SOG Local Event – Rivers Wood, Balcombe
Everywhere was wet and though it is still very mild, there was an October feel to the weather. As I drove southwards I hit an area of astonishingly heavy rain. During the 20 minutes or so it lasted, I had to have the windscreen wipers on their fastest speed and still could hardly see. The roads were rivers, with genuine flooding in many places and I seriously thought about turning back.
The rain was ending as I arrived and the storm cleared quickly to give sunshine. I feared another storm, but although the ground and trees were very wet, there was no further rain.
I had a good run navigationally: I was never lost and made some sensible route choices. My fitness was poor though. Although it was quite physical with the soggy paths, fairly steep slopes and lots of bending and curving to get round trees, I was puffing and panting too quickly and felt fairly lacklustre. Still, I finished within the hour and was fairly pleased with that. I got to the first control in 43 seconds – quite a contrast to the 17 minutes of last week’s disaster. Overall, I finished 14th. With the exception of last week, I seem to be placing higher than I was. I hope I can keep it up.
The leaves are beginning to thin on the trees and there is some colour in the woods, though we have come nowhere near a frost yet. The fungi were very impressive today, with lots of large bright red, white spotted traditional “fairy†toadstools as well as some yellow and white ones.