The third event in the Jubilee Five festival of orienteering in Royal Deeside was the mountain bike orieteering competition, held in Scolty and Blackhall Forest, south of the River Dee near Banchory.
Conditions were as near as perfect as you could ask for – dry trails (mostly…though John Mason managed to fin a wet ditch to fall into!), blue skies, fluffy white clouds, nice sunshine, cool temperatures (14C). Fifty-nine riders spread across three courses showed us how mountain biking should be done. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves whilst discovering that Scolty and Blackhall are particularly well blessed with those brown line things called contours. This makes route choice on a MTB much more interesting.
My thanks to Planner (Richard Oxlade), Controller (Sarah Dunn) and my helpers Duncan Grassie, Josh Dudley and Rachel Scott.
RH
(For anyone still wondering about the non-competitive nature of this event, the Forestry Commission were concerned for the safety of other forest users on a busy (for Scolty) Bank Holiday so granted permission for our event providing the urge to speed recklessly was removed by making it an event rather than a race.)
GRAMPIAN ORIENTEERS 