Just been doing the route planning with my rally buddy this afternoon and noticed that this year the maps (in the programme) don't show the full route taken by the drivers. Short sections of it have been enlarged, accompanied of course by "reccomended viewing areas".

They've clearly don this so that you aren't tempted to trot off down the stage to find a better spot.

I'm sure the maps in previous years have shown the full route through the forest.

Any elephants out there who can remember better than me?

was the same last year!

lets hope people dont trot off and we get to see what we paid for.

Yep was deffo the same last year. Good point though it would be nice to see the whole route.

If you have the OS maps and the programme it's not too dificult to work out the stages. Use the 'leg' maps as a guide and it usually falls into place - I have most from last year which seem to be mostly the same

I hope you arent thinking about wanting to decide for yourself where to watch on the stage! How will you manage to find a safe spot to watch? You might even want to step onto the road to find a good vantage point away from the pens and that would never do!

Flat in fith this is now the Rally of the Nanny state you Know, you better make shure you get there early. Still it will be nice with all of us standing in those pens it will give them a bigger target to aim for only joking !!

I couldnt possibly comment as I am being criticized for being too negative about the event (oooooooooooooooh!) but should you wish to think for yourself, then you will have to face the wrath of Senior Marshall and all his cronies. You have been warned!

yawn

:-)

Just think in 10 years time we will be able to watch from granstands and sit behind 30 foot catch fencing behind the tree line that will be exciting.

Dont get ure hopes up... You'll never get speccy facilities that good! lol

Sorry but im yet another person whos here and gonna be critising the event. i think its good that the routes not all shown in the program. It'll discourage the people who dont know much about rallying from wandering off... Any rally fan who knows what they're doing will easily find the route and be able to actually watch the rally rather than watch their backs in fear of being hit by fireworks...

I know a lot of you out there know what you're doing on a rally but there are thousands that do not and these are the poeple that the news setup has catered for. How does a marshal know from looking at a person whether they will end up further down the road in a dangerous position.

call me a bit thick but as I have not yet received my programme or attended last year (when the new setup was brought in), but am I right in thinking that you now cant 'choose' where to watch from, you have to watch from were your told ?

There's usually a few spectator areas you can watch from for each car park.

so ami right in thinking that we can't walk down/up the stage to find a good position, even if were safe?? do we have to stay in the pens provided?

That is right, spectators are no longer allowed to walk the stage.

wish I'd have known that beforehand then, its all part of the rally experience, wouldn't have bothered paying £30 each if you cant find your own place to watch from. Or can you, just as long as you dont walk ON the stage ? ie can you still find your own place to watch as long as you stay in the forest to get there ?

i had no problem walking into the forest last year and finding my own spot........ just do it carefully. and dont stand in a stupid spot

cheers scoff

as long as we don't walk on the stage and stand in mental places were ok?

regards
Jon

This happened last year. The good news is that my son (15) has our 2001 programme with all the routes shown. I understand the safety issue, but a full map helps fans position the cars as they come through the forests. I'm using a bike and OS map to try and find an alternative route from the car park to the stage wherever possible (ans safe). There's no point going if we can't see. It's either that or climb the trees!

dont they still give you that single stage program on entering the carpark with the full stage route on it (carnt remember from last year )

so if you leave the spectator footpath (I assume there is one) would I be right in thinking that if you stay behind the tree line and are sensible with where you stop to view you will be OK?

all depends on the guys in the saftey car
if they think as soon as the 0 cars been through you will stand on the road edge (for a better veiw ) then they will move you on
in resolfen many years ago there was 10 people on the out side of a 4th gear corner the saftey car asked them to move,which they did
soon as he went they were back ! after the first went past and sprayed them mud and slate 3 of them walked of with cut faces so its best to stand were your told is safe not were you think is safe ?

Yeah, its better to be safe folks...me and my friends visited resolven last year and we decided to cross a mental valley (and river) to get to a better viewing spot...we were positioned in a lay-by next to the stage, where the cars were on the other side of the road....well out the way and the marshals were fine about it too

just be clever, stay safe...but by all means check out the stage!

Using last year's maps I plotted the route on my OS maps, but it turns out that there's a section near the start of Rheola that's quite different (longer) and a whole seciton of Resolfen that's cut out, to make room for the Rhondda stage, making Resolfen about 7kms shorter this year. The other stages I'm going to, Brechfa and Halfway, are unchanged.