GREAT LEGS
2004 Aus Championships ––– 1. Dave Shepherd 9 6:28 ––– 2. Warren Key 107:21
Leg 0-1 Dave Shepherd 3:03, Warren Key 3:32
Dave Shepherd: I thought there was something I didn’t see on this leg – it almost looked too easy. I contoured around the hill, ran towards the big open saddle, up along the open strip through another saddle, past the boulder, checked the compass and down into the control.
a good speed. I really slowed down on the downhill approach to the control. Warren Key: One to forget. At C4 I looked at the next leg and saw a straight line directly to C6, not seeing C5 at all. After getting down through all the rough stuff to the paddock I was about to relish the easy running again before out of nowhere sneaks the C5 circle. My spirits dropped. Climbing back up the hill my legs slowed, the ‘spring’ had gone. I was happy to find it after doing an unnecessary diagonal uphill back amongst the rough stuff I so wanted to avoid. I guessed I lost about 3 minutes, it was perhaps a little more, but I had to deal with it. I was annoyed with myself but was enjoying the challenge
Leg 6-7 Dave Shepherd 6:20, Warren Key 6:05
Warren Key: It started really well. The first control gave me a chance to run in the open paddocks and take in some great views. I was away and in a good tempo plus comfortable my tactic to go for the easy running was right.
Leg 4-5 Dave Shepherd 4:28, Warren Key 8:09
Dave Shepherd: I thought this was a hard control, so I decided to attack from the bare rock/ open ground just above the control. I ran to this attack point along the top of the hill which made that part of the leg relatively easy, so I ran at 24 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER MARCH 2005
the map. I didn’t want to run down onto the hillside without knowing exactly where I was coming from. I stood there for about 30 sec before walking down into the control. I lost some time by doing this but I could have easily lost the race on this one leg. Warren Key: The hardest leg:C6-C7 was my first real test. I could barely read all the details, but keeping it simple I got to the saddle and then the bare rock without much trouble. But what next? Normally I would just read down through the rocks but they were too small to see clearly. The sweat build-up on my glasses was paying its toll, I wanted a 1:10,000 map. I decided on a diagonal downhill blind on a compass, what a risk but surely it can’t be that hard, I thought! Off I went, eyes wide open looking for a slight flat spot above the control. All the rocks looked like control sites but I stuck to my guns and compass until magically the slope changed and the cliff appeared. My faith in compass navigation completely restored after many years in the wilderness, I knew I had been lucky. I hoped the others would not, I was wrong, most nailed it too! With my spirits lifted I pushed on, looking for an easy option for the next few legs.
Leg 12-13 Dave Shepherd 4:25, Warren Key 5:19
Dave Shepherd: This was the crux of the course – diagonally down hill on a broad hillside with a lot of rock detail. I ran hard to the top of the hill before slowing down and picking off the bigger rock features as I ran along the right hand side of the spur. Past the two bare-rock knolls, a rock face with bare rock on the top then the rock face directly above the control. At this point I lost a bit of confidence – there was a lot of bare rock and rock faces and I didn’t quite understand
Dave Shepherd: On this leg I ran quite far right to avoid the rocky ground. I ran reasonably roughly towards the big saddle just before the control. I planned to run up to the three boulders south of the control and contour into the control from there, but the visibility was really good and I could see them and the rock face the
control was on from the saddle so I cut the corner. Warren Key: C12-C13 really threw me. I went straight past some early starters but wandered quite a lot without any strategy except to keep the pace on. You have to look good when you are in front! I was struggling but still leading, just. The control wasn’t where I expected but luckily Brent Edwards of New Zealand lead me in beautifully.
Leg 14-15 Dave Shepherd 2:33, Warren Key 2:36
Dave Shepherd: I tried reading the contours but struggled to read the map while running – so I decided to run roughly on the contour to the right of the green and towards the rocks on the spur. I ran hard up the hill and stopped at the rocks to read the details and continued on to the control. Warren Key: I tried to get back to my earlier tactics but battled the terrain and map, without winning, for the next couple of controls, as you can see. It wasn’t until after 15 and the short track run that I settled
Dave at the Aus Champs
