I've spent far more time than is good for me reading forum threads, race reports etc in the last couple of weeks to find out more about various ultras. One thing that has really struck me is how many people who freely admit to being unable to navigate nevertheless enter events where nav skills and self reliance are required and may be key to safety. Many are much better runners than me and some will be displaying false modesty but even so - to enter the Fellsman, UTLD 100 and such like with no nav skills? Crazy, potentially dangerous and unfair to the RO and to the other competitors you will be relying on IMHO. Last year on the LDMT I kept bumping in to a very nice rather poshly spoken chap who made his way round by repeatedly asking anybody and everybody where he was on the map, what way they were going to the next CP, can i join you etc - I mean, why choose the Mountain Trial of all things when you know you can't read a map? I'm not some po faced traditionalist, indeed have often been accused of not taking things seriously enough myself, but it seems very wrong that this attitude is so common and apparently regarded as acceptable by many people and something to be boasted of and joked about in race reports. Or maybe I'm becoming a grumpy old git :angry:

P