Comments on: POM Day 3 WRE: 4 Minute wins for Gueorgiou & Jansson

By: Terje Wiig Mathisen

Terje Wiig Mathisen — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 06:55:54 +0000

Several decades ago, when Swedish maps were significantly worse than today, the best approach on many long legs, like on “Långa Natten” in Tiomila, was to count steps for maybe 700 m, then stop and look for the control or some recognizable terrain features.

At this time somebody put a mechanical counter on the side of their compass, the intention was that you would click the switch once for every 100 double steps and thereby making it a bit easier to remember how far you had counted.

This counter was the cause of serious discussions about how it might be in violation of the “navigational aids” rule, and the determination was that a purely mechanical device like this was OK. The same rule would obviously also apply to a magnifier glass!

By: Austris

Austris — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 18:10:58 +0000

I think altimeter is a navigational aid, because it certainly helps to navigate, especially in mountainous areas. I have used it, when hiking in mountains and trying to pinpoint my location more precisely.

But then glasses also aid navigation, if your eyesight is not good. So could binoculars in mountains. Magnifier glass also helps you to read map and navigate in detailed terrain.

Actually I do not understand why limit it to compass only? Yes, the gear should be affordable, but why is compass so saint and altimeter so wicked? If you are willing to mess with it, why not? It brings more variables into the game. The balance of what to take with you vs. going light. That said, I believe most runners wouldn’t find it useful, especially because there are few or none altitude numbers on the map. Yes, it could be sometimes used for relative altitude, but then you have to decide that you’ll need it from the point, where you know your position accurately. It doesn’t help much, when you are already lost. Maybe if altimeter is combined with compass, it can be more handy.

By: Jan Kocbach

Jan Kocbach — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 14:59:33 +0000

21.3 During the competition the only navigational aids that competitors may use or carry are the map and control descriptions provided by the organiser, and a compass.

21.4 Competitors may not use or carry telecommunication equipment between entering
the pre-start area and reaching the finish in a race, unless the equipment is approved
by the organiser. GPS data loggers with no display or audible feedback can be used.
The organiser may require competitors to wear a tracking device.

Thus, depends on what you define as a navigational aid. So I guess you are allowed to carry the altimeter until you start using it as a navigational aid (because generally I wouldn’t define it as a navigational aid:)

By: Terje Wiig Mathisen

Terje Wiig Mathisen — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 14:51:37 +0000

Being allowed to carry gear in a sealed manner would be sufficient, i.e. a pocket on your back, maybe wrapped in white tape and signed by a starting official. As long as you would have to spend significant time to retrieve it and open it without cutting the seal we would be OK.

If you really want to cheat then it is obviously possible to hide some other GPS gear on your body, but in a WRE class race with control guards and observers many places in the forest, as well as other competitors you would be discovered quite quickly.

BTW, re altimeters: At least here in Norway the general rules would disallow that: You can only use a (analog) compass in addition to the race map, no other special gear unless specifically allowed, i.e. headlamps.