Dark Mountains

[TheReverand]

Have a look at http://explorerevents.co.uk/index.htm A bit of a way off as it's in September but looks really interesting and I like the ethos of "For the beginner and the Elite". Richard Patton has been involved with the Dark and White events which I have always found to cater for everybody and at £25 for the 12 hour course it's much better value.

Charmian Heaton

Ive never taken part in a event like this but may well be keen to give something like this a try this year, so forgive me this sounds a stupid question, why are competitors required to have a watch with them? I'd have thought any checkpoints or whatever are timed from the sportident dibbers?

[Charmian]

Ive never taken part in a event like this but may well be keen to give something like this a try this year, so forgive me this sounds a stupid question, why are competitors required to have a watch with them? I'd have thought any checkpoints or whatever are timed from the sportident dibbers?

Hi Reverend - this is a Score format event as are all the Dark and White events so you have a pre-determined length of time to go out and collect as many points as you can. The knack is to try and judge how far you can go in the time and leave enough options towards the end depending on how tired you are. If you are late back then you start to lose points and believe you me it hurts. Hence a watch is a must unless you can tell the time by the sun. I always seem to leave myself with a flog to get back in time but really enjoy these events as anyone can compete and I am always in awe of those at the sharp end who aim to clear up as many controls as possible in the allotted time.

Charmian

[Toreador]

£25 for 12 hours is so much cheaper than the going rate for such events that I'm half expecting it not to happen. The Dark & White 4 hour events were £18.

It's still on my to-do list though

[TheReverand]

Hi Reverend - this is a Score format event as are all the Dark and White events so you have a pre-determined length of time to go out and collect as many points as you can. The knack is to try and judge how far you can go in the time and leave enough options towards the end depending on how tired you are. If you are late back then you start to lose points and believe you me it hurts. Hence a watch is a must unless you can tell the time by the sun. I always seem to leave myself with a flog to get back in time but really enjoy these events as anyone can compete and I am always in awe of those at the sharp end who aim to clear up as many controls as possible in the allotted time.

Charmian

thanks, that clears that up then! Rules me out as ive never owned a watch and am not likely too!

[Charmian]

thanks, that clears that up then! Rules me out as ive never owned a watch and am not likely too!

Borrow one - you'd love it I'm sure. Go on you know you want to . . . . . . .

[Toreador]

The event centre's been announced as Muncaster Castle, so presumably the courses cover the hills south of Eskdale. Not an area I know at all!

Entries still available apparently, but close this evening and after that depend on availability of maps.

[Toreador]

Good luck to anyone else foolish enough to have entered this (unless you're doing Score, in which case - please be an hour late back :wink. The weather forecast could hardly be worse!

[Hank]

Good on anyone doing this last night! It was a wild night in the Lakes and I imagine there's still a lot of snow up high.

[Toreador]

Wild indeed! We didn't get above about 500m, and all the snow was deep and completely saturated, the feeling's just about come back into my toes.
Despite bad weather courses being used, by the time we left one team had completed Elite, and no teams had completed any of the other linear courses - the dropout rate was high!
A brilliant event, superbly organised by all concerned. Looking forward to the same again next year (though perhaps with a little less rain)

[HelenSkelton]

A pretty epic night, much more so as a last minute stand in. Hats off to the the event organisers, such a hard balance to keep everyone happy and safe, but still keep that edge...i think most participant knew where that edge was!