[Closed] Polaris Challenge memories

Oh no! I did about ten of the events right from the start. They were great. Still got the stickers in the garage.

-8C overnight in Dumfries and Galloway stands out! And the guy breaking his leg in Kielder on the ice before the start. Racing a tandem pair in the Lakes in 1994 - they were faster downhill - we were quicker up. Eh - you've got me thinking now 🙂

I did last years which had a fairly healthy turn-out and will at some point in the next few weeks enter this years.

Obviously organisers need to work well in advance but punters don't.

Edit: Are you sure there's only 2 entries? I can see the bit you're probably looking at and I wouldn't have thought it refers to total entrants.

2004 was that the one from Hawes?

That wind was EPIC.

I've carefully kept the window sticker from Yorkshire Dales 2004 to put in my new car (I've been thinking about getting a new car for years and only just got one), as it's one of the events I'm most proud of finishing - and I've taken part in quite a few other events most people would consider ridiculously hard. I remember having to walk my bike downhill on tarmac as there was no way I could stay on riding.

I wouldn't get too worried about the numbers at the moment, nobody ever enters events like that this early. Not unless they're going to sell out that is - it's strange, I remember doing HONC when you could turn up and enter on the day, at which time you had to enter Polaris early because that did sell out. Though clearly everything comes and goes - there's no longer even any need to turn up at Pat Adams' in the middle of the night. Clearly Polaris numbers are never going to be what they were - I'm not sure it's so much that people aren't into events like that any more as that there are now so many other events to choose from, many of which people seem to prefer. Though clearly there is a trend away from having to navigate as shown by the relative popularity of HONC.

Ironically, the OP suggests that MTB orienteering has dropped away, when that sport is actually at an all time high in this country. Just that Polaris isn't what we call MTB orienteering nowadays!

Mountain Bike Orienteering is alive & well in this country with some great new sponsors on board this year:

http://www.bmbo.org.uk/index.php for more information

asterix - Member

Oh no! I did about ten of the events right from the start. They were great. Still got the stickers in the garage.

-8C overnight in Dumfries and Galloway stands out! And the guy breaking his leg in Kielder on the ice before the start. Racing a tandem pair in the Lakes in 1994 - they were faster downhill - we were quicker up. Eh - you've got me thinking now

Keilder was epic - my wet boots had frozen solid over night, had to thaw them out of the stove just to get my feet into them.

Used to love the applause teams got as they came in during the evening when you could see a pair of lights heading for the overnight camp.

Got loads of car stickers and t shirts squirreled away in the attic.

This is the start of the Lakes Polaris in 1994, it was my 30th and Andy carried a birthday cake round in his pack, candle and all;

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I still have a good as new karrimor kimm sac, the choice of polaris nuts

I have loads of great memories from Polaris in the past, but for me the winter 94 event can't be beaten.

We'd ridden badly for two days and had a mid-table points score. I was on the look out for a write-up in a bike mag a few weeks later. Picking up MTB Pro in WH Smiths I was chuffed to bits to see [u]ME[/u] riding my Dave Yates on the front cover!!!

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The Polaris rocked! I did about 10 with a 90th o/a in the 1999 summer event.
I remember the Wark Forest one where the overnight camp was next to Lewis Burn (IIRC) & that was the water supply. We'd got the tents up & were next to 2 mates of ours & one of them was standing with a cup of tea with a look on his face like his dog had just died. I said, 'Trapper, you look sick' (meaning cheesed right off) & he just said, without looking up or changing his expression, 'I'm ****ing sick'. It was a 'had to be there' moment.
He never did do another Polaris.