GPS Challenge - Second Edition

[Solmaz]

Hi Almosters,

Book your calendar for the Second Edition of our GPS Challenge!!!

We are planning a full-day event with lots of fun. This event is open to all members of the Almost4X4 Offroad Club who have more than 10 drives with the club.
It is a team-based GPS navigation game to test and practice the skills you have learned so far in a safe and fun way. So read the information below carefully, gather your team, and register.

OBJECTIVE:
Teams will be provided with 40 GPS waypoints within a 10 km radius game area at various difficulty levels.
Each GPS waypoint will have a point value according to its difficulty.
Teams have to collect as many points as they can before the deadline.
There is no specified order of points; each team has to make its own route and strategy to collect the most possible points in the given time.

The winning team will be decided by:
- Calculating total points collected.
- Confirming the physical and visual point confirmation elements (more details below).
- The winning team will be announced later in the evening during the camp.

EVENT RULES AND CONDITIONS:
1. All teams will consist of 3 vehicles with at least one Newbie and one Intermediate driver.
2. Teams have to stick together. No separating! To confirm this, teams must provide a group photo at each visited point clearly showing the GPS point marker in the frame.
3. Each team will be provided with a point checklist sheet to fill out. This will be used to calculate your points at the end of the game, so fill it out clearly and neatly. Any missing information might result in losing points.
4. Tempering with point markers or any game elements is strictly forbidden. We are a family and we want everyone to enjoy a fair game so please leave the points in the same condition you found them.

The following actions will result in disqualification:
1. Separating from the team.
2. Tempering with the point elements.
3. Any damage to your vehicle which requires a police report.
4. Reaching the finish point after the deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Offroading could be a hazardous sport, and there is always the risk of seriously damaging your vehicle, yourself, or your passengers. By signing up for this event, you accept full responsibility for any incident that could happen during the event. Please put safety as your first priority and remember your training.

MORE DETAILS:
1. The game will start and end at the center point of the 10 km radius game area, which will also be the camping point for those who would like to arrive the night before or stay after the event.
2. The location will be shared a few days prior to the event.
3. Each team will receive a printed sheet with 40 GPS points in various GPS formats, a map of the game area marked with the points and a checklist to fill out at each point.
4. Teams will have 30 minutes after the briefing to work on a strategy and put in the given points to their devices.
5. There are 5 types of points to hunt with different point values.

• Easy points are close to the center of the game area, on flats or easy-to-access dunes.

• Medium difficulty points are further away from the center or in trickier dunes.

• Hard points are at the far ends of the game area, in tricky, technical, high dunes.

• Hidden points will be somewhere within a 10-meter radius around the given GPS location. Challengers will have to leave their vehicles to physically search for the point marker as it might be somewhere hard to see or reach!

• At the Approximate points the point marker could be anywhere in a 100-meter radius from the shared GPS point. You have to drive around to find the marker.

6. Each point will have a clearly marked point marker with a unique stamp and a treasure pouch. Treasure is to be collected by the first team that arrives at the point. Treasures will add extra points!
7. Teams will have a group photo taken at each point, clearly showing all team members and the point marker.
8. Teams have to reach the finish before the deadline and hand out their clearly filled checklist. A penalty will be applied to the latecomers for the next 30 minutes. Teams reaching more than 30 minutes late will be disqualified.
9. Team photos and collected treasures will be checked at the finish point so keep them safe!

TIPS AND TRICKS:

A few things you need to consider and study to have a safe and fun challenge are;
- Your team's capabilities and limits
- Sun direction and how it effects visibility through the day
- Wind direction and general topography of the area

Feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions about the game or the rules.

Cant wait to see you all in sand.

Solmaz

[CARLOSS]

Hi Almosters,

Please allow me to share a few tips for those we are not yet familiar with the challenge:

Strategy: If you want to win you may need one, if you just want to play and no bother yourself too much, then you can skip this point.

Strategy means how to “attack” the waypoints (WP), from where to start with based on your appetite for easy or difficult WP, sun light direction and its impact on visibility which might influence your tentative route, who is doing what within your team (leading, WP set up in GPS, sending sms, taking pictures…), etc. The ideal would be you to study the playground and visualize how you will be driving on it for improving your chances to get more points and having more fun!

GPS: This is key and will be your best or worst friend. This is all about navigation so, if not yet there, get yourself familiarized with your device by doing some practice on the ground and expect no data if using Gaia or similar so, do the needful in advance. Coordinates formats, same thing, get to know it and anticipate and practice how to swift from one format to another…Marshal(s) will surprise you with formats never seen before

Time & Team’ management: Just bear in mind the following i) it is not a speed race, it is more related to endurance, ii) playground’s surface will be huge and most likely you won’t have enough time for chasing all WP so you will need to be selective and manage your expectations accordingly, iii) take as many breaks your team needs, day will be long and hot thus better to be in good shape, iv) do not take any risk and stay 100% focus all the time => the selected area won’t be a “joke” so stay vigilant and don’t let yourself go…especially after lunch time while approaching the last part of the challenge (tiredness, too much confidence, shadows here and there, etc.), v) For leader(s) => Adjust the drive’s level to the less experienced one and you might consider keeping him/her in the middle position for making sure that the performance is ok and safe and he/she is not left behind

Again, I will repeat it, it is of utmost importance => DONT take any risk and stay 100% focus all the time!. Marshals want all people having fun, sound and safe, and coming back home driving their own cars.

I hope this helps and looking forward to seeing you all in the Challenge!

Carlos

[alshamsi_m]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... .utmgeomap

GPS Challengers this is a cheat for you.

Thank me later