Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Zone 1, Alphabet, All Lines - discuss them here

10th or 17th Dec?

Poll ended at 02 Oct 2016, 20:29

10th Dec
5
45%
17th Dec
6
55%
 
Total votes: 11

RJSRdg
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by RJSRdg »

Not sure if I'll be fit enough yet (currently looking doubtful) - but here's a quick rules question. Does the photo of the outside of the station have to be taken when you pass through it on the Tube, or can it be taken at some other time during the challenge? In other words, is it permissible to run/walk/take a bus from "Park A" to "Park C", passing and photographing "Park B" en route, then catch a Tube from "Park C" to "Park D" which passes through "Park D", without getting off?
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The Orange One
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by The Orange One »

RJSRdg wrote:Not sure if I'll be fit enough yet (currently looking doubtful) - but here's a quick rules question. Does the photo of the outside of the station have to be taken when you pass through it on the Tube, or can it be taken at some other time during the challenge? In other words, is it permissible to run/walk/take a bus from "Park A" to "Park C", passing and photographing "Park B" en route, then catch a Tube from "Park C" to "Park D" which passes through "Park B", without getting off?
You have to take the picture at some point, and pass through at some point. The clock has to stop when you've fulfilled all criteria. You don't have to take the pictures near to when you take the tube though!! So the answer to your question is yes.

There were, in fact, two examples of this last year that many challengers did:

1) Tufnell Park was closed, pass through only - yet an external photo still had to be taken! We started there taking our picture, then getting a bus up to Archway, then knocked off Woodside (photo and train) before coming back down through Tufnell Park, knocking off the train criterion then.

2) The common Park Challenge run of St James's Park (leave Tube) to Hyde Park Corner (rejoin Tube) via Green Park - then knocking off Green Park before heading off elsewhere (e.g. Upton, Regent's, Westbourne, Holland, Wimbledon...).
All London buses: 23 hours 25 minutes (with Adham, David, Josh and Tangy)
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by RJSRdg »

Thanks, it was #2 I was thinking of!
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by Elsie »

RJSRdg wrote:Not sure if I'll be fit enough yet
Well, I hope you are!

I'm certainly not 'Fit' but I've already bought my return train tickets (leaving at 07:30 and back to the north at 22:00!), planned my route down to what doors I need to be on to exit a station for the picture - and some of the bus routes. I'm not looking forward to the eastern side of the network though!
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by RJSRdg »

Still struggling with my ankle a bit - I thought it was improving but I seem to have set it back a bit this week. Haven't had a decent run in ages, and I reckon there's around 5K involved in a Park Challenge, plus all the extra stairs needed for external photos....
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by The Orange One »

RJSRdg wrote:Still struggling with my ankle a bit - I thought it was improving but I seem to have set it back a bit this week. Haven't had a decent run in ages, and I reckon there's around 5K involved in a Park Challenge, plus all the extra stairs needed for external photos....
Fingers crossed!! Of course, you could always pull a DrainBrain and walk the runs instead - you can still do pretty decently!
All London buses: 23 hours 25 minutes (with Adham, David, Josh and Tangy)
Holds some alternative challenge records. Not sure which ones.
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by The Orange One »

Given the problems on the Uxbridge branch of the Piccadilly, this was probably a good call for a starting station!!!
All London buses: 23 hours 25 minutes (with Adham, David, Josh and Tangy)
Holds some alternative challenge records. Not sure which ones.
20½ Random 15 challenges: 01:58:48 best
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by Going Underground »

I have widened the starting window in the OP so is now 1000-1100hrs

A reminder that you start the watch when you take your external photo at the first station...
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by Elsie »

Going Underground wrote:I have widened the starting window in the OP so is now 1000-1100hrs
Okey doke. My train gets in to St Pancras at 09:00 - so by the time I've had a loo stop, bought my travel card and got to Park Royal, I'll be starting at 10:00. I'm never going to break any records; I'm doing it because I want to complete it. As long as I've done it and I'm back at St Pancras by 22:00 for the train home, I'll be happy!
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by Going Underground »

Just a reminder that there is NO re-starting of the watch so be warned!

http://www.tubechallenge.com/forum/view ... hp?p=16701
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by tractakid »

At West Finchley. Alone but doing well!
*insert boasting about notable tube accomplishments here*
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by Elsie »

Just Elm Park ... I'm knackered!
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by Elsie »

Done .

Started at 10.00 at Park royal. Finished at 18.35.03
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by Elsie »

Oops
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Re: Christmas Park Challenge 2016 - Sat 17th December

Post by RJSRdg »

I arrived at Park Royal shortly after 10am (having travelled from Paddington via Hammersmith, where to my surprise there was no traffic on the road and I managed to complete the interchange in 1 minute 20 seconds!). At PR, I met David outside waiting for the optimum time to take his photo. I took mine and disaster - my stopwatch wouldn't start! (Technological issues seemed to mark the challenge for me as I couldn't find my real camera last night and had issues taking photos on my phone at some stations!) I started the stopwatch on my phone instead and David gave me the starting time to make a note of. Down on to the platform, changed on to the District at Ealing Common where Elsie - who David told me had caught an earlier train - hopped on board. Round to Chiswick Park where David ran off while Elsie and I waited ten minutes for the next District. Ravenscourt Park passed without incident, Elsie jumped at Hammersmith to knock of Westbourne and Holland whilst I carried on to Earl's Court, making a quick change to a ready-to-depart Wimbledon where I caught up with David. At Wimbledon Park, David ran off again but I was joined by Hugo and Tangy for the ride back on the District. At Earl's Court, Hugo and Tangy took the spiral stairs down to the Picc (the alternative stairs being blocked off). I intended to stay on the District to South Ken to avoid aggravating my ankles on the spiral staircase, but had a vague recollection that the train I was on was an EB service so I changed my mind and headed round and down and down and round, unfortunately just missing the Picc owing at least in part to slow moving 'traffic'. Hopped on the next one up to Hyde Park Corner, then on a Boris Bus to Green which seemed to take an interminable time due to vehicular traffic, and I rued the fact that the Borises are now being operated with opening and closing rear doors rather than the open platform! Down from Green to Sid James via Victoria, then on via Charing X to Regent's. Doubled back to OC, up the emergency stairs at Holland Park, where there was a little bit of messing around while I tried to work out which bus stop was the correct one. Little bit of a wait but finally off on the 31 to Westbourne, thence to Royal Oak and the run to Warwick Avenue, where I was slightly disappointed to realise I was on one of the alternate Queens Park terminators as this meant the next terminator would turn up at Queens just when I needed a Harrow service . At Kilburn a voice said "We meet again, Mr. Bond," I turned to find Elsie again! At Queens we jumped off the Harrow and saw Andy C and Steve board. Brief wait here to watch the terminator come in before Elsie and I caught the Overground to Stonebridge, where Andy C and Steve boarded as we alighted. My run from Kenton to Northwick was quicker than Elsie's but to no avail as there was a 9 minute wait for the next Moor Park service. On that and up to MP, where we met Kev and Nozza who travelled with us to Wembley. They raced ahead of us to take their picture, where my phone decided to take a long time to let me take mine. By now I had also discovered that the elastic had gone in my tracksuit bottoms so any run out of a station involved holding my Travelcard in one hand, my phone in another and trying to keep my trousers up at the same time! Photo finally taken, I then took a wrong turn to wind up further down the platform than I had intended. By now Elsie and I had both missed the next northbound Jub, which Kev and Nozza had caught. Next train in the platform was a terminator, when that had gone, we hopped on the next and up to Canons, where my phone started to tell me it needed recharging. Elsie kindly lent me an external battery while we waited for the next bus, which crawled in traffic. Had I not now had Elsie's son's external battery on loan, I might well have jumped and run part of the way. However I did at least reason that provided Elsie and I stayed together, his earlier start meant I couldn't come last. Arrived at Edgware, down to Belsize then Tufnell (via Camden) and Woodside. Doubled back to Euston to find the escalators blocked off and a member of the public receiving first aid at the top. Evidently there had been some sort of accident, so LT tried to arrange another one by sending all the crowds up and down the emergency spiral staircase. I left Elsie Behind briefly but he caught up in time to hop a Vic to Finsbury, where I turned left to photograph one exit and he apparently turned right to photograph the other! Thinking I'd lost him, I headed back to Highbury and Islington, only to find him again. Confusion there led to my trying all the wrong overground platforms before I found the right one, crucially meaning Elsie caught a Stratford while I had to wait for the next. Stratford was crowded with Hammers, but I made it out to Newbury Park and was on the way back when eight hours ticked up. After deliberation I opted to take the Jubilee from Stratford rather than go via Mile End in an attempt to save some time, in the event the only difference it made was that I had to watch two consecutive Barking terminators sail through at Upton rather than just one! (Of course, when I wanted to change to the HCL at Barking on the way home, all the trains were on the District Line!). Then on to Elm for a slightly disappointing 8:35:53 to come last to Elsie by 50 seconds, thanks to the confusion at H&I. Had it not been for that and my hesitation at EC, I reckon I could have had an 8:15 but my mind boggles at how this would have still been an hour outside the three fastest times!

My dodgy ankles held up pretty well considering, so looking forwards to more Tube Shenanigans (including possibly a FNC recce run) in the New Year!
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The only person to have used a boat in a Random 15 Challenge!
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