Bear Orienteering (08.12.2024)

Leg Analysis.

S-1. Straightforward and simple. Orientation, familiarizing and getting settled in.

1-2. The rough open area with 2 and 3 was head high with lupins, and blackberry underneath. Managed to make the contours work but was pretty much a bingo control, not helped by the unmapped horse track running parallel to the track bordering the rough open.

2-3. Could pretty much see where I needed to go from 2. Map was unreadable in this area at 1:15,000, decided to just try hit the control and get out asap. Not a pleasant first few controls of the course but I tried not to let it rattle me, to stay composed and get back into the rhythm.

3-4. The strip of medium green was disgusting. Just tried to crash through on whatever compass bearing I could hold. Came out right by the clearing, and straight into the control.

4-5. Could not read the finer detail at all in this area. Trying to check off the clearings and keeping the track on my right in sight while scanning for the re-entrant. Not the most efficient technique to use but I got there in the end.

5-6. Short. Focusing on exit direction and was at the track and then at the control. Not much to analyze but I am aware that these legs can still be high risk if exit direction is not precise.

6-7. Out to track, off track at bend, spot line of cup depressions, exit. Not a hard leg.

7-8. Rinse and repeat. Using the big track junction to re-enter the terrain on solid compass. Still unable to read the clearings/contour detail at speed but not to worry. Everything at Oceania will be legible!

8-9. First long leg. Not a lot of routechoice on offer, cut corners where the forest wasn't shit. I was confident when I came off the road into the control, held a solid bearing and hit the knoll spot on. Was scanning a lot into the circle as it was quite vague.

9-10. Had plenty of time to check these next legs out while running to 9. Knew it was all about exit direction and holding that direction. Did that, spiked, next control.

10-11. Same mindset, same execution.

11-12. Was under the line to the MTB track, then pulled a little right. Was looking up too much to spot features that I was not precise enough with my direction. Caught it early, didn't really lose time.

12-13. Plenty of tracks in this area to choose from. I chose straight. Had done plenty of track running so far this course, and at the end of the day I'm not here to fuck spiders. Really locked in on this leg, trying hard to read everything I could in the low-vis areas, and then read even more once I was back in the dunes. Spike.

13-14. Barely an orange level control, so just sat on the compass again.

14-15. Did opt for the track here, exited at the right time. Wasn't entirely happy with my direction into the circle, but I'll blame it on the massive tree that had fallen on my line.

15-16. Shitty sandy horse track, executed fine once I left it.

16-17. On reflection, I could have planned this leg far more than I had. I knew I was going to go right. I hadn't decided on what roads/tracks. Probably a risky decision to "wing it" depending on how sandy they were, but I had concluded that the terrain was faster than some tracks. This was the case. Went straight through the first striped block, used the mtb track in the second, and then had a good entrance to the control from that side of the block. That was what I was happy with about this leg. I chose to go right so that I had a safer entry to the control. Spike.

17-18. On the compass, picked out the hill outside the circle as an attack point and went from there.

18-19. Pulled right again. Not sure why. Was not fully focused here, was thinking more about the large amount of blood coming out of my knee and wondering when I cut it open. Kept scanning anyway and spotted the earth wall to my right, made the required adjustment and continued on.

19-20. Good exit direction, arrive at track, go to control.

20-21. Under the line, tracks were useful.

21-22. Wanted to go straight out of 20, but that rough open was like 3m high lupin bushes with piles of tree felling's underneath. Followed the border of it to the fence, clambered over, and from there it was all running. Was pushing quite hard, was here around the hour mark, and taking no gel was starting to hit me.

22-23. First signs of bonkage while going up the hill into the control. Nav wise an easy leg again.

23-24. Basic leg again, but executed well. Good direction off the road into the forest. Kept head up, saw hill, spike.

24-25. Track was probably quicker here, but as with earlier in the course, I found more benefit in trying to hold my direction on a long leg. Result speaks for itself. Happy.

25-26. Identified risk of bad exit direction, took a good exit direction, went to control.

26-27. Same as 24-25, Tracks were there, I went straight, Very straight.

27-28. Exhausted at this stage, trying my hardest to keep it clean to the end. Good handrails of the clearing and zig-zag hill on my right to guide.

28-29-F. Run hard.