Our first venture into the Caldbeck valley received a good turnout and many favourable comments. It had the potential to be a very hilly event, but we tried to make sure that there were enough controls fairly close to the valley floor, to ensure that everyone had a good opportunity for route choice without too much effort. However there were one or two strategically placed controls to make sure that even the fittest had a good workout! Interestingly one of the closest controls,#6, was the least popular by a long way. I wonder why? I was quite surprised that a few riders just nipped out to get it because 'they had a few minutes to spare'. A tough 100m ascent is not for the faint hearted.

The fine weather was great for cycling but also encouraged the farmers to get the hay in. Hopefully there were not too many scary moments meeting the giant tractors hurtling around corners. It also seems that it is road fixing season. It seemed that just about every road in the eastern sector had recently been resurfaced with loose chippings. Apologies for the road closure. We only discovered this the day before but fortunately only one control had to be relocated and there were parallel routes either side of the closure to help avoid it.

Many thanks to the Oddfellows Arms for hosting this event. Somehow they managed to feed everyone despite their fryer breaking down. One or two were turned away because they had not pre-ordered. Please take time to read the notices at registration to avoid disappointment!
Well done to the winners. It turned out to be another closely fought battle. Richard Wren managed all bar one control. An excellent effort. The full results can be seen on the BMBO website.

Next event will be at the Wheatsheaf, Lorton on 28th June. Keep an eye open on the Facebook page, and for emails, because there will be some important last minute instructions. Entries are open. See you there.