Germany - World Masters

Well, at last, I am getting down once again to jotting down a few remembrances of our trip to Germany for the Orienteering World Masters. We were in a campsite on the outskirts of Bad Harzburg in northern Germany. Two competitions have been held in Goslar and Bad Harzburg itself (for the sprints) and the distance events in various locations in the Harz mountains national park.

This has been our third World Masters event (the last one was in Pecs, in Hungary 2011 and the one before that in Switzerland 2010) and I am impressed that they choose interesting areas to hold the runs in. My main grouse with it all is the distance between events which means a car is almost an essential although Philip did manage to park nearnby a few times and then cycle the last few miles. He really begrudges the 40 euro parking fee !! middle name must be either Jones or Mac- something as both the Cardis and scots have a reputation for thrift.

Europeans, particularly east europeans, don't really have an idea how to queue so getting the coaches to and from an event is an absolute nightmare - almost a scramble. Last year, at one event in Hungary I just gave up trying to get on the coach and walked up the mountain - carrying Philip's backpack too. I had offered to take it for him as he had an early start and figured in the end it would be quicker for him to trot up the hill as a warm up rather than struggle to get on the coach leaving me to follow when I could.

The walk was lovely, through meadows and then steeply zigzagging up the hillside. The sun was scorching hot and every time a coachful passed I cursed!! Still, halfway up I found a bench, sat and had a cup of tea from the flask and enjoyed the most beautiful view ever. So well worth the sweat! We avoid the coaches if we can these days.

The next World Masters event is to be held in Liguria in 2013. We have heard though that they cannot agree on venues just yet so we await ........