Dynamic Adventure
Chasing Around the Chilterns
Rob / 30.11.2003
Most important of all was the suggestion not to wander into ‘Chequers’ the country residence of the Prime Minister, which was slap bang in the middle of the competition area. He particularly emphasised that this would be a bad idea on the night navigation stage ... Fortunately, there were no calls from the security services saying they were interrogated Lycra clad suspects!
Jonathan also emphasised the need for care on the network of minor roads that criss-crossed the course, and to beware of horse riders, of which there were many. He was speaking at Stewart Hall, the community centre in Little Kimble, where 100 competitors had gathered for a days racing. As is often the case with Dynamic Adventure events, they ranged from complete beginners (who were happy to get some help with the course planning), to more experienced racers looking for a competitive day’s training.
For the later the mix of beech woodland and chalk hills, crossed by a maze of tracks and bridleways, including The Ridgeway, might be considered easy terrain. For the beginners the spread of checkpoints looked more daunting, but with a ‘score’ format they could choose how much to do, and there was always the option of heading back to the warmth of the hall for tea and cakes!
The weather made that a more likely option, as a storm front was sweeping through. The gazebo style tent which was to be used as a start area just outside the hall, was taken down before the gusting winds launched it in direction of Aylesbury, and everyone set off through the main door of the hall. Some looked very reluctant to go, others keen to get those first uncomfortable minutes in the driving rain over and done with.
Marking the checkpoint values on the maps in the rain wasn’t easy, and not everyone bothered – some were just happy to collect a few checkpoints on the 2 hour run, no matter what the score. The three CP’s in the fields to the west of HQ looked easy enough, but the muddy field leading to number 3 meant running shoes doubled in weight and size as sticky clay gathered with every step, and CP2, which was right on the edge of the map, proved hard to find for several teams.
SleepMonsters
