As the summer months draw to a close (and “the summer months” last well into October, in much the same way as your “mid-20s” last until 29), it’s time to look forward to autumn and winter attractions. And for those who like to keep their brains warm as well as their legs moving, it’s tough to beat a bit of Trailquest action.

Trailquests are MTB orienteering events, a little like the legendary Polaris Challenge but shorter – they generally last 3-4 hours rather than two whole days. Get a map, find checkpoints, score points. Simple.

The Dark And White events in and around the Derbyshire Peak District are amongst the most popular Trailquests, with upwards of 200 competitors. Their Winter League has six events, with Round 1 in the White Peak doubling up as the Trail Cyclists’ Association Regional Championships. That’s a four hour event, all the others are three:

• 19/10/2003 White Peak
• 9/11/2003 Pindale/Hope Valley
• 7/12/2003 Chapel/Hayfield
• 11/1/2004 Carsington/Matlock
• 8/2/2004 Edale/Hope Valley
• 7/3/2004 Ashbourne/White Peak

More details and entry forms are available at www.darkandwhite.co.uk, with further Trailquest information from www.trailquest.co.uk.