After several months of work, a number of key players met at Carn Owen on a dreadful December morning to review the car parking possibilities, which had been the subject of some email controversy.  With the day cancellation in the Lakes two years ago firmly in mind, a robust car parking solution was essential.  This was the primary reason for deciding, later that day, to change the venue for Day 1 to Gwanas.  This proved to be a good decision, especially in view of the subsequent high entry numbers for the event.  Unfortunately, it also led in due course to the need for the existing map to be updated significantly, which put some pressure on Malcolm Campbell of OMapz.  The result however was effectively an excellent new map with much more comprehensive mapping of the complex rock and marsh features.  Again a good decision, although it did give us some anxious moments running into the early summer.

I used a handheld GPS to record the positions of all controls, which proved invaluable in returning to the control sites at later visits, with an accuracy typically 5m or less.  By superimposing a grid on Malcolm’s map, I was also able to check the site positions, the vast majority of which corresponded to within 10m or so.  For whatever reason, there were just a couple that diverged by a little more, and these sites were revisited and the controls planned and set out in accordance with the local features.

When we arrived at Gwanas on the Friday before the event, we were somewhat aghast at the growth of bracken and rushes over the previous month.  The most significant consequence was that large portions of courses 23 and 24 (yellow and white) were very overgrown.  A telephone call to the Organiser resulted in two strimmers arriving the following day, and over the course of Saturday night and early Sunday morning more than a kilometre of path was cleared through the undergrowth.  Sadly we were unable to do anything about the tussock grass which had grown luxuriantly over some other portions of the area.

As far as the event day is concerned, the only complaint I heard concerned the use of tape to ensure secure attachment of the SI units to the stakes.  Absolutely essential, as the loss of an SI box on a subsequent day proved, but unfortunately I inadvertently taped over the flashing light which supplements the beep on dibbing the box.  Apologies to those affected, one learns something each time one officiates at an event.  At one point during the event it appeared that one unit might be malfunctioning.  This unit was replaced quickly but on subsequent extensive testing over the next few days no fault could be found with it and mispunches were recorded as such.

It has been a joy to work with all members of the team involved in planning, preparing for and helping at the event, far too numerous to mention individually.  There has been a tremendous sense of “can do” and common purpose which is reward in itself for the effort involved.

Mark Dyer (BOK)