its going to be an early start and abit of winter driving, with hot coffee and my old pal snakes for company..
once signed in and ready for action, it will be time to look at the map and decide the best route for the next 3hrs of mtb'ing
navigating the open countryside as fast as possible from check point to check point we will ride as a team...
a guaranteed last big effort needed to get back to the finish within the 3hrs allotted time, we are sure to be muddy possibly bloody and definitely tired by the end... That's trailquesting!
So whats this all about then????
“A trailquest is a mountain bike orienteering event where the competitors have to navigate from control location to control location”
Once I was described as "a supper-fit navigational robot with an in-built compass for a brain!" I guess because 3-4s years ago, trailquests really were my bag..
Out of a frustration of not being as fit as id like and only really being able to ride and not run at the time. I wanted to still be competing in something while on the road to full fitness and also needed to work on my navigational skills. I knew once I was fit enough and was back to kayaking and running id be gunning for the adventure races where the nav would be key. So in the mean time, I needed a distraction and something to keep my motivation high during the winter months.
Trailquest events are very popular now in the UK and the Midlands series has been running for a number of years.
It’s not difficult to see what first attracted me. Unlike a traditional race, this format allows: you too race individually or in a team, you create your own route to the checkpoints, you choose how fast you go throughout rather than try to hold on to the leaders and end up blowing a gasket!, you get up to five hours riding for your money (usually around £10 entry), and, perhaps best of all, local organisers make sure the event takes in the best bits of their local trails. Thus wherever the event you get to ride stuff you might miss without a guidebook.
How it works
Prior to starting competitors study a map of the area with between 20 and 30 checkpoints marked on it, however there no values assigned to these points at this time. Riders take their time constructing a mental picture of the terrain and features and possible routes between checkpoints. Only when they start and the clock is ticking do they get to know checkpoint values. Then its time to create a loop that will amass the most points in the 3-5 hrs allowed. There are severe penalties for every minute they are late beyond that 3-5hrs of riding. So it’s really nothing like the frantic massed start of a cross country race or the self-absorbed focus of a triathlon event. These events are low key and have a great chilled out vibe to them, sure Snakes and I want to be the ones with the most points at the end of the day and maybe event "clear" the course of all check points, a trailquesters dream and usually impossible task, right id better go and find my compass, catch you later.......
