Congratulations to everyone for finishing, Graham Tibbot for another excellent score, Geoff, Alastair & John for their help and Alex for an excellent course. Here’s the map
2017 Ribblesdale 50000 Working Drawing with Controls 7th May
Planner’s Report
Gill Garth Farm played host to this years 5hr NYMBO event. So how was it? Maybe it is best described as wet. Well, it actually rained non-stop from start to finish, puddles became lakes, streams soon became rivers, water levels rising and floods everywhere – even the parked cars where looking in jeopardy at one point. Its fair to say that the riders were not to keen to start out, even the cow-shed that played host to the event was just too luring and comfortable… but slowly as the clock nudged 10 then one-by-one the riders started, hoping the rain would abate, but it didn’t.
So to the course, I was invited to use Gill Garth Farm, by the Wilson family who farm there, they are the best people around and allow me to do a Fell Race from there as well as the BMBO event and of course the 3 Peaks CX that comes through it. So We owe a really big thanks to them. The northerly location of the base allowed me to plan a course around the upper reaches of Ribblesdale and on to some of the less frequented and more mountainous trails. The route effectively circumnavigated Ingleborough, with a few ‘control clusters’ scattered about the area. Some favourites of the riders, such as the Wharfe single tracks where used, with reports of the slate clapper bridge near CP45 being submerged… My apologies for CP39, the ‘cattle-grid’ location was out by about 100m on the map and also a missing finger post at CP45 meant that a more hidden stone gate post had to be used.
I like to plan a course that is ideally just achievable by the ‘top-bombers’, so it was nice to see that Graham Tibbot got a score of 509 today, on a good day he would have done it I’m sure – so kudos to Graham. However Graham’s kudos has been revoked as he had a whole team of people searching the field getting drenched looking for his missing car key, that later mysteriously reappeared in the middle of his van… It was pleasing to see a good turnout of juniors as well – they loved riding the puddles and the rivers and it made me wonder at what age is it that you consciously avoid a puddle at all cost??? – kids love ’em, I hate the things personally.
Big well done to every who turned up and rode (I won’t mention his name but some chap came from the Loughborough region forgot his bike shoes – anything to avoid a ride in a bit of Yorkshire rain!). Considering the weather most people used most of the 5hrs and got some pretty respectable scores across all the classes, but there were one or two ‘late backs’ that cost them ‘a bit’, but hey never mind!
Happing riding – Alex Pilkington
nymbo : north yorkshire mountain bike orienteers 
Cracking event – The weather just made it more epic. Was concerned that a couple of checkpoints needed to be fixed higher up to avoid the rising waters! I think the damp got into my brain circuitry – managed to pass within 600m of 55 and failed to collect then went back out to get 44 when I was already 5 minutes late!
Double kudos to all that put the effort in to organize and to ride despite the conditions.
I must admit the conditions led to severe trepidation before the start and thoughts of just doing a quick sprint event to the tea shop!
Ended up being late back! and almost surprised to thoroughly enjoy my ride despite over bars crash into massive puddle and pit stop for brake pads!
Was tempted to just stop and take photos of some of the epic conditions.
Thank you again to Alex and Gill Garth farm and of course Steve and all for another cracking event. Special mention for the control collectors heading back out in those conditions!
Cheers Alex, I’m well embarrassed about the key incident!
Thanks for an excellent event Alex and to Gill Garth for the facilities, tea and cake at the end was just what I needed, think it made a welcome change from the more southerly starts. Thanks to Steve for relieving me from my control collecting , hopefully the weather was good on Sunday to collect them. Still can’t believe I went for control 38 when I knew what it was like without all the 3 peak walkers, or that Edwyn did 31 and 38 before starting his anti-clockwise loop. On a lighter note,someone, who will remain nameless was heard to say “who is this Alex Pilkington who has all the Strava KOM’s where I came 2nd ” I put him right.
It was a great atmosphere in the barn afterwards so thanks everyone for being so positive about the event. I’ve got one item of lost property – an HP pump. Please let me know if it is yours. I’ll bring it to our next event at Bilsdale.
I can only echo all the comments in the previous replies. I haven’t done an event like that in ages, it was brilliant! Doing the full 5 hours wasn’t my original intention but it just became “A Challenge”. Final icing on the cake was the cup of tea made for me by Mrs Wilson ( I think ) even though everything had been packed up. Thanks to all at the farm and Alex for a memorable day!
When Alex went to collect the rest of the controls the day after the event, #53 wasn’t there. He asked the local farmers and shepherd but no one had seen it!! So I paid Ebor £100, ordered another one and couldn’t make a donation to OvergroundUnderground. BUT yesterday I got a phone call from a walker who had just found it in a pothole on Twistleton End – about 300m from where Alex had fastened it. Refund on it’s way from Ebor and donation sent to OGUG.