There and Back Again by Lysander

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle marked the Sprint World Orienteering Championships that took place in Edinburgh in July 2024, when the puzzle was published. The path drawn in the grid represented a possible route for an orienteer visiting 12 controls, following the directions (compass BEARING + DISTANCE = number of cells) given by the corrections to clue misprints: N9, SW2, N1, W3, NW2, S2, SW5, SE3, E1, NE1, NW3 and E6. The letters at the path’s turning points spelt ORIENTEERING, which with the other unclued entries formed SPRINT WORLD ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS, EDINBURGH.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint Answer Explanation
Across
6 (N)ull GEEGAW GEE + GAW(p)
11 cr(I)nate FINNSKO FINN + ’S + KO
12 U(S)’s ON ICE ONCE around I
13 Ne(W)er TRENDIER END in TRIER
15 (B)itter ACID C in AID
16 sudde(N) ICTIC (CT + I) in (I + C(hanges))
17 val(U)ed STRAD (earlie)ST RAD(io)
19 (W)aves SONIC SIC around ON
22 (M)ount GET UP (PUT + EG) <
23 Bo(N)d GLUE G(etting) L(it) U(p) E(arly)
24 (W)asher CLEANSER LEANS in (CE + R)
25 (L)ingo SINDI IS < around IND
26 human(S) CESTOID EDICTS * around O
27 Cur(V)es’ ORDERS ROSE * around RD
28 brai(S)ed CHOLENT CH + OLENT
Down
1 po(W)er BIONIC IONIC after B
2 f(O)rce EUNUCH NU in (EU + CH)
3 accu(S)ation RECRIMINATE RETE around CRIMINA(l)
4 ent(E)ral ILEAC (F)ILE A C(laim)
5 (C)rena NOTCHINGS NOTHINGS around C
7 (E)ire ENNIS (t)ENNIS
8 s(K)in ENDOTHELIAL (LIE OF THE LAND) * − F
9 Lo(N)e AKELA (ALE + KA) <
11 W(E)re FRIVOLLED OVERFILLED * − E
14 G(A)ll IRRITANT (IR + NT) around RITA; ref. Educating Rita
18 fla(N) PUDDEN DUP < + DEN
19 (W)ine SECCO CO after SEC
20 s(C)anner OGLER (REL + GO) <
21 Mal(E) CONOR NO in COR
22 (P)laster GESSO G + ESSO
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