Looking at the route description which is now available for download I see the extension has been abandoned and we have a repeat of 2009.
Never mind, thanks all concerned who found the route but then had to give it up.
Looking forward to it, but only if we have the weather of two years ago!

To explain Al's slightly cryptic posting, we estimate that the true distance of the original 2009 route is about 30.5 miles.

If we use the 2009 route, but add a simple diversion into the beautiful Lyscombe Valley, it adds about another 1.5 miles + another fine Dorset hill. This makes it rather tight in timing for some walkers to finish inside the 11 hour limit.

In 2009, everyone finished inside 11 hours, but it was dry underfoot and the weather conditions were ideal. On the Marshals Walk last Sunday (using the longer Lyscombe Valley route) some marshals did not finish inside 11 hours. And the weather was also ideal.

It is a lovely alternative, but it may just be a little bit too far for the time available. If we had wet weather, I think at least another hour would be required, perhaps more for slower walkers.

So you can see why we are deliberating about the Lyscombe Valley route. We do not want participants finishing in the dark, and the hard working crew at the finish would really like to clear up the hall at Stratton at a reasonable hour and go home to a well earned rest.

We do not intend to extend the CP and finish deadlines. If we use the original 2009 route, omitting the Lyscombe Valley, it is still an excellent walk.

Whatever the final decision, the route descriptions will be posted on our Dorset Group website in a couple of weeks time.

With The Giant's Daughter event now all full up and now just a month away, the Dorsets have been hard at work. They can report that the scenery of the revised 30 mile route officially rates as AAA* following a successful Marshals' Walk. There are a few photos here of marshals at work.
There was some discussion about whether to come clean with the true length of the 30 mile route, it being 31.71 miles, or was it 31.54? As I recall, the decision was to keep it secret.
The best of luck to all with the weather (as The Umbrella Man will not be there!)