Lost no more
Posted on 27 Jan, 2011 by Lynne Walker | Filed under Blog
After our excursion to Ardyne last week, we decided to have another go. Would Paul find the car?
This time it could potentially be a harder task. I was going to run from Ardyne to Innellan – so would not be able to be the chauffeur at the end of the phone, all ready to collect the lost person. Before dropping him off, I made sure that Paul would know his way back to the Innellan pick-up point. At least he had his phone with a map app. – if the battery would last!
My impression was that the day was clearer than before but the islands of the Clyde were not ‘floating’ which is often a sign of high pressure. It was calm and felt a reasonable temperature for the time of year. Ardyne car park was deserted; I doubt if they have a great number of visitors.
I left the car and headed out to do the paths to the north as they are a bit more gradual with height gain. I took several pictures but most did not come out as the contrast between light and shade was too much for the phone to cope with.
I met Paul near the mast – he was running well. The path immediately before the mast was a little soggier and so dirty shoes. The route through the wood was lovely, changing views and a gentle undulation. The path then became a forest road and it climbed, and climbed, and climbed. No views, just a green avenue. The climb was rewarded with a good descent on a pleasant surface. Then a bit of flat before the final descent into Innellan.
As I was running down the last bit, my heart sank. No car. I had said I would be about 1 hour 15 minutes and I was just under 1 hour 10 minutes. A vehicle noise. YES – here was Paul & the car! Success all round. A lovely run for me (7km with 250m of ascent); Paul was able to extend it at the Ardyne end as well.
I am a level 4 orienteering coach and a qualified Assessor & Coach Educator. I have been orienteering for xx years and have coached on many foreign tours.