Sunday, 27 November 2011

Allen Trial

Having decided to concentrate on PCT's up to the Exeter we marshalled on this years Allen.

Our group of three was allocated to Chimney in The lakeside complex where we were welcomed and well looked after by Colin Biles. With alternate routes for different classes I was directing traffic at the fork, moving the tape according to instructions radioed from the start. Although I have been to this complex before I hadn't realised it was an old coal mine. The chimney, still visible amongst the trees, was part of the winding engine and the mounds are slag heaps.

Most of the first half of the entry failed, whichever route they took. Carl Talbot was a notable exception on the 1-6 route, going clean while most under steered into the trees. It was strange but as the afternoon went on we got more clears here, although it became more and more slippery.

Classes 7 & 8 went up Pete Harts new bank http://youtu.be/qlnGdJ5tY58 which as you can see took a lot of work to create. We only had three cleans, all in class 8 after a restart. Dean Partington, Charlie Shopland and Dean Yarranton. Unfortunately this route had to be cancelled towards the end after a couple of incidents of cars ending up in the trees but I'm sure Pete and his team will sort this for next year.

How was your Allen Trial?

Michael


17 comments:

  1. I managed to get a few photos on Guys Hill and Chimney, including Simon getting close up and personal with the tree. If the link works they should be found at:
    http://greensladephotos.smugmug.com
    Giles

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  2. The new section scared the ****** out of me, looked nearly vertical! Fortunately we didn't get anywhere near the top.

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  3. As usual, Richard, the coming backwards down a 45 degree slope like that is worse than the going up. We managed a 2 but the MG ended up slightly across the slope which was definitely worrying.
    I understand that Dean Partington went clean on the trial although if the Class 8 deviation on the Chimney is cancelled then others might as well

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  4. There were three cleans on the Class 7&8 Chimney Chris. Deans Partington & Yarranton and Charlie Shopland. However, the section was cancelled for 7&8 before everyone attempted it. I don't know how this was treated in the results.

    http://youtu.be/VER2znxk8sE

    Michael

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  5. The video was great, thanks Michael. I see that Simon Woodall nearly came to grief on the chimney.
    For whatever reason my mind was not on the trial (parked against a tree on the restart on Guys Hill, didn't see the restart on Ubley 1, and accelerated too early on Ubley 3 and hit the 10 marker (not the only one!). But we got off the restarts at Travers and Burledge which some didn't.
    The Guys Hill restart failure was even more annoying as Mal Allen went to some lengths to explain to me how to get off, but the tree spoilt the strategy!
    I didn't know that Chimney was part of a coal mine; perhaps next year we could have a guided tour for those of us interested in that sort of thing
    Many thanks to Pete, Carlie and all the marshals and organisers for an excellent event.
    Next is the Exeter, any bets on the weather?

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  6. Our little group from Ross-on-Wye marshalled the Ubley Wood special test. It caught out a few that went way too far over line B and down the slope and could not reverse back. Adrian Marfell was by far the fastest and very spectacular.
    We enjoyed the wonderful views from the top. On the way home we patronised the pub outlet of Thatchers Cider mill. I was lucky, not the driver.
    Stuart Harrold

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  7. Anyone like to guess what the slope of the new Bank on Chimney is?
    Prize for the first correct answer.

    Pete

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  8. Richard
    I was looking for an angle, if I have got the maths right 1 in 3 is 18 degrees
    sorry wrong.

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  9. Having looked at you tube I would have to ask do you mean the average or maximum gradient? And to what degree of accuracy do you require the answer? (!!)
    1 in 3 is 18.43 degrees agreed.

    I would think that it is steeper than that and would guess a maximum of 40 degrees.
    Surely Michael Leete having been on the spot would have measured it? What does he think?

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  10. My passenger (who is a fisherman) tells me that 'my memory is of a 90 degree vertical wall, but I would guess 75'. But he only does one trial a year.

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  11. I reckon it was about 30degrees. Could only walk up it sideways

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  12. Its a lot less than 75
    Michael not a bad guess but not 30.

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  13. Well let's go for 35 degrees. But is this the average or maximum gradient? And how was it measured?

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  14. Richard very close, its the average although the gradient is pretty constant ignoring the Woodall hole!!
    Measured using an App on my phone.
    Pete

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