Dark and White Mini MM Hathersage/Longshaw Estate

I tend to bruise easily. So when I find a 50p size bruise I don't always remember how I've done it. I've got one the size of two £50 notes on my right thigh from last night and I definitely remember how I got it and can't believe having spotted the boulder jutting out in the way of the path, I still managed to run smack into it at full pelt. Ouch!

Anyway the sign of a good navigating event (but not necessarily a sign of how good my navigating is) is how many cuts, scrapes and bruises I return home with. I'll have a few to show off on Saturday.

Last night's event started from the National Trust's Longshaw Estate near Hathersage and had us up as far as Higger Tor in the north and Nether Padley in the south. I know the area reasonably well due to a few race routes criss-crossing the area. But you can still make mistakes trying to be too clever, as I did for one control last night, resulting in a bit of a 'red-faced' climb back up a fence line.

I did wonder why the organizers had chosen to place one control in an area which they then had to leave red/white tape for us to follow to get to it! Slightly defeats the object of the exercise. But it was easy for me to find as I'd been following the 'Exterminator' race route. A bit harder for those coming the opposite direction. Come to think of it, the previous three controls were on this route, as was the one I headed to next. Bet I'd find one of the organizers names in the results from previous years!

I plotted my route as just over 9m in 1hr 55. Full results now available on the Dark and White website http://www.darkandwhite.co.uk/results-cross-country-fell-races.asp

So after two events I've got a 1st and 2nd in my age category. All to play for on the final event on the 10th Aug, setting off from near Bakewell.

TF