Skip to main content

O-Puzzle: Relative Elevation of Controls

🧩🧩🧩 O-Puzzle: Relative Elevation of Controls 🧭 


Which of the controls in the picture is located higher than the others in the terrain?

map from a recent competition with a mass start in the city of Poznań (Poland). Organiser: OK Hades. 
https://www.livelox.com/Viewer/GrandPrix-2025-08-Dziewicza-Gora/Srednia3?classId=1090956&live=false&tab=player


Let’s break this task down step by step.

To begin, let’s mark the index contours of different elevation levels using different colors.

  • The lowest contour in this section will be light blue.

  • The next higher contour will be blue.

  • The highest one here will be red.


Now, let’s start determining the relative elevation of each control, beginning with the lowest — in this case it is probably the easiest way to go.

  • The lowest control is Control 7 — it is the only one located below the light blue contour.

  • Then we have Control 4, Control 3, and Control 8, which are positioned between the light blue and blue contours.
    Among them:
    Control 3 is closest to the light blue contour,
    Control 4 is a bit higher,
    — and Control 8 is the highest of the three, almost touching the blue contour.

  • Next, Control 2/6/10 is located in a depression and are the lowest from the red contour.

  • Then comes Control 11, which lies two contour lines below the red one.

  • After that, Control 9 sits about one and a half contour lines below the red contour.

  • And finally, the highest control in this section is Control 5 — it is located just half a contour line below the red contour, which is the highest index contour in this area.


Order from lowest to highest:
Control 7, 3, 4, 8, 2/6/10, 11, 9, 5.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

  Case Study #4 Case: You ran onto a narrow ride slightly below its end and are unsure which of several similar rides you are on.   Solution: In this situation, the relief profile can assist us. Even if the rides themselves appear similar, the relief profile along each ride differs , providing valuable clues for accurate positioning. This approach is discussed in Chapter 3 ( Using All the Indicators for Confident Positioning ) of the book Planning Reliable Routes . It demonstrates that relief can be used not only when we are uncertain about our current location , but also proactively during route planning . By analysing the map in advance, we can identify segments where linear features intersect with relief forms , creating distinct and easily recognisable points. These can serve as reliable positioning features . Additionally, flat areas and transitions between slopes and level terrain can also support effective location verification. (Example taken from my book Plann...

Left, Right, or Straight: Leg Analysis #21

  Left, Right, or Straight: Leg Analysis #21 Today we will take a look at Leg 5–6 from the M18 Long Distance course at the   Novembertävlingarna, lång event (23.11.2025) Organising club Tullinge SK (Sweden) In the M18 class, the most successful route choices used a less distinct path running between the hills. In general, the approach to the control could be planned either contouring around the hillside or crossing over the top . This decision largely influenced the entire route choice on this leg. Interestingly, both of these approaches were used by the fastest runners on this leg (Carl-Meijer Axelsson and Jonathan Enarsson) — and both produced very similar results . The athlete who placed 3rd on this leg - Ivar Nordberg (and eventually 3rd overall ) most likely made a mistake. After reaching the top of the hill , he deviated down toward the open field — a move that doesn't seem justified. Most likely, he lost direction while descending the slope. This leg also ...

The Road to JWOC 2026, #2 (Long Distance)

  The Road to JWOC 2026, #2 (Long Distance) Short  Leg 1: what to do In the previous post in this series, we identified—based on the terrain characteristics and extensive experience from many previous competitions in this area—that a short first leg with complex navigation is highly likely. In this post, we focus on what exactly to do in such a situation. Let us begin by explaining why we are specifically discussing short first legs . If the first leg is longer , it will most likely intersect paths , as this terrain is full of paths of different types . In that case, an athlete has several safety options : – choosing a detour along paths; – or navigating less precisely on a bearing , deliberately aiming off early to hit a path and then restoring exact position while running along it. https://www.livelox.com/Viewer/JVM-test-lang/D20?classId=392774&live=false&tab=player In such scenarios, the initial nervousness and uncertainty at the beginning of the co...