Orienteering during Lockdown

Webmaster Fri, 12/06/2020 - 21:34

Whilst regular orienteering events are still few and far between, there are still opportunities to get out there and enjoy the essence of the sport, whether you're a seasoned orienteer looking to hone their skills, a runner seeking an alternative to that cancelled race, or a family looking for something to keep the children entertained.

Permanent Courses 

Permanent Course controlThe club has five permanent courses spread throughout our area. Each has a selection of pre-planned courses making use of the permanent marker posts that you can tackle at a time of your choosing. For most, maps can now be downloaded for you to print at home. See the individual page for each area for more details.

MapRun

MapRun screenshotMapRun is a free mobile phone app which, having selected a course, will notify you when you're in the correct location for each control (unlike a permanent course, there is no marker on the ground). The club has a back catalogue of MapRun courses available which you can participate in at any time. Most use urban areas with a simplified map which you can either view on your phone or download to print out. Once completed, you can compare your time and route with other participants.

Whether you choose a permanent course or MapRun, please be courteous to other users of the area and make sure you follow the government guidelines, particularly with regard to social distancing.

Results - Hincheslea and Yewtree Bottom

Profile picture for user Colin Hicks
Colin Hicks Sun, 20/09/2020 - 19:17

Organisers comments

Today's collaboration with Wimborne Orienteers worked really well, enabling 60 orienteers to get back to orienteering in the New Forest. We were privileged to be able to use the Setthorns campsite to practice social distance parking, and use of the Emit touchscreen punching system meant no dibbing required in the control units, and the unlikely chance of cross contamination. Thanks to all who volunteered to help from both clubs. Particularly to Pete Davis doing all the computing and Allan Farrington (Emit UK) for the loan of the kit. Particular mention to Mark Light our SOC novice planner on an excellent job, well done. Thanks also to Kevin Bracher SOC for controlling the event, and keeping Mark and myself on the right lines, with constructive comment and help. 
Colin Hicks

Planners comments

The combination of excellent weather and what was for many a return to orienteering in the forest seemed to put people in high spirits - no doubt helping to smooth over any wrinkles my novice course planning may have resulted in!
People were very complimentary about their courses, with bracken height in some areas being the only occasional negative. 

We only ran a Light Green and Blue course, having dropped the Yellow as there were no takers for that level.  In hindsight, the removal of the Yellow course may have opened up opportunities for a better finish on the remaining courses, but we were coming up to the deadline for map production at that point.

The other improvement that I could have made was more dissimilar numbering of the first control on the two courses.  Even though the controls were on different features, and on different faces of the spur, that change may have reduced the number of people who were disqualified for punching the wrong one.  Thank you Pete Davis for that feedback.

I would like to thank both Kevin and Colin for their oversight and mentoring during the planning process.  They helped me avoid dogs-legs and a couple of poor control sites (which I quite liked) whilst the courses and underlying map were in flux. 

All-in-all, it was an interesting experience that led to a very enjoyable day.
Mark Light

 

Results

Routegadget

Event

Hincheslea Closed Event

November Classic 2020 cancelled

Profile picture for user Pete Davis
Pete Davis Fri, 18/09/2020 - 06:59

It is with a heavy heart that we cancel this year's November Classic. The club committee and event officials took the decision after considering all factors, the limit on participant numbers imposed by Forestry England being the major one. British Orienteering are making representations and we may see the restriction eased in the coming weeks. Even so the likelihood is that numbers allowed will not support a decent November Classic.

Discussions are continuing on a replacement event.