Newbie

[Wheeze]

Newbie, I think there is also a big difference between fell racing and mountain marathons which you seem to be looking for. MM events require a different skill set to fell racing and I have no real experience of them. I have done the big sailing/running events but thats something else again. In fell racing, as has been said by others, GPS would be more a hinderance than a help unless you got lost and then you could get yourself back on track. IMHO, nothing comes close to nifty map and compass work as required plus a thorough run through the map with your minds eye before the event (unless you have reccied it).

[Toreador]

plus a thorough run through the map with your minds eye before the event (unless you have reccied it).

Which of course is another difference between (most) fell racing and (all) mountain marathons and orienteering events - in the latter, you don't know the route until you've started the race And even if you know where it's being held (some MMs, notably the LAMM, the venue isn't revealed until 2 days before), you're not usually allowed to even reccie the area.

[ndm264]

Hi,

this seems like a good place to ask this questions, I didn't want to start another thread.

What sort of map is used for the Saunders ? Harveys ? OS ? and what sort of scale ?

I'm planning some training runs and want to practice with something similar... cos I'm not very good with a map!

Cheers

[Toreador]

Last year it was Harveys, 1:40000. The same as the new-ish BMC lakes map.

[Alf Tupper]

For steve the newbie, two great books for inspiration into this wonderful sport are Feet in the Clouds by Richard Askwith and Wild Trails to Far Horizons by Mike Cudahy. Both available. There's another although i have never been able to ontain called studmarks on the summit by Bill Smith (long out of print). Have a great time.

[ndm264]

Cheers for the map info Torreador.

I shall:

• photocopy a couple of A4 sections of a Harveys map of a local area (Yorks dales)
• Laminate them
• mark various features on a longish route with OHT pen Orienteering style
• Spend a day with my partner trying to find the things I circled
• Retire to the pub to drink a bit of beer and attempt to find out whether we actually did find any of the features 'controls' we looked for .

So if you notice a couple of anoraks on a Saturday night in June peering at and arguing over a couple of bits of plastic map in your local you 'll know what we are doing!