Metricating fell races is hardly the pressing issue of our times though, is it?
All races are generally published with their stats in both KM/miles and mtrs/feet as far as i'm aware.
I agree metrication doesn't matter. So let's go back to imperial units. And our classic traditional logo as well. It's not just the FRA, I'm not renewing my cyclists touring club membership when it falls due - it's no longer the CTC, they have scrapped the winged wheel (in favour of a 'trendy' modern logo and the price has gone up. These things do matter - my parents were in the CTC over 70 years ago and I value that tradition.
Last edited by Mark G; 02-01-2021 at 06:09 PM.
Well I still have a rather battered Wharfedale map on vellum, and quite a number of 1 inch - 1 mile maps, mostly of Yorkshire.
Imperial units are so much handier in many ways, the units just seem to be a more useful quantity. I seem to remember tins of food being 454g which is of course 1 lb near as damn it.
Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Sometimes with the ascent stated with spurious accuracy to the nearest metre when it has clearly only been measured to the nearest 100 feet. Random example: Long Mynd Valleys 1372m / 4501ft, obviously measured as 4500 feet, converted to 1372 metres, then converted back as 4501 feet.
Having taken up Life Membership of the CTC in 1983, I don't have the option of not renewing. But I would renew anyway; it's far more than a touring club now (although I remember there were a few people who objected when it started getting involved in campaigning work in the 1970's or 80's). I think the change in name was sensible, although the way it was sprung on us as a fait accompli was appalling.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
"Two farthings = One Ha'penny. Two ha'pennies = One Penny. Three pennies = A Thrupenny Bit. Two Thrupences = A Sixpence. Two Sixpences = One Shilling, or Bob. Two Bob = A Florin. One Florin and One Sixpence = Half a Crown. Four Half Crowns = Ten Bob Note. Two Ten Bob Notes = One Pound (or 240 pennies). Once Pound and One Shilling = One Guinea.
The British resisted decimalized currency for a long time because they thought it was too complicated.”
― from Good Omens; Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
[QUOTE=noel;670842] Once Pound and One Shilling = One Guinea.
I used to be paid for some freelance work in guineas.
Does that make me sound much older than I obviously am?
"...as dry as the Atacama desert".
Two and a half inches to the mile of course Graham. Although I am puzzled as to why the metrication of these chose to set the contour intervals at 15 and 75 metres! (Surely they didn't simply round existing 50' and 250' contours to the nearest convenient metric equivalent?)
But I have a nice selection of 1" maps with beautifully illustrated covers - I also like Harvey's, a proper navigators map, if unfortunately in foreign units....
I've also got quite a selection of varied race maps, bought from charity shops and cut to appropriate sizes (big enough to have escape routes etc), annotated with notes and sealed in poly bags. Much easier to fit in your bumbag and much easier to hold and fold. These vary from some old 1" maps via Harvey's to some 2 1/2". Some are duplicated - in settled good weather I might just take a 1" - I can find my way round the course or off the hill with that if necessary. But if I expect to be navigating in bad weather, especially on a less familiar course, I'll usually take a 2 1/2".