British Night Orienteering Champs 2012 - Hamptworth.

When the British Night Champs comes to town (well the South West Region) I am always up for it, but I also understand its going to be an incredible challenge.

So to the New Forest for the big challenge, I got there early so made use of my time with some retail therapy O style, and invested in some new O shoes.  Soon it was time to make my way to the start and prepare for the 9.3km 200m Climb that lay in front. 

#1 Path option aimed off to ditch then along to control, safe start. 4.01

#2 Straight line to path aimed off to second path, around double reentrant and in to control tentatively 6:46 (10:47)

#3 Bearing into 3 but first found large rootstock to east. 1:58 (12:45)

#4 bearing again wondered to east but saw clearing 2:10 (14:55)

#5 up to steep bank followed along then picked up fence missed distinctive tree but picked up gullies 4:48 (19:43)

#6 Cut across to wet ditch followed down to bend then into control 3:35 (23:18)

#7 missed first ditch hit second 2:15 (25:33)

#8 bearing to square earth bank pick up ditch and in 4:38 (30:11)

#9 Aimed off to double rootstock contour two knolls into third knoll 3:09 (33:20)

#10 straight in 0:58 (34:18)

#11 Down the hill too far east,  glad they had taped out of bounds! Over ditch failed to locate control quickly so decided to relocate to #2 but found control before. 9:44 (44:02)

#12  found route through maze of green to path turned north on small path across to thicket 4:32 (48:34)

#13 Path option off path to north of first thicket around to control site. 1:58 (50:32)

#14 back onto path through open area head off to large thicket.  Get confused, spend long time trying to figure out where on the thicket I am. decide to follow thicket to path and relocate. Find control on way. 9:31 (60:03)

#15 Go carefully not wanting to make another mistake.  3:53 (63:56)

#16 Head out to path and make my way to #16 get lost cant make anything fit, eventually head south and start again this time coming in from earth bank path junction tick off thickets and find control easily but have lost a lot of time 13:50 (77:46)

#17 In bid to make up time run hard to track, take a stick to the shin and fall down hard, get back up and continue to run hard chasing runner who's just passed me. Hit track turn west come off track cut corner to wet ditch, then parallel it into control. 6:07 (83:53)

#18 Find way through green stuff aim off to ditch and then follow into control 4:09 (88:02) Catch runner turns out to be Jamie Parkinson of Devon. 

#19 Follow ditch to path then north on path cut back to ditch around green area, (Jamie continues on path goes in further north) then head north to hit path then into control helped by Jamie. 5:55 (93:57)

#20 On path then aim to hit gully in middle section. Get distracted by Jamie who thinks we have gone past.  He heads north and finds path junction, confirming the ditch is the right one 4:57 (98:54)

#21 head south to pick up wet ditch, must have missed it follow wall with ditch next to it thinking its our ditch.  But no parallel ditches.  Jamie decides to bin it as course closing time is approaching I decide to carry on and head NW to find the control, hit it straight on.  7:15 (106:09)

#22 Head south to track then at track junction turn north west realise mistake when get to path junction and realised game is up so decide to run home via #26 + 27

And so my Run was over, but what an experience, I am gutted, sure but hey if it's not a challenge to me then I wouldn't turn up.  This is first orienteering event I have failed to finish for quite a while, but a great experience, I'll be back.

Check here for my GPS track of the event