “I don’t think this is the right way… but it must be” to no avail. Finally we engaged our brains, trotted back past the map room (trying to dodge being seen in our embarrassment!) and set off at speed to make up for lost time… Oh the shame!
From here on in, my map reading improved dramatically, and we cheered every time we passed a marked house of the correct name
That is, until we hit the check point where they took away our maps and asked us to navigate by bearings. The bearings I can do, but judging distance I am not so great at, so it would be fair to say we went very, very wrong here! However, we made it back to the check point to retrieve our maps and carry on. I really need to work on counting strides and doing bearings
However, from this point things largely improved – no more navigational errors or dramas of any note. In fact, I excelled myself at one point by yelling, mid canter, to SWC “we’re gonna have a sharp left in a sec” before turning straight into a hidden check point at speed, much to the amusement of the steward! Think we were probably a little fast the rest of the way, but there were some lovely tracks and plenty of opportunity for nice canters so we were pre-occupied enjoying ourselves!
After the (rather dismal!) bearings section, we weren’t going to be competitive anyway, so it was more an educational experience for both of us. And fun of course
Fergs and Saf were both lovely and very well mannered, which was lovely.
Fergs posing by the stocks, determined that he didn’t deserve to go in them!
Saf posing by some kind of ice hut (I think??) we passed on the bearings section
Trying to read my map on the move – not well I should add!
On the flitch way (disused railway line – anyone having Famous Five flash backs here? I was on the look out for overturned engine cars stuffed with counterfeit money – or was it drugs? No? Just me then!)
Aaaaanyway, I hope this isn’t too dull and you don’t mind a report from a less standard discipline – don’t think TREC will ever be as exciting as eventing, sadly! However, I can offer indian take away and pear cider to anyone ploughing through this
I copied my route down carefully and was presented with a load of grid refs and questions (“What’s on the roof at XXXX, XXXX?) which invoked a sizeable meltdown in my mind, repeating “how the devil am I meant to know what’s on the roof – it’s not marked on the map is it?!”. I think the steward was distinctly concerned about the likelihood of our making it back in one piece at this point
It wasn’t till a good while later I worked out that I just needed to plot the grid refs and remember to answer the questions on my way round!It didn’t improve dramatically from that point either. I went into my trademark “post map room disorientation mode” and led us out in totally the wrong direction. We spent a good five to ten minutes ignoring my compass which was telling me north was south(!) while I repeated “I don’t think this is the right way… but it must be” to no avail. Finally we engaged our brains, trotted back past the map room (trying to dodge being seen in our embarrassment!) and set off at speed to make up for lost time… Oh the shame!
From here on in, my map reading improved dramatically, and we cheered every time we passed a marked house of the correct name
That is, until we hit the check point where they took away our maps and asked us to navigate by bearings. The bearings I can do, but judging distance I am not so great at, so it would be fair to say we went very, very wrong here! However, we made it back to the check point to retrieve our maps and carry on. I really need to work on counting strides and doing bearings However, from this point things largely improved – no more navigational errors or dramas of any note. In fact, I excelled myself at one point by yelling, mid canter, to SWC “we’re gonna have a sharp left in a sec” before turning straight into a hidden check point at speed, much to the amusement of the steward! Think we were probably a little fast the rest of the way, but there were some lovely tracks and plenty of opportunity for nice canters so we were pre-occupied enjoying ourselves!
After the (rather dismal!) bearings section, we weren’t going to be competitive anyway, so it was more an educational experience for both of us. And fun of course
Fergs and Saf were both lovely and very well mannered, which was lovely.Fergs posing by the stocks, determined that he didn’t deserve to go in them!
Saf posing by some kind of ice hut (I think??) we passed on the bearings section
Trying to read my map on the move – not well I should add!
On the flitch way (disused railway line – anyone having Famous Five flash backs here? I was on the look out for overturned engine cars stuffed with counterfeit money – or was it drugs? No? Just me then!)
Aaaaanyway, I hope this isn’t too dull and you don’t mind a report from a less standard discipline – don’t think TREC will ever be as exciting as eventing, sadly! However, I can offer indian take away and pear cider to anyone ploughing through this
so I was already a little irritated / thrown out of my zone. It's like they don't want people trying to move up and expect us to be psychic!