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Summer Series so far….

….apart from not being very summery (!) has got off to a good start again and we’re seeing quite a few newcomers as the result of the pre-series coaching and promotion. This is great but causing a few headaches for our coaches as there simply aren’t enough of them to go round!

Whilst we will always try and have someone allocated to welcome newcomers and provide hints and tips, if I could ask our regulars to look out for new faces and make them feel welcome by saying hello and offering any assistance, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Sam

Summer Series points after two events

Collieston Multi-Terrain Challenge Sat 6th July 11am

When we use Forvie for our bigger events, we park in a local farmer’s field and take a collection which goes towards the Collieston Pier Fund. Now’s your chance to donate again and have a bit of fun by taking part in the Collieston Multi-Terrain Challenge on Sat 6th July when you can choose between 3, 5 or 10k routes around Collieston and Forvie Nature Reserve starting from or near the Community Centre in Colieston at 11am. If you need more details, contact the organiser on 01358 751325.

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Aberdeen Mountain Rescue Team, Sponsored Walk 2013

Every year thousands of people walk, climb, bike and run in the Cairngorms and the mountains surrounding the rivers Dee and Don and the vast majority do so in complete safety and never need assistance from anyone other than their companions. But often enough, people do get into severe difficulties and then they require the help of a more specialised kind. Aberdeen MRT, along with Braemar MRT and Police Scotland (ex-Grampian Police) MRT, are available for call-out 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to mountain incidents anywhere in the Grampian Region (and further afield if necessary) which includes much of the Cairngorms, the mountains around Lochnagar and Glen Shee and the lower hills and forests such as those at Fetteresso, Bennachie and Pitfichie.

People are rescued from the Scottish mountains totally free of charge but unlike the emergency services, mountain rescue is not funded solely by the government and the vast bulk of an MRT’s annual operating costs are met by donations given by members of the public. All of the Team members are dedicated volunteers and none of them are paid for their time but training and equipping an MRT takes a lot of money on an annual basis, even before the cost of each rescue is taken into consideration. The Sponsored Walk is the primary way in which Aberdeen MRT funds itself from year to year.

Further details can be obtained from the website .
If anyone wishes to make a donation directly to Aberdeen MRT they can do so by visiting http://www.justgiving.com/aberdeenmountainrescue

Many thanks and best regards,

Hugh Wallace   for Aberdeen and St. John Mountain Rescue Association

Walk Poster 2013 b.pdf
Spon_Walk_Entry_Form 2013.pdf

We’ve never needed the Aberdeen MRT crew at an event yet, touch wood, but you never know. Anyone interested in getting a Team GRAMP together to take part? Rachel

Orienteers and tree diseases

You’ll all have heard about Ash Dieback by now and seen the round robin from BOF that Ian circulated a while ago with advice on how we can help prevent the spread of this and other tree diseases. Here’s a little reminder of how we as orienteers (who are therefore more likely to visit parts of the woods most others never reach), can help prevent the spread – and it’s really worth paying more attention this time as the spring/summer weather tempts us all out and about and especially as Glen Dye has been confirmed as victim of an outbreak of a similar disease affecting larch.

You can help by following these guidelines whether orienteering or just out for a walk:

• If possible, thoroughly wash all footwear, paws and bike/buggy tyres before leaving the area – the spores are carried in clods of mud and leaf litter stuck to these – but don’t just dunk your shoes in the nearest stream as this will simply disperse any contamination all the more effectively!
• Alternatively, wash footwear, paws and tyres when you get home and using a garden fungicide will make this more effective (but not on the paws please)
• Thoroughly wash and dry any clothing especially if it’s clarted in mud – preferably give it 48 hours before reuse if possible. Spores are wind-bourne before they get into the mud so you may pick some up while running around. (Even if you haven’t, it’s common courtesy to other orienteers down-wind of you at the next event!)

If you want more info on tree diseases then here are a few links or you can ask our resident biosecurity expert, Gen.

Poster showing spread of identified outbreaks throughout Britain as of Feb 2103
Juniper Dieback – many of the areas we use have juniper
Phytophthora ramorum – Latin for “the larch one”
Chalara fraxinea – Latin for “the ash one”

Unlike Foot and Mouth, the effects of these diseases aren’t so easy to see so easily forgotten about. Please remember and help orienteering to maintain its good reputation with landowners by doing your bit. Thanks.

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Deeside Night Cup

When the clocks change and the nights draw in, the hard core strap on head torches and relish the challenge of night orienteering. The Deeside Night Cup courses are as technical as we can make them with no concessions to the dark and really sort the heroes from the zeroes. The rest of us just have fun scaring ourselves getting lost and found in bits of deepest and really darkest Aberdeenshire we thought we knew really well until somebody turned the lights out.

Watch this space……

Autumn Urban Sprint Series

Come September, we’ll keep the weekly happenings going with our Urban Sprint Series. One course, TD3, great for keeping the hard-gained summer fitness and O-brain ticking over.

Watch this space……