Just wondered whether others on here prefer to follow text route description, or to plot the route on a map and follow this?
Just wondered whether others on here prefer to follow text route description, or to plot the route on a map and follow this?
If i have time i like to plot the route on a map as i find this gives me a feel for the terrain i will be passing through thus making progress a little quicker, that said the route descriptions provided are usually adequate but sometimes a bit time consuming in the field so to speak.
The older I get the Faster I was
Depends on the event, most I've done have really good route descriptions and I tend to follow these and just carry the map as a backup in my bumbag. There are negatives, but I find them better on the more involved routes over cultivated farmland, walls, fences, stiles, gates, vilalges etc, and save the map for the more open country.
Usually the descriptions are written with walkers in mind, so there can be non-route related information in there (the "look over that way, it's really good view!" isn't the most help when you're frantically scanning for the next instruction, neither is the history lesson about some monument or other). They don't all give some impression of distance between instructions, so you could be looking out for that stile on the left half a mile too early, but at least you know it's a stile and not a gate which you wouldn't from the map alone.
Another problem is if you go wrong on a route description, nothing makes sense and it can be difficult to pick up where you are on a map by that point.
The ideal way is to find someone the same pace, one of you use the map and the other the description. Doesn't seem to happen to me very often.
The written descriptions do my head in! Best of all I've found are the little pen map drawings we got on the Rotherham 50. Only seen them on that event.
I like to have the route marked on a map and then follow it off that. For a new (to me) route it's sometimes hard to do that at home. So I try to get there early to give time to copy down the route. That is assuming there is a map of the route displayed (I have been to some events recently where there wasn't one... shock horror!) That's nearly as bad as not having cups of tea before you start (and that's meandering off the subject!)
Agree that some of the comments are helpful, but if you don't follow them all, you're stuffed!
A mixture for me too. The ideal scenario is to run as a pair, and one read the map and the other the route description. But it can be difficult to mark the map up at home from the route descriptions (eg. turn left by the telegraph pole, turn right opposite the garage with white doors etc)!
I've had 'difficulty' with the 'Wainwright' style drawings I was given at one event, and when I decided to get the OS map out to 'relocate', I realised I'd let my partner run off ahead with it. Definitely don't do that!
Otherwise I tend to follow the written instructions, and keep the OS map handy to check vague or ambiguous bits.
I think I'll walk this bit....
I have to agree with the comments on the Rotherham 50 strip map. Described as girly maps by one of my club mates, it was great to follow! The parts I stuffed up were down to my stupidity more than the maps. If it had have been on waterproof paper it might have been some use other than as confetti for the last 10 miles! I resorted to the route description which I'd managed to keep dry in my bag, which saw me through to the end. Wasn't the easiest to follow as in small print and large block paragraphs, but was accurate and detailed. Plus for overkill I had the map available just in case.
Numbered one or two line instructions with double spacing between are great, hold a thumb over where you are and you don't keep having to reread the same bit or miss things out.
I've always tended to mark my map up, I enjoy the challenge of map reading + it's good practice to learn. But, I normaly do events on 'open country' which are more map and compass friendly; I've never yet used the route description - and trying to use both (on your own) is a disaster.
Having said that, this weekend I'm taking the Missus to Surrey to attempt her first ever 50 (wish her luck), I have only bought the 2 x 1:50,000 maps (sod buying 4x 25K ) and we shall walk most of this on the description, with me following route on maps. I know for a fact that many of the woodland areas are a nightmare of criss/cross tracks and paths with not a hope in hell of following off a map, and at nightime, so we're entering new territory here.
If we get lost then it's back to the tried and tested 'fell runner method' compass bearing to top and straight line over everything in the bloody way . Not sure how this will go down with the locals in Surrey
Don't roll with a pig in poo. You get covered in poo and the pig likes it.
Moley, we walked Kent LDWA White Cliffs 50 last autumn and at walking pace written instructions are fine. We did get the compass out a few times in the dark and use your method though
Good luck - 50miles is a long way to walk. a Full English at 5a.m. after being out for 18hours was memorable mind!
I'm so slow i just follow the crowd , then get the map out when people disappear. Seems to work ok so far.