Wykeham & Broxa Comments and Map

Wykeham & Broxa MBO Organiser’s Comments

2014 Wykeham and Broxa 30000 Working Drawing with Controls 31st July

Thanks to Dave Evans for an excellent course which tested our navigation as well as our fitness. It is very different terrain to Malham but the weather stayed dry for both events – unlike the rest of the country. Thanks to Wykeham Estate and Hackness Village Hall for an excellent event centre.

I was disappointed to overhear a few experienced riders moaning about ‘hunt the thimble’ and ‘******* ridiculous’ without thinking about the effort that goes into planning and organising these events or considering that they might actually have made a mistake. If you have got some constructive criticism, please think about it and have a quiet word with me after the event. If you have only got negative comments, then keep them to yourself or ride somewhere else. I had difficulty heading up the right track out of Wrench Green, finding 53 due to a fallen tree, 58 as I read the wrong description and 45 which was further down than I expected but they were all my fault.

All of the controls were exactly as marked on the map and as described on the description list except for #58 which caused a problem because it just read ‘100m north of …..’ with the word ‘junction’ missing. I have credited 3 riders with this control so please let me know if you couldn’t find it and I will adjust your score. Unfortunately, Dave forgot to put out any tape which would have helped some riders find some controls more quickly so I will remind all future planners!

I thoroughly enjoyed my ride, despite those 4 mistakes, having decided to head clockwise into Wykeham then across the valley through Broxa onto the northern escarpment so that I finished down Whisperdale. Everything went according to plan and some of the views were fantastic. These are working forests so there have been a few changes which Dave hadn’t spotted such as the new track between #47 and #42 and the new forest road between #45 and #51. Jens will add these and others to the map before next time – but thanks for another excellent map. Thanks also to the helpers especially Geoff Moorhouse who stepped in at the last minute so that I could have a ride.

Rik Thompson (M21) took advantage of Andy & Andrew’s absence to record the highest score of the day for the first time this year with 463. Graham Fielding (M50) came 2^nd with 435 and Martin & Max Vesty tied for 3^rd place with John Galway on 400 (2^nd M50) who was riding for the first time this year and used his local knowledge to good effect. Conrad Ellison won M40 with 395 and Geoff Moorhouse won M60 with 376 – – funny how the person in charge of download always seems to do well!!!!

In the Women’s section, Jill Ellison won W40 with 280 followed by Karen Blackburn W60-260, Ceri Williams W50-240 then Brittany Scowcroft W21-235. Andrea & Steve Foster won X50 with 358 well ahead of Ralph & Chris Defty (293), X21 Simon Walker & Katy Cawthorn (310) and X60 Karen Clark & Steve Roberts (275). Finally, Brendan & Evan Smurthwaite won the Generation class with 205 points thanks to Max & Martin riding M21.

John Dixon will add these (and Malham) results to the league which will be posted in the next couple of days. We have decided to ignore Kevin Smith’s brilliant score at Malham for the NYMBO League so your percentage will be based on Graham Fielding’s score of 697.

I am planning the Westmorland OMM Bike event from Orton (near Tebay) on Saturday & Sunday 6/7^th September and Jens has drawn the map. It’s a great area that is rarely visited but online entries for the main courses have now closed. However, there is a Non-Competitive 3 hour course available each day and you can still enter online at www.bmbo.org.uk.

If you don’t want to compete but fancy riding in this area I still need a couple of volunteers to help me put out or collect controls from Friday to Monday. Please email me at stevewillis3@btinternet.com if you would like to help. OMM will pay your travel expenses and provide a free evening meal each evening!!

Our next league event is at Dalby Forest on Saturday 20^th September

You can make it a full weekend if you ride in the Moors Marathon on Sunday and camping is available at the event centre at the Fox & Rabbit.

Hope to see you at another event soon..

7 thoughts on “Wykeham & Broxa Comments and Map”

1daverobertson August 26, 2014 at 19:16

I had a great ride, although is made some foolish map-reading errors. 43 was tricky to find until you looked at the descriptions, and as Dave explained to me afterwards, in that area the foliage was huge compared to when he planned that part of the route, when you could see it from the path. All part of the fun. Until of course you lose you descriptions…. Which I did part way round. I also kicked myself a lot for having failing eyesight – the bridle way at 41 I thought was part way down the road not on the corner.

Route choice overall was strategically not great for me, especially my decision to head up the path from Lowdales Farm to Broxa Farm – I knew the ground wouldn’t be great but hadn’t expected to trek through nettle valley on the way to the top. My legs are still stinging today, which isn’t that pleasant.

Overall, I thought the riding in Broxa was excellent, and on more than one occasion I thought to myself that this is why I go riding in the moors – great single track, firm tracks and apart from our event, very few people!

Fingers crossed Dalby will be the same!

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Rik Thompson August 26, 2014 at 20:42

Thanks to all involved in planning and organising the event, I know what you mean about #43 but I presumed being on a trig point it would be near the edge so it could be seen for surveying so I found it quite easily. I also spent a few minutes searching around #45 but that was down to me being a muppet looking at the first track not the second. I did meet a few who were struggling with locating controls but at the end of the day they were where the list said.

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Michael Ogle August 26, 2014 at 21:17

Thanks to all involved with organising and supporting the event – it was excellent! Too much time between races meant I was a little to cautious with the navigation. I’m glad the hay fever season is finally over and no more mechanical issues = better performance. Roll on Dalby!

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Steve Wood August 27, 2014 at 08:31

Coming from a foot orienteering background, I enjoyed the challenge of having no tapes ( although I did ride straight past No 36, wasn’t sure which track I was on) I made the wrong decision of going into Wykeham first, and after using the high detail map at Scarborough South Cliff Foot O on the Saturday I didn’t adapt well to this map, I would probably be still looking for the track down to 42 if it wasn’t for Ralph & Chris Defty (thanks) I took the wrong track to 53, going from 51 to 46 was a big mistake, I had time to get 56 but didn’t, not a good scoring day for me but an enjoyable ride round some nice countryside, note to self must do better at Dalby

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Martin Vesty August 28, 2014 at 18:38

Thanks as ever to the organisers and planners for both Masham and Broxa events.

We enjoyed both events although we had frustrations at both. We almost changed our route plan at Masham after about 45mins but then decided to carry on. The Broxa event was good but we did waste a good amount of time at three controls where the paths weren’t very clear at this time of the year and with no tape, we simply rode past or couldn’t see them. We eventually found 53 after finding the right track in the myriad of options in the woods and realised that it would have been much easier to locate if we had been riding our route in the opposite direction. We then had a nightmare finding 52 with the control being out of sight from the main forest road, riding past the location twice as the track off the main road wasn’t obvious. We then gave up completely on 45 having walked all around up and down looking for it. With this sequence of events all within about 30 minutes we were rather frustrated with our map reading. We then had a much better time in Wykeham and even when we were struggling to find the controls we rode some excellent tracks and thoroughly enjoyed the riding (down to 58 & the single tracks around 44 and 55) . To cap our day off, we then got stuck behind a white van for what felt like the majority of the lane back from 49 to Hackness village losing us the few extra minutes we had to go up up up to pick up 31.

It was a shame about the tape being missing as having tape on the controls is advised by BMBO as the sport is all about navigation and route choice and control sites should be clearly and quickly identifiable by competitors. Tape or no tape, it was the same for all riders and I’d agree, those who are experienced foot-O competitors I’m sure have the map reading expertise that some of us usually make up for with speed and fitness.

Let’s hope the weather is as kind again for Dalby.

Reply ↓

Karen Blackburn August 28, 2014 at 19:50

Dave – I may have found your control descriptions – up around 33 & 55 I think.
CD a + red cord in my kit box – ask me for them when you see me next.

I did find I needed to look more carefully than usual for the controls – there’s a lot of trees in the forest! Needed to re-focus my eyes after looking at my front wheel while riding. We are probably a bit too used to having controls on really easy man made features like finger posts and gates. Rode straight past 55, but it was easy to see when I retraced. After coming down through 56 I forgot I was supposed to be collecting 49 before heading up Whisperdales to 57. Less than 1km on tarmac – easiest control on the map……Dumbo.

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Tim Evans August 30, 2014 at 14:28

I think Daves course was excellent I liked the difference in control choice that required you to read the map and the control sheet not just assume it will be on the nearest finger post to a junction. All the controls I went to were clearly in the correct place I just didn’t find a couple that easily for a number of reasons, like Steve I went into Wykenham first and still thinking a clear up might be possible went down for number 40 and 39 despite Daves clear view at the start that they weren’t worth it.

I wasn’t fully on form after my Crash as Malham and missed the Bridleway up to 47 so time lost, I then struggled to find 53 as I suspect I read the forest boundary incorrectly and then got on the correct path but assumed the fallen tree was on another path until the other lost soul shouted he had found it ( thanks). I then went to number 34 found it but there seemed to be more paths off south out of the forest I managed to cycle past 36 either because the fire break wasn’t as clear as I thought it should be or I lost concentration, and I think the red and white tape would have helped here. I discussed this with Dave at the end and afterwards thought these are really the MTBO equivalent of the Foot -O kite to confirm you are there. But there is always the balance between visibility to MTBOers and visibility to others who might not want MTBOers around. Then on the cross track to 52 I saw something flash infront of me checked by finger and my dibber had dropped off. Luckily for my wallet that is what I had spotted fly off so I spend the next 5 minutes re attaching it and spent the rest of the race concerned it might drop off again. 58 I found in the end because I went through the fence then read the instruction and remembered what Dave had said at the briefing. 40 was no problem but as for 39 I should have missed it out, it was very well positioned to catch out the unwary and should have been worth far more than 10 points. I found 45 no problem mind you the elephant tracks all the other riders had left helped. After 51 I took the track across the short side of the traingle to 41 but suspect the road would have been faster as the stepping stones were a bottle neck when I got to them and I chickened out of the direct river crossing as it looked deep. Collecting 110 points in the last half hour was fun and I found the route finding in Broxa much easier, on the final run in I thought the rear tyre felt a little soft and got home to remove a 2 inch thorn/spike I had picked up which luckily had self sealed into the inner tube!

Reply ↓

1daverobertson August 26, 2014 at 19:16

I had a great ride, although is made some foolish map-reading errors. 43 was tricky to find until you looked at the descriptions, and as Dave explained to me afterwards, in that area the foliage was huge compared to when he planned that part of the route, when you could see it from the path. All part of the fun. Until of course you lose you descriptions…. Which I did part way round. I also kicked myself a lot for having failing eyesight – the bridle way at 41 I thought was part way down the road not on the corner.

Route choice overall was strategically not great for me, especially my decision to head up the path from Lowdales Farm to Broxa Farm – I knew the ground wouldn’t be great but hadn’t expected to trek through nettle valley on the way to the top. My legs are still stinging today, which isn’t that pleasant.

Overall, I thought the riding in Broxa was excellent, and on more than one occasion I thought to myself that this is why I go riding in the moors – great single track, firm tracks and apart from our event, very few people!

Fingers crossed Dalby will be the same!

Reply ↓
Rik Thompson August 26, 2014 at 20:42

Thanks to all involved in planning and organising the event, I know what you mean about #43 but I presumed being on a trig point it would be near the edge so it could be seen for surveying so I found it quite easily. I also spent a few minutes searching around #45 but that was down to me being a muppet looking at the first track not the second. I did meet a few who were struggling with locating controls but at the end of the day they were where the list said.

Reply ↓
Michael Ogle August 26, 2014 at 21:17

Thanks to all involved with organising and supporting the event – it was excellent! Too much time between races meant I was a little to cautious with the navigation. I’m glad the hay fever season is finally over and no more mechanical issues = better performance. Roll on Dalby!

Reply ↓
Steve Wood August 27, 2014 at 08:31

Coming from a foot orienteering background, I enjoyed the challenge of having no tapes ( although I did ride straight past No 36, wasn’t sure which track I was on) I made the wrong decision of going into Wykeham first, and after using the high detail map at Scarborough South Cliff Foot O on the Saturday I didn’t adapt well to this map, I would probably be still looking for the track down to 42 if it wasn’t for Ralph & Chris Defty (thanks) I took the wrong track to 53, going from 51 to 46 was a big mistake, I had time to get 56 but didn’t, not a good scoring day for me but an enjoyable ride round some nice countryside, note to self must do better at Dalby

Reply ↓
Martin Vesty August 28, 2014 at 18:38

Thanks as ever to the organisers and planners for both Masham and Broxa events.

We enjoyed both events although we had frustrations at both. We almost changed our route plan at Masham after about 45mins but then decided to carry on. The Broxa event was good but we did waste a good amount of time at three controls where the paths weren’t very clear at this time of the year and with no tape, we simply rode past or couldn’t see them. We eventually found 53 after finding the right track in the myriad of options in the woods and realised that it would have been much easier to locate if we had been riding our route in the opposite direction. We then had a nightmare finding 52 with the control being out of sight from the main forest road, riding past the location twice as the track off the main road wasn’t obvious. We then gave up completely on 45 having walked all around up and down looking for it. With this sequence of events all within about 30 minutes we were rather frustrated with our map reading. We then had a much better time in Wykeham and even when we were struggling to find the controls we rode some excellent tracks and thoroughly enjoyed the riding (down to 58 & the single tracks around 44 and 55) . To cap our day off, we then got stuck behind a white van for what felt like the majority of the lane back from 49 to Hackness village losing us the few extra minutes we had to go up up up to pick up 31.

It was a shame about the tape being missing as having tape on the controls is advised by BMBO as the sport is all about navigation and route choice and control sites should be clearly and quickly identifiable by competitors. Tape or no tape, it was the same for all riders and I’d agree, those who are experienced foot-O competitors I’m sure have the map reading expertise that some of us usually make up for with speed and fitness.

Let’s hope the weather is as kind again for Dalby.

Reply ↓
Karen Blackburn August 28, 2014 at 19:50

Dave – I may have found your control descriptions – up around 33 & 55 I think.
CD a + red cord in my kit box – ask me for them when you see me next.

I did find I needed to look more carefully than usual for the controls – there’s a lot of trees in the forest! Needed to re-focus my eyes after looking at my front wheel while riding. We are probably a bit too used to having controls on really easy man made features like finger posts and gates. Rode straight past 55, but it was easy to see when I retraced. After coming down through 56 I forgot I was supposed to be collecting 49 before heading up Whisperdales to 57. Less than 1km on tarmac – easiest control on the map……Dumbo.

Reply ↓
Tim Evans August 30, 2014 at 14:28

I think Daves course was excellent I liked the difference in control choice that required you to read the map and the control sheet not just assume it will be on the nearest finger post to a junction. All the controls I went to were clearly in the correct place I just didn’t find a couple that easily for a number of reasons, like Steve I went into Wykenham first and still thinking a clear up might be possible went down for number 40 and 39 despite Daves clear view at the start that they weren’t worth it.

I wasn’t fully on form after my Crash as Malham and missed the Bridleway up to 47 so time lost, I then struggled to find 53 as I suspect I read the forest boundary incorrectly and then got on the correct path but assumed the fallen tree was on another path until the other lost soul shouted he had found it ( thanks). I then went to number 34 found it but there seemed to be more paths off south out of the forest I managed to cycle past 36 either because the fire break wasn’t as clear as I thought it should be or I lost concentration, and I think the red and white tape would have helped here. I discussed this with Dave at the end and afterwards thought these are really the MTBO equivalent of the Foot -O kite to confirm you are there. But there is always the balance between visibility to MTBOers and visibility to others who might not want MTBOers around. Then on the cross track to 52 I saw something flash infront of me checked by finger and my dibber had dropped off. Luckily for my wallet that is what I had spotted fly off so I spend the next 5 minutes re attaching it and spent the rest of the race concerned it might drop off again. 58 I found in the end because I went through the fence then read the instruction and remembered what Dave had said at the briefing. 40 was no problem but as for 39 I should have missed it out, it was very well positioned to catch out the unwary and should have been worth far more than 10 points. I found 45 no problem mind you the elephant tracks all the other riders had left helped. After 51 I took the track across the short side of the traingle to 41 but suspect the road would have been faster as the stepping stones were a bottle neck when I got to them and I chickened out of the direct river crossing as it looked deep. Collecting 110 points in the last half hour was fun and I found the route finding in Broxa much easier, on the final run in I thought the rear tyre felt a little soft and got home to remove a 2 inch thorn/spike I had picked up which luckily had self sealed into the inner tube!

Reply ↓