UKC

Assuming my bastard foot is ok by October (it f*cking better be), me and Harry the *wl are planning on doing the OMM.

Who's done it and what can you tell me about it?

In reply to Tony the Blade: What class are you entering?

In reply to Tony the Blade: Me! its not as much fun as the LAMM.

In reply to Tony the Blade: depends on the course, IMHO the scoring classes are a lot more interesting than the standard classes on the LAMM/OMM which can be a bit like a caravan.

Usually pleanty of mud, difficult trods and nav.

Make sure your fitness and nav are good, take as light a load as you can and enjoy!

In reply to Tony the Blade: Its a good craic, always hard work but also always a good atmosphere. I've entered the Med Score with my old man this year. Last year the missus and I did the B (she didn't talk to me all the way home...). The two years previously I did the B class and Med Score respectively.
I'm not very competitive about it, but its nice to push yourself and see how you get on. Some amazing times and efforts put in by a lot of teams though.
The format has always been pitch up Fri night and register, tent city Fri night, start running in the morning, make it to the overnight camp by early evening, mong it for about 14 hours, then run/hobble over the back half of the course to the finish, whereby you have a free scoff courtesy of 'Fat Wilf'. Happy days!
The entry booklet thing tells you everything you need to know about kit and the website has bits about training and toptips. I'd say sack comfort off as much as possible, but be careful about not taking enough in terms of layers. I've always been very lucky with the weather, but the first day of the Brecons (my first KIMM) was minging, and the first day of last year was pretty bad too. Running wet and cold can be done as long as you're fit and don't get injured. But it doesn't take much, and you're suddenly in clip!

In reply to ceri:
its not as much fun as the LAMM.

Agreed. Though I like the Saunders too : )
I tend to do score in the OMM as you're not in a crocodile then.
If you do a long class and start late chances are you'll be out after dark (unless you're super fit).

In reply to Anita: thats true. its the larger numbers on the omm which make navigation virtually unnecessary that i dislike, and they always seem to mess up with the controls a lot more than on the LAMM,althoughi believe they might be changing to the same system the LAMM uses, which seems to work a lot better.

Many thanks for all comments on here, having checked the OMM site I think we'll be going for...

Medium Score (MS): Additional challenge for Short
Score competitors or as an alternative to the B class. 6
hours day 1, 5 hours day 2. Entry limit is 250 teams.

Seems that this would suit our general fitness levels.

In reply to Tony the Blade: I did that last year.

Tip: know roughly how far you'll be able to cover in the times allowed with the extra time that navigating to specific controls takes (which can be a fair amount). Last year the distance that overnight camp was from the start meant that for a lot of folks on MS a straight line picking up the odd control that happened to be near by was the best option.
Next tip: Penalties for lateness are BIG.

In reply to Tony the Blade:
Good luck with getting in, the medium score's the most over-subscribed. If you put long score as 2nd choice, the chances are that you'll get in to that one - but whether you'd want to is another matter, it depends on your experience!
On the plus side, if you don't get in this year, your chances of getting in next are much greater.

In reply to ceri:

I thought that as the joelee system cocked up on nearly every class at some point last year....but......on the OMM webiste their are too many references to them for comfort. Sportident gets my vote everytime, not least cos the dibbers are great for clearing out waxy ears!!

In reply to Anita:

No, if you do the long score, the latest start times are arranged so the 7 hours you are out gets you back in the light. It is the non score courses, where you might get lost for hours that are more of a risk.
Like many above we always do the long score on OMM/KIMM and B or C on LAMM. Much prefer the LAMM in fact we are contemplating not entering the OMM for the first time in 10 years this year. Must be getting old

Mike

In reply to Simon Caldwell:


Go long score. Better the extra time on the hill than the camp site. I'm having a break this year, first time in eight years. Work and the fact it's the 40th year.

Good luck. It's definitely a retrospectively enjoyable experience!

In reply to Tony the Blade:

Don't underestimate it. I've done lots of marathons, ultras, multi-day events etc and I found it tougher than I was expecting, mainly because of the rain, wind and cold. At the end of hard a day's running when you're used to a hot shower and bed you get into a wet sleeping bag in a tent pitched in a quagmire, and suffer a sleepless night of sustained mild hypothermia before doing it all again the next day... I have to agree that it was fun retrospectively though but I have no idea why. Practise your nav lots - you may not be able to see - and keep moving, however slowly.

In reply to Tony the Blade:

Ps what's wrong with the b*stard foot?

In reply to Tony the Blade: I'd agree with score over sheep classes too... and even long score you could basically jack it in after 5 hours and go to the midway camp if you want, it's better than being late...

It can be cold and the - tricky if clagged in (Cowan penninsula day 1, Langholms overnight, day 1 of SW Lakes being the colder/wetter ones I can recall). Not a trip to skimp on warm clothing. I can recall only truly being warm on the Cowan KIMM (?2000) in the portaloos - it was tempting to kip there which can't be a good sign. A bathtub floor to the tent was vital that year, we were nearly floating and that was a good pitch!

Take a torch you can run with / nav by - so not a Tikka - and soup, mmm lots of lovely hot soup.

We didn't really enjoy the KIMM until we went for the score classes, and if you're a reasonably fit mountain type, well used to self preservation and watching out for your partner, you will have the edge over the racing whippets when the weather goes pear shaped.

This year's LAMM was too hot for us, we blew up early on day 1 and limped in at the back of the C class. But I defy anyone to suggest we didn't try hard enough, as judged by the 'before' and 'after' photos...

http://web.mac.com/benbrockway/iWeb/LAMM%2007



HTH

Ben B

In reply to pog100:
No, if you do the long score, the latest start times are arranged so the 7 hours you are out gets you back in the light. It is the non score courses, where you might get lost for hours that are more of a risk.


That's why I said a long class rather than a long score...
Did you do the LAMM this year? Was ace!

In reply to Timo Austino: the reason i think the OMM might be changing to sport ident is that we were telling the LAMM organiser at mid-camp on sunday morning that we liked his event better than the OMM and he said "dont say that too loud, Jenn longbottom {of the OMM} is over there, checking out sport ident, as they're thinking of changing to it"
So fingers crossed they will, although i guess it might not be till 2008 now.

In reply to brt:

We do long score. But 2 years ago, we were hard put to get to the mid camp within the time limit taking a fairly direct line, ie without diverting to get extra points. Quite a few didn't manage it and ended up with negative scores. last year though the straight line distance was a lot shorter, giving more scope for route choice.

In reply to ceri:
The Capricorn has also switched from Joe Lee to SI as of this year.

In reply to ben b: i like the photos! might have to do that myself- i tihnk ouir deterioration might look worse.

In reply to ceri: Prove it!

Ben B