2008 - So far and coming up
In this part of Scotland, the start of the year is often quiet for orienteering. Some other parts have night leagues (FVO in Stirling, the Deeside clubs) or meet regularly for training indoors and out of doors. With the geographical spread of EckO and the low population base this kind of activity is harder to achieve. The committee tries to ensure an event a month. In January we had to postpone the event due to a clash of events in the forest (we wanted to have a mountain bike O but there was already a cycle race booked and this was not discovered until almost the date of the event). However there has already been an event in February and will be one in March.
Paul & I have been to a couple of low key orienteering events this year. Andy Dale, helped by Ross Lilley, put on an enjoyable street event in Oban at the start of February. Andy made a special street map, using the sprint O symbols for urban areas. He also had the sadistic bit of a few controls near the end of the course around McCaig’s Folly at the top of the hill. Some of the legs had good route choice - spilt comparisons are interesting! I just managed to avoid the rain but found it rather windy along the front so this affected my route choice at times. Have a look at the RouteGadget for the course
We stopped at the Robin’s Nest tea shop in Taynuilt on the way home and I am pleased to report that the scones are up to their usual high standard! I should have been at the British Orienteering coaching conference in Shropshire that weekend but the snow on the M6 meant that we (I was travelling with two folks from Glasgow) called off.
If it’s an ‘even’ year then it is the Stag Faskally Knoll Kollection event in February (‘odd’ years have the Boulder Bonanza, held at Allean in the past). I had signed up for the Grade 2 Controllers’ course at Glenmore Lodge on the Saturday so we stopped off at Pitlochry on the Sunday. There was electronic punching this year which led to some wearing 3 x S. I. cards (as the old ones have a capacity of about 30). Paul & I had the newer cards which hold about 60+ so we had an old one in our pocket in case we did really well! However, Terry had to alter the rules. In the past there have been a total of 81 available knolls. The S. I. software will only cope with a maximum of 64 ‘punches’. A bit of thinking on his feet and the rules were altered to ‘no dot knolls, if 2 knolls were close together they became a ‘kol’ with one control between them’. A mass start, some headless chicken running and not sure exactly which knoll I was at and then settling down after the speed kings had left me behind. The time limit is an hour but I had forgotten to take a note of the exact real time we started at so I arrived back almost 6 minutes early with a ‘kollection’ of 51 knolls. I was quite pleased with this and even more so when Paul arrived back a couple of minutes later with 47 knolls. Again, the RouteGadget makes very interesting viewing:
After giving Terry a hand to collect some of the controls, we headed for Dunkeld and another of our ‘must visit’ tea rooms. We had to queue for a little while but I am pleased to report that the cranberry flapjack is up to their usual high standard!
We are entered for the Scottish Night Champs on Saturday 23rd February. This year it is being held at Kinneill Woods, just west of Bo’ness. It is a small woodland, good path network and few branches on the forest floor. Paul & I do not have the large headlamps many wear so do not expect great results. I’m sure we will enjoy our outing though!
In March the orienteering calendar is packed with something on each weekend – why don’t you put some of these dates in your diary and come along? Any committee member will be happy to advise you about these events
- Sunday 2nd March: SOL (Scottish Orienteering League) 1: Drumlanrig, near Thornhill, Dumfries
- Sunday 9th March: Bike O, Fearnoch & AGM, Taynuilt
- Sunday 16th March: CompassSport Cup, North Pentlands, near Edinburgh
- Easter weekend: 22nd – 23rd March: we are off to Surrey to the annual JK festival. This is a large orienteering event (about 2000 competitors) with quite a holiday atmosphere.
- 29th – 30th March: Ladies only training, Kingussie & Moray coast
- 19th – 20th April; British Orienteering Champs (open to all) will be held at Culbin on the Moray Coast.
Just after this the EckO evening Spring Series begins with an event at Coille Nathais (near Taynuilt) on Wednesday 23rd April. Starts times for the Spring series are between 6pm and 7 pm. More details are available on the events page.
Lynne Walker
