MY 20 year club application

[Dave Chapman]

My first KIMM was 1977. My partner was Paul Hirst a drinking buddy who was also a climber. We went to the Howgills with no real idea of what to expect. Our heavy walking boots were not really what was needed! It took a lot of persuading to get Paul out of the tent on Sunday morning, and we were the last to leave the campsite! But we finished the B Course. Paul never did it again, and I was hooked.

I was back again in 1978 this time with an Orienteering friend from University days who I had persuaded to come along. I had a better idea of what to do, and we even did some training together, but our performance on the B course was still not wonderful

In 1979 I persuaded my brother-in-law, David Mitchell, to partner me on B. He was a PE teacher so he should be fit! 30 days before the event I was run down by a motor bike and couldnít walk for 4 days, but there I was on the start line at the end of October. Unfortunately Dave wasnít as fit as I hoped, and we retired towards the end of day 1 ñ the only year I havenít finished.

For the Isle of Arran in 1980 I found a younger partner ñ a friend from the University running club which I had stayed associated with after leaving 4 years earlier. Keith (Dawson) organised the food, and this is the only year I have eaten marinaded steak ñ and it was well maranaded after bouncing around in Keithís pack all day ñ the people in the adjacent tents were drooling at the smell of it cooking. This was my best result ñ 10th on B ñ but we felt cheated by the mapping of the forest in the south of the island where we wasted 20 minutes.
 .
In 1981 it was back to University orienteering mates ñ this time Alastair Wilson. Not a great result on B but we knew we could do better. Unfortunately, I missed 1982 with a badly sprained ankle a few weeks before. Back with Alistair in 1983 and í84 with much improved results though.

Missed 1985 through another injury, but then established a strong partnership with Chris Wright. We did the A course together for 15 years from 1986, only missing í87 when I had (another) twisted ankle.

In 2001 Di Wright was due to give birth a few days before the event so I looking for another partner. For í01 and í02 Steve Webb dragged me around the ëAí, with 13th in í01 being my best overall result in that class.

Frank Kew and I had a good run in the ëBí in í03 finsihing fouth in the Vet category. Howard Swayer is a previous winner of the B (1990 I think), so I was hopefull of a good result in í04, but my preparation went wrong and I hade 2 month before the event injured. Howard was very considerate in waiting for me.

Last year a colleague from Australia arranged his European tour to spend the last week in the UK to compete in this event that Iíd been going on about since I met him orienteering in New South Wales in 1994. In recognition of his limited opportunity to train we did the C in a reasonable time, finishing 11th in the vets class. He flew hop to Sydney 2 days after the event, although I understand climbing the steps onto the plane was a challenge!

So thatís 26 KIMMs with only one DNF, and I havenít missed a year since 1987! So many memories, sunbathing after a good run on day 1 in the Cheviots, trying to keep up with Chris in a white out, running in knee deep snow in the Lake District, crawling across the top of Merrick to avoid being blown off, crossing a stream in the Howgills and watching someone get washed past us faster than we could react (he survived and continued the race), descending from the mist into the target zone, ascending into the mist on a bearingÖÖÖ So many colleagues I only see once a year, and so many occasions when  ones mettle and determination have been tested.

Next week it will be 27, and it will probably be with my first time as a Mixed team. I was due to run with the husband of a French work colleague, but it looks like heís injured so Karine Palacios will be stepping in.

Iíll be a member of the 30+ club in another 3 years!

YEAR   CLASS   PARTNER                 RESULT
1977   B   Paul Hirst   184
1978   B   Dave Berry   166
1979   B   David Mitchell   Retd
1980   B   Keith Dawson   10
1981   B   Alastair Wilson   117
1983   B   Alastair Wilson   37
1984   B   Alastair Wilson   30
1986   A   Chris Wright   59
1988   A   Chris Wright   45
1989   A   Chris Wright   23
1990   A   Chris Wright   19
1991   A   Chris Wright   27
1992   A   Chris Wright   40
1993   A   Chris Wright   28
1994   A   Chris Wright   26
1995   A   Chris Wright   42
1996   A   Chris Wright   50
1997   A   Chris Wright   36
1998   A   Chris Wright   20
1999   A   Chris Wright   21
2000   A   Chris Wright   36
2001   A   Steve Webb   13
2002   A   Steve Webb   21
2003   B   Frank Kew   21
2004   B   Howard Sawyer   90
2005   C   Boyd Wymer   69

[Stoonman]

Colin Harding & Ian Hudson do the KIMM/OMM (repeatedly)

I donít recall which of us had the idea to enter our first KIMM (1986 Galloway) but what I will always remember is our discussion as we walked to the start in the pouring rain, dressed in boots and mountaineering gear, looking at the other competitors.  ìHow will these guys keep their feet dry in trainers?î
Later in the day as we waded through another thigh deep Scottish river it suddenly dawned on us ÖÖthey didnít!  After a few hours of dragging a pair of sodden leather boots around in storm force conditions, it was at the loch below The Merrick that we decided to call it a day.

What an auspicious start to our KIMM career ñ Team B669 retired day 1.

Colin and I worked for the same organisation in the 80ís and shared a common interest in mountaineering.  I am not sure about Colin; but in 1986 I certainly had never been orienteering or fell running, hence the gear we used in Galloway would not have looked out of place whilst climbing in Glen Coe.
As you would expect, over the years changes have taken place.  We now wear fell running shoes and all our carried kit is pared down to the minimum and lightweight.  Unfortunately, in my case, as my pack weight has reduced my body weight has increased to more than compensate.

Neither of us has entered the event with anybody else, so we are a truly Veteran Team, this yearsí event being our 21st together and with a combined age of 108.  Other than our first effort in 1986 we have finished every year without being disqualified.  The only year we failed to get accepted was 1993, had we upset somebody in 1992?

In 1990 I changed jobs and location and since then Colin and I only get to meet two or three times a year.  Therefore our team motto is ìTraining, what Trainingî.  Because of our fantastic navigational skills (years of finding our way off mountains in the clag) we tend to do better when visibility is poor and some of the racing snakes race off in the wrong direction.  I can honestly say we have never failed to find a control even when some we have visited have not been in quite the place marked on the map.

We sorted out our roles in the team years ago.  Colin is the primary navigator with me keeping an eye on the route taken over the ground.  That said, I can only recall one occasion in all the events where I have had to have a quiet word.  My role is to carry the control card, ensure that controls are punched or dipped and make up the team numbers.  Having tried B and C classes we switched to score in 1990 mainly for the route choices available, but also the shorter days and the ticking clock added to the experience for us.

Highs ñ Every October when we cross that finish line.  Being 51st in 1996, what did we do right that year?

Lows  ñ 1992 Blencathra in the snow - lost feeling in both feet about 1 hour into day one, they didnít thaw until in the car on the way home.
1998 Howgills - last team away on day 1, standing on the start line watching other teams retiring before weíd started!



   Year   Location                  Class   Position   Comment
1   1986   Galloway      B   -   Retired very wet on day 1
2   1987   Ffestiniog                   C   86/197   Beautiful weather & 1:25000 map
3   1988   Cheviots                   B   252/334   Finished day 1 in the dark
4   1989   Howgills                   B   87/319   Competitors drank pub dry in Ravenstonedale Fri
5   1990   Glen Lyon                   Score   82/326   Score class is good
6   1991   Arrochar Alps   Score   222/308   Rough under foot
7   1992   North Lake District   Score   123/191   Snowed
8   1994   St. Marys Loch   SS   102/252   Missed Fri registration by 90secs
9   1995   Brecon Beacons   SS   68/229   Frosty nights
10   1996   Galloway Forst Park   SS   51/302   Highest finish!
11   1997   Kielder Forest   SS   214/301   Wrong route choices
12   1998   Howgills                   SS   105/305   Thunderstorm and hailstones at day 1 finish
13   1999   Cowal Peninsula   SS   166/299   Enjoyed watching the subs
14   2000   SW Lake District   SS   92/229   Lovely seaside views to the west
15   2001   Clydes MuirSheil   SS   124/208   Great carpark
16   2002   Cheviot                   SS    52/242    2 minutes to spare on day 2
17   2003   Langholm Hills   SS   142/217   New shoes = big blisters for Colin
18   2004   Brecon Beacons   SS   157/247   Very muddy track to/from overnight campsite
19   2005   E Lake District   SS   132/252   At last, terrain we knew ñ not that it helped much
20   2006   Galloway Forst Park   SS   110/243   Back to where it all started