Just a reminder that we will be producing a custom event map for this Challenge which combines 3 OS maps.
Please take this into account when completing entry form

Is it possible to getcopies of this custom map sent out to competitors in advance? -or do we still have to collect them by hand from the race registartion point?
It would really help if we can get them in advance so that we can mark up controls in advance.- or will all the controls be pre-marked on the map?
Otherwise you will need a hell of a lot of tables at the registration point.

No the maps will not be available in time from OS.
No they will not be pre-marked
Never been a problem before

It's always a problem, but perhaps more for the competitors than the organisers..

Seriously, I understand the difficulty with pre-marking the maps, but it is still (IMO) one of the biggest potential improvements you could make to the organisation of the event. Having to mark up OOB areas is also a significant source of confusion about legal routes.

Look on it as an opportunity rather than a (non-) problem, just like pin-punches were never a problem until SI was available.
This has been done to death in past threads. The services are available to pre-print fully marked maps at reasonable cost and lead times

Personally I have the luxury of being able to turn up early and actually quite enjoy the map marking process, but the majority don't.

Ahh .. I get it ... perhaps you are being deliberately provocative to test people's reaction? We'll see

tell you what Paul T you can pick my map up for me & mark it for me,cause it is a ball ache.But what i really want is someone to do the polaris for me!TEE HEE!!

this to me is typical of the attitude of today's society, everything has to be on a plate.
Yes we can do it, no Paul it is not that easy to do believe me. We have been down many avenues but only OS can print the size of map we need. PS I tought you were off to the IOM?
I can't go got to go back to Dubai for a couple of weeks sunshime.

I agree with James' comment, marking up is always a problem for many competitors.
I accept that getting OOB and checkpoints premarked is difficult. As an alternative solution, what about an option on the entry form to have the map sent a few days before (+p&p). This would allow those who have a long way to travel, or cannot set off early, to mark up the checkpoints in advance. After all, the points are released in advance and even linked to 'streetmap' (not a lot of plotting skill required there.) Thus for those that choose this option, on arrival only the OOB would need marking up.

Polaris can't even get entry forms out to the correct people.(See other thread.) What chance with maps?!!

Polaris - listening to their customers as usual - mmmm

I don't get the feeling customer is king in polaris land

How can you complain about having to spend 20 mins marking a map up when you are about to embark on 12 hours of MTBing with 15lbs+ of camping equipment on your back, in the rain?

Surely marking maps up correctly (despite being a bit tedious) is all part of the skill required for polaris.

Only 20 mins to mark up a map!

Marking up from grid references could be considered a skill for polaris, but when some have been able to mark up by copying where an arrow points on a map on the monitor days before in the comfort of their own home/workplace it seems a little unfair on others who are unable to.

Seeing as the maps are a special pre-printed affair for the Pennines, no-one will have the advantage (such as it is) of marking their map up before the event from the comfort of their own home, or wherever, computer aided or otherwise.
I really don't see what the fuss is about.

It's not the 'marking up' itself that I don't like. It's the fact that you have to spend all Friday evening doing it, crammed round a small number of master maps in a dingy tent with insufficient lighting and water coming through the roof and not enough convenient flat surfaces to put the map on. All when I'd rather be relaxing and preparing for the early start the next day.

Also loads of the 'alterations' seem to be merely confirmation of what the map already says (ie legal routes). Hardly surprising that quite a lot of people don't mark it all up carefully and end up using OOB routes. Making 500 people repeat this tedious waste of time is not sensible.

Like I said, if there is no decent alternative, then that's life, I'm sure we can all put up with it. Don't pretend that this is a good thing though.

Thanks Simon/Phil Knock Knock Knock.
Seriously and I have said this before it is not easy to do this and believe me we have tried different mapping companies for a cost effective solution. TQ's can do it as they use a smaller area and can print maps at A3 size, therefore these can be printed much later in the day when total numbers are known. We have to commit early, often before final numbers are known as teams are entering later and later and course planners have not yet finalised CP's etc.
As for master map marking then there will always be a requirement to do this but the amount of work has significantly reduced since the OS has put the red dots on showing routes with other public access.
Sending them out will be a costly administration exercise and only benificial to those with the internet, by picking them up at registration makes it the same for all and I do not know of any other competition that odes this.
I can assure you that if there is a cost/time effective way of doing this we will. Over to all of you experts out there to tell us how..........again.

Graham

I agree with what you are saying the White Diamond challenge does exactly the same and for exactly the same reason. It is part of the 'Challenge' to mark the maps up.

well ok then that's the way it is, i will mark my map up in a cramped tent,but i draw the line at getting the dripping wet corner.
what's the white diamond challenge?
Is it were you have to drink as much diamond white cider,get on your bike & see how far you can get without falling off!!

Okay. So maybe I shouldn't have started this whole debate.
I do agree with Graham (Polaris)'s comment that it is now fair, as everybody has to mark up their map at "registartion".

So, Dear Polaris
This year please do not put out ANY website pre-registration info as to where the controls are. Then no-one can pre-plot, pre-plan Routes/guess campsites or pre-load GPS's! THAT WOULD BE TRUELY FAIR!
But, in my humble opinion (I hate people who use FLA's like IMHO),this sort of Gamesmanship/Use of experience is half of the fun of a Polaris!

Hee hee hee

I agree with all who have said that ploting the points is one of the map skills that events like this should test and as such feel that no one should get control grid referances until registration. For similar resons I feel gps shouldn't be allowed. Keep it basic and cheap!!

I'm not sure that removing the grid refs from the website would make that much difference other than to reduce the amount of time there is to plan. I could still load up a GPS with the routes. Or bring along a laptop with some mapping software to plot / check the grid refs for me. Or just pop back to the youth hostel and rent an internet terminal for 30 mins to do it online, etc, etc.

The Wight Diamond challenge is organised by Trailbreak along the lines of the summer Polaris, but they seem to emphasise the alchohol a bit more! As the name suggests it's on the Isle of Wight, usually at spring bank holiday. Did it once and might well give it another go at some point. Some nice riding, views and even a few good hilly bits. Details at Trailbreak.