The OMM (beforehand the KIMM) is a long-established occasion on the fell working calendar. It’s a ‘mountain marathon – basically a mixture of orienteering and fell working over tough and excessive terrain (I consider it as fell hurrying). There are a number of programs: the linear course sees opponents make their manner spherical a collection of checkpoints in a specific order. Factors course opponents get as many factors as potential by selecting which checkpoints to go to (with deductions made for late returns). The OMM is on the final weekend of October and identified for difficult climate and visibility (learn difficult nav and a little bit of struggling).
Becca and I had booked it earlier within the yr, when the probabilities of being fell match and well-prepared had appeared far increased. I’m not a beginner to mountain marathons, nevertheless it’s been some time and this was my first OMM. Because it was I used to be pretty match, averagely organised and a bit unwell – not an ideal mixture for an environment friendly and quick weekend within the mountains.
Usually we had been proud of the nav ingredient (though we did have some hassle getting from our van to the occasions tent for a pint on the primary evening) and our hill health might have been higher, nevertheless it was a weekend of studying and refining. While they’re contemporary in my thoughts, listed here are a couple of suggestions for first time OMMers (and for future me) for OMM 2024.
Should you’re not fairly so assured along with your navigation abilities, check out our navigation programs. We additionally run programs particular to path and fell working navigation.
Hill admin: get your programs in place beforehand
By hill admin I imply layers, refuelling, hydrating and so on. Hill admin is among the three components that can influence your pace on the day (the others being navigation and health). Each second spent stopping to get meals out of your bag, layering and delayering provides extra time than you’d assume.
Every little thing you want while transferring needs to be inside attain, be that poles, meals, drink, gloves and – basically – your navigation tools. Ideally your layers will enable venting as mandatory so that you just’re not consistently needing to whip them off, and your waterproofs will probably be stuffed someplace tremendous accessible in an effort to get them out shortly. Kind your system forward of time so that you just’re not working it out on the race.
Because of this your backpack issues. It’s laborious to seek out one thing that fits each the OMM and all of your different wants, however I would suggest in search of one thing within the area of 25 – 30 litres with strap pouches and pockets for water bottles, meals and so on.
Garments
Not fairly the fantastically organised equipment photograph I had deliberate…
The OMM race organisers present an inventory of important equipment that you just should have with you on the race, however in the end the forecast dictates what you’re taking.
I used to be fairly proud of my clothes, though my waterproof was builkier and heavier than I’d have favored and I took an additional pair of socks for sleeping through which was just a little luxurious. Finally it depends upon how heat you run and sleep, however my equipment listing for subsequent yr will look just a little like this:
Put on for the race: working socks, mild working tights and vest, skinny gridded fleece and light-weight OMM Kamleika waterproof jacket and Alpkit Parallax waterproof trousers, gloves, hat and buff.
For camp/sleeping: dry thermal tights and base layer, artificial insulated jacket (Rab Xenair Alpine), dry working socks (additionally for day 2 of the occasion). All packed in a drybag.
We slept in all our layers, which meant we might save weight on sleeping luggage. It was a reasonably gentle evening so this paid off. I additionally took my handknitted multicoloured balaclava for camp/sleeping, not essentially the most technical piece of equipment however actually made a distinction to heat (and ethical)
Dry leggings, heat jacket and a knitted balaclava – in a single day camp necessities?
Really plan your meals
I all the time overpack and take ridiculous meals when backpacking and fastpacking. This meant I made a vegetable wrap on the Friday, took it for a weekend within the mountains, solely to eat it at work on Monday (not really helpful).
In hindsight, I need accessible, packable and power dense stuff for on the transfer, a giant dehydrated meal within the night and a fast huge breakfast.
Subsequent yr’s meals will look just a little extra like this…
Day 1:
Breakfast: huge porridge and banana at basecamp
On the transfer: boiled eggs and flapjack/veloforte bars (packable, power dense and straightforward to eat on the transfer).
At in a single day camp: dried fruit, nuts and chocolate; excessive calorie dehydrated meal, a sachet of custard (extra on this later).
Day 2:
Breakfast: porridge with fruit/nuts and occasional (in espresso luggage)
On the transfer: extra veloforte bars and flapjack
Emergency meals: bag of fizzy vegan sweets and/or nakd bars
For receptacles, I took a mug for porridge and washed it with a powerful espresso.
A superb sizzling meal at in a single day camp
photograph: Andy Milton images
Sizzling water bottles
I took a 500ml Nalgene which I might refill at streams on the best way across the course. The advantage of Nalgenes is that you may fill them with boiling water to make use of as a sizzling water bottle in your sleeping bag. The draw back is that they’re tougher to entry on the go and bulkier than mushy bottles. My Final Path mushy Physique Bottle can take as much as 60’C water, so I’ll be experimenting with that forward of subsequent yr with the view to swapping it in.
Hydration bladders that sit in your bag are additionally an choice in fact, however I want to take one thing I can simply entry to replenish alongside the best way.
Custard in a sachet
Prompt custard for boiling within the bag – who knew?
An absolute GAME CHANGER! Due to Nikki for this tip (and Becca for bringing the custard). Birds prompt custard sachets may be made within the bag (no want for a bowl, however lengthy spoon suggested) – a great light-weight pudding the place you simply pour in water. It’s additionally 99p, moderately than the £10 you’d pay for an out of doors particular dehydrated pudding.
Put plastic luggage in your toes
An previous tip that I had forgotten, however if you wish to put clear socks on at camp you may add plastic luggage excessive to cease them from getting moist in your footwear. It’s all the fad on the OMM, only a few individuals are with out them
Trying ahead to subsequent yr…
Already planning for subsequent one…
Picture: Andy Milton Pictures
Unhealthy climate, lengthy runs off path and plenty of hills all type a part of the coaching plan for subsequent yr, and possibly I could make some kind of excuse to purchase a brand new backpack…
Enroll right here! https://theomm.com/the-omm/
Hati
Past the Edge Ltd relies within the Peak District, simply reached by prepare from London and inside simple travelling distance from Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and different Northern cities and cities.
We’re one of many UKs most skilled suppliers of climbing, strolling, scrambling, mountaineering and navigation coaching programs.
Most of our programs are run within the Peak District Nationwide Park which has among the best mountain climbing, bouldering, strolling and mountaineering on this planet.
