NavtXT - A test of your Navigational Skills
 

As has previously been promised, during the weekend (on the Saturday) we will be running a 'just for fun' event to keep you busy.

I have produced a short information sheet to set out what this is, how it will be run, and how the winners will be identified - Although anyone who rides in the Lakes is already a winner.

Now, just to be very clear on this, anyone who comes to the Lakes 2011 meet is a big boy/girl and is wholly responsible for their own actions.


So, here's the information :



What is NavtXT ?

NavtXT, or Navigation Test is a test of your skills at plotting a route on a map and following it. The purpose of this test is for you to plan and navigate your route around some pre-defined Markers. Each Marker will have a value assigned to it. The winner will have attained the highest score and have plotted the most scenic route through the Lake District. The prize is the sights you will see along the way.


Can we play as a team?

Yes, teams are allowed, but restricted to a maximum of two. You can of course have larger teams but for the purposes of any awards at the end, we only have allowed for two. Pillions will not be counted for the purpose of a ‘team, i.e. a rider and pillion will be considered as a single entry.
What are the rules?

The law requires that you use the road in accordance with the highway code and your vehicle complies with all legal regulations. The planning team further ask that you behave in a manner that does not bring the Forum into disrepute.

This isn’t an organised event, you are free to take part or not. You are not expected to do anything at all and the planning team (for the weekend) would never expect you to do anything you are not comfortable or capable with/of.

In terms of awards we do have a few rules to ensure the ‘winners’ are fairly treated and cheating is avoided. These are shown below.
 

How do I play?

You will collect a road book that lists all of the Markers and some OS map prints to assist. You will need to provide a large are map of the area yourself (any road map will be good enough). You will also be given another basic map that shows all of the Markers general location, each Marker will have a unique identifier (XT001, XT002 etc).

In the road book you will find listed, all of the Marker identifiers along with information to identify the locations, GPS Lat/Lon coordinates; OS map references, descriptions of the Marker and small photograph (so you know the Markers when you see them). You should plot your route from Marker to Marker based on the type of roads you like to travel along, using the maps and Marker values to determine what you think is the best route

Once you have found the marker you will need to carry out the required action. This might be to answer a question about the Marker or take a rubbing (like a brass rubbing – pencil, paper & demonstration will be given if you are unsure).

NavtXT - Where did you go, what did you enjoy and what would you change?
 

The title says it all really,

When I set the markers out, I did it over a number of days (about 5) with each day having a different route, some I liked some I don't care for much. However I did rediscover some hidden gems that I'd not been to for some time.

Watendlath is an old favourite of mine, we used to MTB over that way, and it's a great twisty road.

The Gated Road off Winnlatter Pass is another great road, and the couple of trails close by, Mosser and Whinfell tracks.

I really hate the tourist places, Ambleside, Windermere and Keswick to some extent but living here for all my life I suppose it gets a bit sam-ey.

The reason I ask all this? We are looking at the things we can improve on for next time, what needs to change, what needs to go, etc etc.

So, over to you, tell us your highlights, lowlights and what you would like to see included or excluded from the next event ?

WARNING - 'The weather' is not an acceptable comment. We are all big and tough and can take a little rain (exceptions will be granted to those who had to take down their tents in Mondays storm.)


??

Where did I go... erm to the next number Selina told me to, but enjoyed the format greatly.

What would I change, probably not drink a bottle of whisky on Friday night (even though I did try to offload some of it on Stumpydave) and have the mother of all hangovers Saturday morning, but that's my concern really :beer[1]:

The touristy bits are a bit of a concern as you turn a corner to find a load of walkers complete with small child in a pram taking up most of the road. Pity we can't do what the ramplers do and complain of them on our roads, like they do about us on BOATs. But I suppose sometimes it's inevitable to go through those areas to get to the others.

Overall I think it's going to take a lot to improve as for me it was spot on.

Personally, I'd ban the use of GPS ;)

Seriously though, there's nothing I could find fault with. I think the markers were well placed - I rode some great roads and trails, and barely any major roads. Maybe need a few more so that it is genuinely impossible to get round them all in a day and you have to think about what you can do that achieves the most points?

Oh, and no cryptic bus timetables next time please :D

Is 3 days long enough?

For me 4 days wasnt, although the whisky consumption needs to slow, the rates we went at were ok for 1 or 2 nights but not for longer.
Is a week too long for next time? May bring mrs stumpydave and stay for longer next time?

Pleased to hear you'll be there in 2012 then Bear!!

Shall we ride up together again and this time rather than pitching our tents in the requested & incorrect area, we'll just check in to the B&B and make sure the water's hot?

I do not think name badges are a good idea. They will prevent folk from personal introductions and it's always good to not have a clue until you meet someone. There's me thinking it was irishguyonabike (Brendan) and it's actually stoicbloke - or is it? I still don't know, perhaps I've bumped my head?

Personally I would prefer more trail riding and knowing the amount of road work involved, I rode on Tourances and they are truly amusing off road.. All I could do to even get going on a stony uphill from a standstill - never a good idea to stop on an uphill!!

Overall the weekend was great. Possible improvements would be a Thursday evening arrrival to a warm B&B with a light pub social. Friday would be trail riding and more trail riding followed by pub again. Saturday is reserved for Nav XT as it was a perfect way to see The Lakes and as Tony said, we saw much more than if we'd just popped off for a ride. Saturday night the BBQ followed by pub and Sunday an optional ride, lazy breafast, sail on the Ullswater cruiser and off home. All in the warm sunshine preferably..

Other ideas:
uberthumper gets a handicap delayed start to give us all a chance.
The rain is banned for the weekend, as are the high winds.
No bicycle event at the same time I'm trying to go over Honister Pass.
Less smoke in the eyes (GULG could harldy see for an hour afterwards) during the BBQ.
I don't crash again and ****** up mt XT Nav score - Oh & my bike!

Top weekend!

You summed it up Dave...why change it? Maybe a two day event if you can find the material/hours to do it? It was brilliant!!!

What to change...? Other than a road book that doesn't disintegrate at the first sign of moisture, nothing really, just MORE of it!! Maybe you could make the questions harder, but then again, the hardest one for me (and Dave too, by the sound of it) was reading that bus timetable...! I've not been on a bloody bus for 30 years!! :icon_mrgreen:

Hard to find fault or suggest any improvements really, I thought it worked very well and everyone 'got it' and enjoyed the day. Wouldn't change the questions, ride to a point, make observation, write it down, is simple.

Maybe a results sheet (on the forum) so everyone could see how they did/didn't.

Hahahahaa.... are you joking?

Dave was working against the clock before it all dissolved into a slopy mess. We already disqualified Midlife and his squidgy mess, and someone else as we couln't even open the pages!


Although, the winners sheets were actually quite dry (until they were 'infected' by the others) - so it could be done.


Seriously, I think a slight change is on the cards, maybe an A5 laminated score card, were people can fill in the markers and answers is better. It would also make marking easier, faster and more accurate.

A wider area is also being considered, giving more markers. This needs carefull thought as the whole idea is to get people on the nice roads rather than the crappy/tourist ones. There was some good feedback from the Sunday ride, so maybe using the coast roads is a possibility. Also, there are some great roads into Alston and Keilder too.

Another suggestion was to hand out the road books the night before, so you get a full day's riding.

I don't think we'll discount GPS's, yes maps do give a better sense of place, but there were at least 2 people who learned a bit more about how to use their GPS to plot waypoints and build routes. This was another objective of the NavtXT, to give YOU the experience to plan your own 'adventure' rides.

Any comments on the above would be great, and keep any suggestions coming. We might discount them, or we might develop them into something. The thing is to sort it out now, while it's fresh, then you will have forgotten it all by next year.

(and hopefully the bus timetable will change!) :100:

I'm getting the feeling the general consensus is more more more more!!

Yes, more waypoints, yes bigger area (further west and east) and im definatly in agreement with the handout of roadbooks the night before.

Would it help people to plan if we could provide large scale maps to view and plan your route against before entering it into your gps? (these would obviously due to cost not be available to take away)

Thursday evening meet sounds good to me with a full day of trails on the friday ( a led event ) then the navxt on the saturday and possibly the sunday too then home monday??????????

Agreed, name badges are a little 'corporate bonding session' aren't they. When a friend of mine organised 'The Longest Day', a charity ride taking in the four capitals of UK & Ireland in one day (he also did the first one � John O' Groats to Landsend in one day) all participants got a number and Dakar Rally Style sticker (I think they inc. names and numbers on 'em). Would this be do-able? You know how we all lurrrve stickers?

.... oh, and back on topic somewhat, I loved the format and wouldn't want you to change anything. On a personal level I would stick on some knobblies, go offroad, get there earlier and have more water-proof stuff. I'd probably let Doug pick my raffle tickets too!

Where'd I ride? Have no idea but I know I saw some awesome scenery whilst riding some brilliant roads!

Buy them yourself? I spent a grand total of ~�13 on the two map sheets that were covered by the NavXT. That was buying them from real shops due to my inability to plan ahead - I bought OS89 on the day from a petrol station in Keswick because I couldn't find a copy in Derby the weekend before - so I'm sure you could find them even cheaper online.

Then you've got them to bring back next year.

And yes, proper maps do help :D

Regarding when the roadbooks are dished out, I'm in two minds. On the one hand, deciding when to stop planning and start riding is a big part of the tactics for scatter rallies, but on the other hand it would be nice to be able to retire to the pub and sit at a proper table, rather than trying to mark the map up on my top box under a tarp in driving rain :D. At the minute I'd say leave it as is.

I agree! Half the fun is the tight planning and the need to get going and (in my case) having to wing it.. Too much planning is not going to help and will certainly get in the way of more beer - Not Good!

Surely the planning/plotting (not using sat nav) is one of the key skills, and doing it the night before would take away the essence of the event.

It should be done within the "timing" of the event.

An alternative method of NavXT would be to have a set route, with departures every 2 minutes for instance, using a road book with stick diagram for tricky junctions .....sat navs not allowed.

or Herringbones..
or Tulips....

That would make the event more " navigational", but probably alot more work for GULG.

Another (great?) idea would be to have a couple of Special Tests along the route, i.e. in say one of the car parks we went to, (or at the campsite) ride into a box and stay there for ten seconds without putting your feet down. etc.
or almost a full lock circle- without dabbing...

You aint kidding! It took 14 days to produce what you got. I can honestly say, providing directions isn't going to happen.

The whole purpose of this event, isn't to race, neither is it a time trial, it's whole purpose is to get people riding nice roads. The markers were placed to do just that. A secondary objective was to develop the skills in navigation, so people can take a map, or a GPS (and you have to start with a Map to plot a route) and find a nice ride, rather than using GPS's to go from A to B. This isn't a cut down version of the HUMM, it has a different focus and objective. One thing that sets this aside from the HUMM is the open mapping, if people have GPS's then this will help them get more out of them. This is a real world event, based on what people have an use.

Now, as a demo during BikeSafe (up here anyway) we do a neat little trick of riding a perfect cirlce between two curbs. So you finish where you start. Sounds easy :drillsergeant:

I'm quite liking this as an idea. Maybe have a special 'test' setup for a fixed time frame, say 1 hour at a given time? to aquire some bonus points. Of course, to make it fair (and not to discourage anyone) we'de have to make these secret tests, but advertise the value...

Of course these could be based on stuff in the Module 1 Test, which (as qualified riders) we can all do anyway :Gangsta2_9BI664:

I feel some ideas brewing.......