Thanks to everyone who supported our local event at Downs Banks. The organisers were concerned that the previous weekend’s prolonged heavy rainfall could impact both the site access and ground conditions, but luckily this was not the case. Some muddy footpaths and intermittent drizzle didn't detract from an enjoyable and well-attended event. Unfortunately our usual external printer suffered a serious breakdown just prior to the event and the replacement printer was unable to print on waterproof paper, hence the maps in plastic sleeves. Parking space is always limited at Downs Banks so thanks to all those who parked carefully on the access road or in Wash Dale Lane. Finally the organisers gratefully acknowledge all those who helped with establishing and running registration and collecting controls.

Dont forget to upload your routes to Routegadget. Our next event is at Cheddleton Heath on the 2nd December.

Gordon Witte and Jean Rostron

Planner Gerry Riley comments:

The undergrowth at Downs Banks seems to be getting worse.  The National Trust have introduced a herd of cows, but I’m not sure they are making much difference.  They prefer the grassy open areas to the east of the stream.  When I was planning the event in early October, the bracken was rampant.  In places it was chest high, making walking through it difficult, never mind running.  Fortunately, there were a few frosty nights before the event itself, and runnability did improve. 

Apologies to those of you on the long hard course. The southernmost control point on the west side of the stream (104) was higher up the slope than it should have been.  When I was putting out the controls, I realised I hadn’t thought about what I was going to secure the equipment to, and I couldn’t find anything suitable.  It was too visible to the public where it should have been, so I ended up fixing it to a tree further up the slope.  I did try to make sure that it would be visible to anyone who was in the right location – so hopefully it didn’t cause too much trouble. 

Thanks to John Heaton for his help with the planning and map production, including some last-minute updating of the map with the addition of paths and marking of undergrowth.