Respect...was the word which rang through my head when I left the fifth control of the first day of the French 6-day in Aveyron last year. It’s not the fifth control on this map which is from day 5, but that control woke me up to what I had in front of me for the following week. That control was a small cave in an area not too dissimilar to the area around controls 6-10 here. I had run relatively blindly and slightly too fast into the area trusting far too much on my ability to relocate if I lost my way. I accidently saw that control out of the corner of my eye as I ran on by half expecting it to be further on.

I realised that I needed to pay the map and this terrain much more respect!

This terrain is certainly one of the most complex I’ve ever run on. Practically every rock over about 40cm and every bush over 1m high is on the map. The farmland is fast and only the dark green should be avoided. The cliffs can sometimes be climbed but it’s usually faster to run around them.

Typical farmland techniques such as looking a long way ahead for landmarks are useful. In the wide open areas it’s easier to use objects in the distance in conjunction with the contours and rock features. While in the maze-like rock areas choosing an easy navigable route pays off over a possible shorter straight route. This is true for both the legs 6-7 and 9-10. See if you can find the routes? Some of the most difficult terrain is the flat vague terrain with lots of bushes like around controls 14 or 21, I lost 1-2 minutes on both these controls. In these areas you can’t see far and there are few significant features if you lose contact.

Of the 6-days, the first two days were on 1:7500 maps and the last two days on this 1:5000 map. Being mid-summer in southern France the shade temperatures were over 35 degrees on some days. There are a few other maps in the area and in the past few years it has become a popular spring training destination for Scandinavian elite orienteers. If you ever get the chance to run here, take it – but remember to be respectful or you’ll be out there a while.

Go here for the routegadget course with routes

By Alistair Landels.