From Course Planner Gary Tompsett & Event Manager Graham Gristwood

This update represents the final information that enables you to prepare prior to receiving your race map at Registration and the final digital version of the route.

Please also revisit our previous article - ‘2019 Route Updates' - in order to be fully prepared.

General recent route revisions have included:

Checkpoint Guidance Time finessing/changes. Please see the ViewRanger waypoints accessible via route information.
Very minor routing changes for the mapping – also reflected via the above link.
Very minor cartography changes on the mapping.
Ensuring that the issued race map and the digital versions of the route hosted on ViewRanger are exactly synchronised/aligned.

Note: The position and designation of route sections as Mandatory or Recommended has not been changed since our February route update

Interim notes on the digital route on View Ranger

ViewRanger is used to represent the race route, as shown in the route information section of the website. You can access these through the ViewRanger app* or export/download these as individual GPX files if you so desire. These digital versions of the route have symbols with associated text for Start, Finish, all Checkpoints, all Support Points, start and the end of each mandatory route section, including their respective Cut-Off and Guidance Times. You are also likely to ﬁnd that this ‘waypoint’ text displays on your device even if you are not using ViewRanger. This data is intended as a great aid but never a replacement for referencing the physical map you will be issued with at registration that also forms part of your mandatory kit. (GPS navigation devices are NOT mandatory).

*Please note: If you are using the ViewRanger app on your phone and have already accessed a previous version of these routes, be aware that you must perform a re-sync (easy to see when successful - the titles will be suffixed "v3" e.g. "2019 Berghaus Dragon's Back Race® Day 1 v3"). Simply deleting the routes and re-accessing them within the app does the same job. This does not affect using the option to download a GPX file of each day's route (more on this in our next update).

*Example of the day one route in ViewRanger*

Specific day by day route revisions

These items are only listed below if they are a change or addition to our February News item '2019 Route Updates'. Please note that we have not attempted to list all route and checkpoint revisions. We wish just to present to you the revisions that might be essential for any reconnaissance trips, online familiarisation and preparation with the route.

Note: These route section revisions have only a negligible effect on the daily route distances and ascent figures.

We advise that you thoroughly familiarise yourself with these revisions online, and decide whether this affects any of your previous or planned reconnaissance trips.

DAY 1

NO NOTABLE CHANGES

DAY 2

Towards the end of day 2, within the final mandatory route section, you will cross a Toll Bridge. The race covers the fee on the day, though please be prepared to pay this during reconnaissance!

DAY 3

Support Location has NOT changed. This was listed as a potential change in the February update.

DAY 4

NO NOTABLE CHANGES

DAY 5

Due to newly planted trees on the ‘CP2 hill’ (called Fforest) across this permissive section of the route, there is now a newly developed route for the race day, with a relocated CP2, and this is depicted in the ViewRanger GPX (and on the race map).
IMPORTANT: please note that reconnoitring 'Fforest' (and the tracks up to) is not allowed. It is private land that we have secured special permission to cross for the race itself, but not for any other access.

The race map

The race map will be updated to reflect all route revisions, and at a very high level of detail. You will receive the race map at registration on Sunday 19th May.

The race map will be an updated version of the superbly detailed, high quality, fully waterproof and tear-proof, Harvey map of the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race®. This topographic map shows all relevant hill and place names, a symbol legend, emergency protocols, all checkpoints, support points, and the route line designated as both mandatory (in orange) and recommended (in yellow). This map has now been committed to print.

Future known potential route revisions

There are no potential revisions that we are presently aware of. Our groundwork is complete. The recent guided reconnaissance courses have given us reassuring confirmation that our routes are working as expected.

A word of caution in regard to social media information currency and accuracy

There is a fertile online community for this event. This has been a great help to many of those preparing. Be careful that you are viewing the most current information. Treat with scepticism versions of the route that are offered for download that have been edited no matter the best intentions of the editor. Look at the date of posting/publication of any maps, reconnaissance videos, blogs and comments, and the event edition year to which the information refers: There are many route changes since the 2015 and 2017 event editions. If in doubt, we encourage you to ask a question in the 2019 Participants Facebook Group, and you will get a helpful answer.

More route updates