Quantock Orienteers Galoppen
Ashley Combe, 1 February 2015
Quantock Orienteers have a well-deserved reputation for setting very tough courses in diabolically rough terrain. A galoppen at Rams Combe conjured up memories of huge climbs, dense vegetation, screaming legs and bursting lungs. I recall a score event where I found a pitiful handful of controls yet still finished half-way in the results list. A walk in the park was unlikely...
The route to parking took us along the valley and up a forest road climbing the northern slope, with assembly not far below Dead Woman's Ditch. The map title was Ashley Combe and the competition area straddled the Crowcombe to Over Stowey road. Green, 4.1km with 160m climb, looped anticlockwise south of the road and back around north. It was a hard, fair course with plenty of contours but largely runnable woodland, and no dreadful struggles through brashings or brambles. It made me wonder if QO save the best for galoppens, reserving the usual bloody battles for their Forest League!
Steve Robertson (Organiser) commented: "Yet again the weather forecasters were somewhat adrift in their forecast and all of the competitors had the pleasure of running through a sunlit forest.
Ashley Combe and the surrounding area provide some of the more runnable forested terrain on the Quantocks as shown by the winner of the Brown course (7.3km / 385m climb) who took only 58 minutes.
Andy Rimes demonstrated his knowledge of the area with carefully planned courses that proved a challenge to many and enjoyment to most, this was clear from the range of positive comments at the download."
That sums it up nicely. I enjoyed my own course immensely and a good time was evidently had by all.
Mike Kite
Part of the Green course