In adventures and races, there is a regular question, "how much time do I put into recceing?".
I'll answer this in a roundabout kind of way. Stuff goes wrong in adventures, and things change to what you're expecting in races.
Here's some experiences I've been reflecting on -
1989 in the Pyrenees stuck high after a big thunderstorm. No way back down, over spate rivers.
1995, Salisbury Plain, gearbox failure
1997, Bay of Biscay, complete electrical failure.
2000, Southwest Approaches, broken rudder and storm force winds
2007, Isle of Man End 2 End race, complete route re-route
2009, Sub Sahara, complete electrical failure
2012, Howgills, much colder than planned
2014, Marathon de Sables, foot destruction and nutrition wants changing
2022, Kit missing
So, on the face of it, how would recceing, or not make any difference?
It comes down to mindset, and it's this that answers the question, how much do you recce?
Recceing is a double edge sword, I think. If you are prepared, totally prepared, you have the capacity to deal with things that change. If there are chinks in your preparation then there is always the element of self doubt that can overwhelm your mental ability to cope.
Say you're running your first half marathon, and you've never run over 10km. You recce the route, all seems good, you feel confident. Then, race day, you haven't slept well, the weather is hotter than you like, and you forgot your favourite socks. Your knowledge of the route becomes a challenge - "how far is it?", "I can't do this", "this is harder than when I recced" and this leads to lots of negative self talk in that brain in your head.
On the other hand, there are things (first ascents, or journeys, and some races) where recceing is actually impossible. Preparation is more focussed on coping, or surviving for the required amount of time, and having enough internal resilience to problem solve to get the job done.
What I've learnt over the years is that when things don't go quite to plan, that's when the enduring stories are created.
So, should you recce a big journey?
Well, maybe, it is a tool in preparation, but it needs to be used very carefully in that your "plan" might have to change, and you need to be confident that the changing plan is something that you can "enjoy" when things might seem tough.
I've written before about the ability to not rely on kit, and recceing is the same. Prepare well enough to be able to cope when the recce is wrong, and then a recce can have lots of value.
Proper.
Prior.
Preparation & Planning.
Prevents.
Piss.
Poor.
Performance.
There are no "magic tablets" in preparation. No short cut is worth it. But, if you can keep your head, when all else are losing theirs, then recceing is probably a useful thing to do, if you can. When I was taking part in Marathon des Sables, I was amazed at the number of people who, in the first 15km of the 240km event, gave up. I couldn't imagine going into a hostile environment without preparation. Even as all my wheels came off, I was focussed on the last 10 steps of my journey.
Skills are a huge part of preparation. I'd do that in priority over a recce. It doesn't matter on the environment - know what you are going to do if things vary from what your expectation, and you depower that negative voice for long enough to come up with a new plan.
The question to ask, I think, either of you, or someone who knows and you trust is, "will a recce anchor me to a plan or expectations?"
If the answer = "yes", then I wouldn't recce.
If the answer = "no", then a recce might be a useful too.
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