And re: the direction, it's basically West, pointing at heading 270° on the start line.
There is nothing wrong with your instructions in the first post. I simply couldn't be bothered to go and check them when I first landed on Pomeche (removing the headset and wandering upstairs to the other machine...)!
Haven't managed to make it to the end yet, and I'm completing the first stage in around ten minutes currently. I do like the hot SRV pickups from in the ravine, though - don't know why, but it is really satisfying to be collected by a hovering ship.
I'm down to two SRVs as I did pop one on a fall. Almost lost another, but managed to regain control just in time. I think I should have brought more.