Sprint Adventure Race Lessons

Foot Course A

Chapter 3, 14 June 2019

Leg Attackpoint Route Choice
1 The place where the track crosses the reentrant ... and this goes against the route choice straight across the bright yellow - you don't have an attack point to go into the bushes. The track is the way.
2 The fence junction (in fact from a certain direction the fences funnel you in. There's a bridge to the SE, and another the same distance SW. But from there to the control, one wins out hands down. Bust out of the trees and use the bright yellow.
3 Though not always the case the pale yellow stands out here - long grass where the mower hasn't been. There's some minor route choice due to the green stripe (blackberry) round the bush; reading the description (west side) suggests using that little track to get thru the pale.
4 No good AP but (a) a half-way point (tip of the green stripe) and a great catching feature. A go-for-it-on-a-bearing situation. (At some point you see that the little fences are actually stays for a very visible power pole, but you get the principle:-))
5 N end of the vegetated depression The fence, or perhaps the thin depression?
6 The (Larger) track bend, with the bridge an earlier waypoint.  
7 No need Minor route choice in getting onto the (smaller) track efficiently
F No need  

Foot Course B

Chapter 3, 14 June 2019

A variety of legs here - some have obvious APs and good route choice - some the route is clear but there's no good AP - and some have both.

Leg Attackpoint Route Choice
1 Track junction Two sides of a triangle on track are going to be better than the hypotenuse through any sort of green.
2 Point where there's open area west of the road You can probably bust out of the bush anywhere, but you might as well use the shortest distance - into that yellow inlet.
3 Triangle of roads According to the sogginess of the grass, use the road or hug the forest.
4 The distinctive tree. But not a great AP, it may stand out if you are on the edge of that forest patch, but approaching in your direction it will just look like the rest of the forest. Important that when you get inside the forest, that you are in a depression.  
5 No great AP South along the white to begin with. Then left has the possible advantage that you'll recognise the "saloon doors" in the forest edge as the "gate". Straight on is shorter, but has the hazard that you may confuse the white in the depression with the track you want, they both head in a similar direction. And then the black track splits so another hazard... It's a great leg!
6   Left or right
7 A bit like #4, you're faced with a wall of trees as you run across the field. There are some little indentations in the forest edge but you dont see them from straight on. Aim right and be prepared to get inside the forest early, to run along the linear marsh.
8 The thickets (distinguish thick green from trees that are mowed under) Exit from the last control to the west, or east? West will give you more of a look at those various trees/thickets as you approach.
9 S end of the thin depression, tho you'll have to be careful to spike it among various shades of forest colours.  
F   Designed to tantalise - thru the green or round it?

Foot Course C

Chapter 3, 14 June 2019

On a campus setting with very short legs, APs are often less relevant; or are vastly different depending on the route. In this case we'll just use a blank.

Leg Attackpoint Route Choice
1   Left or Right. On the right choice don't get sucked into the keyhole path in the olive green.
2   On first glance the beeline, but bent to the right to avoid a fence crossing. But what about via theate and running the road or footpath - pavement can be 5-10% faster depending on moisture levels in the grass.
3   Left, right, and maybe there's a middle option. But an S-shaped route is generally worse than a bow-shaped one.
4   Left or right. The answer is easy (probably the planner wished for a tree in a different place.)
5   Left or right.
6   Left or right? There's something to be said for sweeping along a linear feature in the way you want for the following leg - as opposed to a U-turn.
7   Left or right? Think about that U-turn issue.
8   Left or right? There's a middle one too but it has a barrier in it, careful!
9   Left or right? Don't let a kink in the connection line influence you, its often done as here for legibility reasons. But you can't go as fast on a twisty route.
F   Left or right? If left then be sure to make use of the canopy otherwise its longer!

Foot Course D

Chapter 3, 14 June 2019

This was the hardest course, although there were plenty of tracks you were in genuine NZ native bush and needed to recognise contours.

Leg Attackpoint Route Choice
1  : An easy leg to get you warmed up
2 Track junction (with main track)  
3 Track junction (with main track again) Those very short connections near the triangle angle back and are easily missed, so head for the T-junction and come back a bit. If you see the reentrant developing on your right before you get there, good on you.
4 The stream crossing. But there's a lot of work to do from there to the control There's minor route choice, but its a matter of careful negotiation of several junctions, and recognising that you have 15m to climb.
5 Choice of two track junctions If you choose the western track junction (by the number) you have the option of cutting the corner if it looks OK.
6 You could use the AP for 4, but banks are not as visible from above as below. I would go for the little clearing with the marsh in it The marsh has green round it, consider going a bit past the marsh till the forest looks better, then turning 90deg left. You could turn in early, too, but you won't know exactly where to set your bearing from unless you go right to the AP.
7 The junction with the short leg out to the main road. Its not as close to the control as ideal but the boulder cluster might not be visible from the track in that green. Its easier than it looks because the sharp little spur that creates the reentrant is visible from the track.
F The track junction near #3 Shortcut thru light green to the finish, or fang it along the track and thru the triangle?

This page was written by and updated on 14 June 19.