Oh, look, it's June!

[kake]

Just a small reminder that we're doing the June challenge again this year.

Here are the themes: theme I, theme II, theme III. To complete the challenge, all you need to do is make an attempt during June 2012 to follow at least one set of instructions from each theme, and then report back to the community, either via a complete trip report or simply by leaving a comment on this post stating what you did and how it went.

As last year, various bits of flaneurs swag will be offered to everyone who completes the challenge.

Comments

[spiralsheep]

I might've managed a semblance of ii(b) in between the cats-n-dogs flooding and flying trees. Report, erm, some time later.

[kake]

Hurrah!

[spiralsheep]

For the second year running I have scored a spectacular NIL POINTS of utter fail for challenge III(c). Last year I failed to find a multi-award winning cafe in Worcester. This year I found my intended target in Birmingham... and it was closed! The walk was fun though. Report to follow in a few days.

[kake]

Oh dear!

bob and I did some synchronised I.(c) bus flânage the other weekend — we started at the same stop at the same time but I did n=5 and he did n=6. We ended up in completely different places. Report(s) to come!

[spiralsheep]

That sounds fascinating. ::awaits reports with interest::

I also managed a fun I(a) in Worcester and a slog around a surprisingly tiring II(a) also in Worcester.

(This comment doesn't require a reaction. :-) I'm just noting these here so I remember to write reports some time later.)

[kake]

And I am noting down that I did III(d) with my 6.5-week-old nephew yesterday :)

[spiralsheep]

Yay! Start 'em young! ;-)

I keep looking at that one but I suspect a II(d) might prove more fruitful. Although, unless the cats n dogs n flying trees let up long enough to make an expedition worthwhile, my next walks will probably be a II(a) in the opposite direction from my first and a II(b) parallel to the one I did last year (or two, one on each side). I foresee more blank Worcester back alleys in my immediate future, heh.

[spiralsheep]

Today I achieved the II(d) in Worcester in the opposite direction to my first. I found it surprisingly tiring again (and I was right about the blank alleys).

I also think I might've thought up a possible new flaneurs challenge, heh.

[kake]

Ooh, do tell re the new challenge!

BTW I spent 10 minutes earlier today tagging up all the individual June challenge "activities". So there is now a count in the sidebar showing the most popular (at least the most popular that people have actually posted about — I realise now that I still owe a post for last year's, oops).

[spiralsheep]

I'm going to test my idea for a challenge a couple of times to see what happens before I try to explain. I think it'll work but it'd probably need to be an add-your-own-constraints challenge (although I have a few suggestions).

I LOVE the tags on this com! It's interesting to see that people seem to choose the simplest and most complex challenges and ignore the middle ground.

[spiralsheep]

I've now tested this a couple of times in low and medium-rise urban areas and I think it more or less works (with local tweeks) but suggested refinements would be welcome.

Vertical navigation: highs and lows

The goal is to walk to the highest accessible point and/or the lowest accessible point.

Example highs and lows: (low-rise areas) bridges or tunnels, (medium-rise) public buildings such as libraries or multi-storey car parks or underground car parks, (high-rise) viewing platforms on landmark buildings or skyline eateries or retail areas in skyscrapers. Suggestions?

(a) Navigate from a familiar place, such as your home or work, to the nearest significant high or low.

(b) Navigate from an information point, such as tourist information or a library, to a significant high or low they suggest when asked.

(c) Navigate from a randomly chosen point to the nearest significant high or low.

(d) Choose a high point with a reasonable view. Look around then choose another significant high (or low) point and navigate there there. Repeat as often as required.

You can define what is a "significant" high or low, whether that's absolute height or relative height (e.g. you might decide a 5 storey building in a dip is a more significant change in height than a 3 storey building on a nearby hill).

You are, of course, allowed to use lifts/elevators and escalators and public transport as available/needed.

You don't have to ascend/descend if you prefer to stay at ground level. Persistently looking up or down in an otherwise familiar environment can reveal new aspects of a place (but remember to pay attention to potential hazards on the level you're at while you're doing this).

[kake]

I love this! Shall we do it as a month's challenge on its own, or add it as a theme for next year's June challenge?

Would a deep-level Tube platform count as a significant low? I reckon so, if the flâneur could justify why that particular Tube station is of interest to them. And then the Dangleway could count as a significant high :)

[spiralsheep]

I wondered if it should have a test-run challenge before it's added to June but either/both is fine. In a high-rise city it's a good excuse for walking undercover in unfriendly weather but in many medium or low-rise areas the outside highs would be colder/wetter. I also noted how much difference leaves would make to views in medium and low-rise areas so here Nov-March (ish) would be completely different to April-October.

I think tube platforms are an excellent example cos they're not only a low (or a high in some "underground" stations) but also very local/city specific.

I didn't know the Dangleway had its own nickname already, hee!

[kake]

I'm thinking it might be better in its own month, since if we put too many themes in the June challenge then completists will be unhappy! Perhaps in an equinox month would be good? In which case it would be March, since we already have a September challenge.

[spiralsheep]

Good point about the completism, heh. Everything else is entirely up to you. Being a year-round urban walker with no personal goals means I'm very flexible.

[kake]

OK! I've put a note in my diary to get this up and running in March next year. Thank you!

London Underground highs and lows

[spiralsheep]

For reference (warning: wikipedia), "Hampstead is the deepest station below the surface, at 58.5 metres (64 yards, 192 feet). However, it is not the deepest below sea level, as its surface building is near the top of a hill. The deepest platforms below sea level are the Jubilee Line platforms at Westminster which are -32 metres (-35 yards). The highest station is Amersham on the Metropolitan line.

[...] Only 45% of the Underground's route mileage is in tunnel: despite its name, substantial parts of the system are on brick viaducts. The highest point above ground on the Underground is the Dollis Brook Viaduct over Dollis Road between Finchley Central and Mill Hill East on the Northern Line, 18 metres (60 feet) above the ground."

Re: London Underground highs and lows

[spiralsheep]

And, "Highest & Lowest

The highest point reached by London Underground trains is at Amersham on the Metropolitan Line at about 500 feet above sea level. However the highest point above the ground is reached on the Dollis Brook Viaduct on the Mill Hill East branch of the Northern Line which is 60 feet above the road below.

The lowest point on the system is just south of Waterloo station on the Northern, where the tracks are 70 feet below sea level. The absolute deepest part of the system is also on the Northern where, below Hampstead Heath, the rails are over 220 feet below the ground.

Nearby Hampstead station is also the deepest station on the network at 192 feet below ground level. The platforms here are reached by the deepest lifts on the system which descend 181 feet."

From: http://www.londonrailways.net/html/information.html