NSK Vintercup #3 (05/02/2013)

A nice little (mostly) street-O, with lots of powdery snow outside the plowed roads:

Easy to the first three controls, just a little trailbreaking to nr 2 since I started first.

Nr 4 was the first route choice but it looked like the other option (keep going around to the next bridge and return) would be significantly slower. I did lose some time near the control looking for some previous tracks, at least from the course setter, but in the end I just had to wade through the snow up the hill to the control.

Nr 5 was probably mis-located: The description states "inside NW corner of fence", but I didn't see any control there, so I went down the stairs and located it inside the concrete enclosure. Hope I didn't mispunch!

Easy to 6 and 7.

To nr 8 we had two alternatives, the course setter believed the right-hand choice to be slightly shorter (I'm not sure about that!), but since that included a long uphill stair climb I preferred the much smoother running along the left-hand road system.

No alternatives to nr 9.

Nr 10 seemed to be slightly faster the way I did it, except that the control tree was missing (the map dates back to 2008) and the course setter had used a street light pole quite a bit further south instead.

To nr 11 I considered following the main path to get less snow running but using the tracks across the football field was probably OK.

Nr 12 was strange: I found it easily, but leaving the control nothing really matched up!

Turns out this school has been totally renovated over the last 2-3 years, the NE part doesn't look at all like what the map shows, and the Google Maps sat images are even worse: In reality the control incut is further SW, as shown on my gps track, and the school building itself is a little wider and a lot shorter than on the map. (I.e. I did not actually pass through the gymnastics hall!)

The final slog uphill to the finish line, on an ice and snow covered road, was tough...