[ARDF] [Adam's RadiO Diary]Day 8 – To the edge of the world then back.

[Adam Scammell]

reports with photos - http://www.ardf.org.au/wc/adam.htm
or just photos here - http://www.ardf.org.au/wc/photos.htm

Day 8 – To the edge of the world then back.
Hello all,
Today was the hardest day of all, I just didn’t want to run today.
For those wondering I have been running between 8-11Km each morning and
between 2-3 Km each afternoon. This is the 7th day, to be accurate we
didn't run last Tuesday morning as we arrived at 1pm, although we did
run 7-8Km home from the fox-or-ing course. Also we didn't run Thursday
afternoon as it was wet. So all up I've ran about 80 Km in the last 7
days. I dont feel too bad considering.

We had our event today on 80M on the now familiar Orfu map. The
start/finish was at the same place (the finish from a few days back). I
started third last. I ran out of the start with several options to
arrive at the same place, I could drop down to the road then climb,
climb then contour, or climb then drop. I chose the middle option,
however I soon found this to be 5 minutes slower than the first option.
I found my first control Tx 3 after 18 minutes. Vadim who started 5
minutes after I did found this control just after me. Vadim and I then
headed North to one of the weakest Controls Tx 5, we split up half way
there, I found it after 16 minutes, I think it took Vadim 5 minutes
more. I then headed southeast in the anticipated direction of Tx 1, I
then found I should have stayed high heading east only, (like Vadim
did). I met Vadim at the top of the big hill, and we both spent many
cycles traveling North down the huge hill towards the small lake in
Orfu. I considered this to be the edge of the world as it was the
furthest point from the start/finish. The control was on the edge of a
marsh that most of us sloshed through. I found this control, Tx 3 after
35 minutes. From here Vadim climbed out on the road whereas I made use
of the small steep track from the first days adventures. The climb took
about 8 minutes, some 2 minutes quicker than Bruce and 5-6 minutes
quicker than Bryan. I then headed to Tx 4 of which my bearings were
pretty good. I should have ran with confidence and found it 5 minutes
quicker, but instead it took me 24 minutes. I then headed for Tx 2 the
one I had the most confidence in. I found it in 12 minutes, then onto
the finish in just 6 minutes. I finished about 10-15 minutes quicker
than Vadim (who was 5minutes ahead at the 3rd control).

If I had a choice I would have skipped the afternoon training, however
as I had requested it as a special training several days, I couldn’t
pull out. The training was designed to be preparation for collecting
the control within 2 cycles. Ie. Tx 1 during the 6th minute, then
return to finish. Then find Tx 2 during the 7th minute then return to
the finish etc. We were given 5 minutes at the start to determine
initial bearings. I chose to attempt Tx 1, Bruce to Tx 2 and Bryan to
Tx 3, Harley I think to Tx 4. The remainder of the competitors were
finding Tx rest/sleep/veg-out. On the beginning of Tx 1’s cycle we all
departed the start in different directions. I ran to the road closest
to my bearing, however I didn’t trust the bearing and was about 100M
from where I should have been. I was ready for the second cycle at 6
minutes. However I was 10M too far south and didn’t quite find it on
it’s cycle, I did find it during it’s 3rd cycle. I learnt an important
lesson, to take a bearing then take notice of it, I took the bearing,
then in oxygen debt didn’t take enough notice of it. I returned to the
finish to find that Bruce and Bryan hadn’t found their respective
controls during the 2nd cycle. I chose next to look for Tx 2, I ran as
hard as I could, I had conflicting bearings for this transmitter that I
had taken en-route to Tx 1. I took a punt based on a bearing during the
2nd minute, and ran fairly hard to it’s anticipated location, I still
had to run hard when it came on, when it went off I was within 70M of
the control and I saw it across a sinkhole, and found it 1 minute after
it’s second cycle, I had won. I arrived at the finish with less than a
minute remaining before the next start. I decided to try Tx 4, again I
ran hard (it was uphill) there were two routes and I took the wrong
one. I arrived where I thought I should be when it turned on, however
it wasn’t close enough as I just missed the control by 50M when it went
off. The last bearing I took was incorrect and I headed up the hill in
a gully rather than on the spur and overshot the control by several
hundred metres. I found it on it’s next cycle.



		
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail - 50x more storage than other providers!
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

_______________________________________________
Wc mailing list
Wc at ardf.org.au
http://ardf.org.au/mailman/listinfo/wc_ardf.org.au