Polaris Goes Into the Night

Rob Howard / 13.09.2007

There is just one month to go until bike lights make their brilliance felt at the Polaris Challenge for the first time. And the testing ground for the new format is Malham – the land of limestone pavements, Black Sheep, Big Moors and Big Hills!

The planner for this event is multiple PC winner, John Houlihan and he will be liberating the very best trails for both day and night action. (Gary Tompsett has deliberately averted his eyes from the map production while John and Jens Strain set to work, as he is set to ride this one!)

John has revealed the following: ‘With 3 different maps for each of the 3 stages, you are in for some good varied riding. This event will continue the recent and great PC trend of making the best riding the major planning objective. Great descents come at a price, and there is going to be some climbing needed to win them. Courses are not going to involve bog bashing, crossing open moors on poorly defined routes, doing long road miles, or looking for hidden controls.

“With relatively small maps areas, the control density is fairly high, so competitors will need to be concentrating on their navigation and hitting plenty of controls. The night stage is designed for maximum fun and for many it will be the first time they have navigated in a new area at night. Don\'t be put off. It will be exciting, atmospheric and memorable but everyone will need GOOD lights.”

There will be an event camping village, just like the summer event, complete with Wilf’s Café, pub bar, toilets and sponsors planetFear, UAG, Buff, OMM and Outdoor Designs. Nearby there are two pubs and the village Youth Hostel.