Orienteering 47:51 [4] 4.5 km (10:38 / km) +106m 9:31 / km
shoes: Inov8 Mudclaw 330
E1 @ Pre-Frazzle GPS = (an impressive) 5.99km
Really enjoyed this up until 14. I chose to go up and over from 13, but never really stayed in contact after climbing out of 13. Over-ran the spur I needed and dropped down the next one. Took a little while to convince myself I had overshot the control by that far, but relocated straight back to the right rock.
And here's where it all went pear shaped. I read the description correctly, but in my mind the control was going to be on the right of the rock, when in reality it was around to the left. No big deal? The wrong side of a 6m monolith is very much the WRONG side! I searched three quarters of the base of the rock (spot a problem?) and with a large WTF, then tried to work out where the hell I was. Couldn't place the rock detail anywhere else on the map (mainly because I was in the right spot!) and decided to drop all the way down to the fence corner. Checked very carefully that it was indeed the right fence corner, took the bearing and WTF, I was just at those rocks! Back up the hill and beyond the rocks to go hunting elsewhere.
Enter OldManTooms. He spots poor ShitRoute scratching his head and yells "You're near the knoll at the top." Well der, ShitRoute thinks to himself, but which one? OMT bounds over to ShitRoute and says "You're here!" Another 'Well der", but where is the control. OMT says "It was around this side" indicating the opposite side to all of my fruitless searching. ShitRoute take 3 steps in that direction and there the bloody thing is! ShitRoute must check compass!!
Ran off towards 15 with the laughter of OMT, MTBJen and Tooms2 ringing in my ears. Overshot it a bit, but nothing drastic.
Clean through the rest and eventually back to the finish.
Kate says "You were gone a long time!" - thanks Love!
Apart from the Epic Fail at 14, it would have been a reasonable time. Good, fast, technical course. Pity ShitRoute can't navigate or run fast!