Gill had a good idea, to offer some training to any Chepstow Harrier in the fine art of orienteering. There was some debate as to how many would turn up. Andy C and I offered our services to help. The venue was Blakeney where Andy S had planned an NGOC event recently and had some spare maps.
As it happened, the touotrs were Gill, Andy C & me. The tutees were Dick, James B and Lou with her kids.
Andy pt out a white course and Gill about 10 technical controls. I took Dick round, pushing him to navigate as much as I could. Analysing the teaching I thing the controls were a bit too technical but did give an opportunity to try some of the more difficult techniques – bearings, contour features, check bearings, pacing, route choice.
I found it a good reminder of the proper way of doing things, rather than the slapdash run and hope that I tend to fall into when competing. In this regard I hope that I will be a bit more careful and accurate at the next event.
25/03/2009 at 9:41 pm
But when the adrenalin starts racing you’ll get back to your old tricks. There’s something quite nice and random about the run and hope technique as well – a thrill a bit like poker I guess – sometimes it works and sometimes it goes spectacularly wrong.