oldglutton6

Jon Duncan Junior Deeside Cup 2019

Due to potential conflicting Junior age class course designations at the Maroc Cambus O’May event on 10th November it has been decided to exclude the event from the JD2 Cup for this year.

The event is being used for the Scottish Junior Inter Areas Championships 2019 Individual and all Juniors are encouraged to enter their age class course which isn’t the same way that the (JD)2C system works, hence the conflict. So the 2019 (JD)2C standings are being calculated from the 8 events completed to date, ending with GRAMP’s Forvie event on 6th Oct, and will be published shortly. Watch this space….

Good luck to all our North East Juniors at Cambus O’May!

Forvie 6/10/19 Regional Results

Final Results
Splits
RouteGadget
BOF points (calculated overnight)
Any mis-spellings or other errors please contact webmaster@grampoc.com.

Apologies for the lack of results display screen today – a slight oversight in the extension cable department. Good to see some tourists from quite far intrigued to give Forvie a go for the first time and seems like you relished the navigational challenges if not the weather and later runners definitely saw the best side of the area in the sun.

Big thank you to our officials today: Planner Murray Anderson, Organiser Ian Hamilton (so relaxed he went for a run round the Green to join the fun) and Controller Andy Tivendale.
Also all our helpers: Gen Jones, Kate Anderson, Langs x3, Lindsey Esson, Langs, Helen Greenwood, Farquharsons x3, Pete Lawrence, Nigel Robinson, George Esson, Bob Daly, Griffins x4, David Esson, Dennis McDonald, Rachel Scott and Willow the campervan plus reserves Gomersalls x2 and Neil McLean.

Autumn Urban Sprint Series 2019 Final Results

Final points and here by category    

Big thanks to all our organisers and everyone who came and ran too. Need both to make a series!

.

CONGRATULATIONS TO CATEGORY CHAMPS FOR 2019:

Samantha McDonald    JU16 (Under 16 and shadowed)
Olivia Coman and Sam Griffin           J  (16 – 20)
James Ball AUOC and Katrina McLeod        Open
Ros Nicholson and Tim Griffin        V  (40 – 50)
Dennis McDonald and Lesley Gomersall SV (55 – 60)
Sheena Farquhar MAROC and George Esson   UV (65+)
James Ball AUOC and  Marie Bernard        Best Newcomers

4th Sep Westburn Park   (Griffins)
11th Sep Westhill (David Esson)
18th Sep Duthie Park (John Lang)
25th Sep Cove (Ros Nicholson)
2nd Oct  Aberdeen Uni (Dennis McDonald)

GJO news and congrats

Firstly, congratulations to three GJOs who have just achieved milestone awards (or should that be kilometrestone in Ospeak?):
Olivia Coman – 50 events
Lachlan Kirk – 25 events
Isobel Anderson – 10 events

And congratulations to Jeremy and Pamela who have a new born son, Magnus.
“Not long before he’ll be running in events! Time flies….” says Dad.

Finally, congratulations to all the young Scots who were victorious in the Junior Inter Regional Championships in Yorkshire last weekend.

GRAMP SOULsters

Urban Sprints 2/10/19 Aberdeen Uni

Final points and here by category Results and Splits
These are the right set of results and splits not the Cove ones which I somehow managed to copy across last week. Oops! But nobody said anything so maybe I should have just kept quiet?

Thanks to Dennis for leading us round some of the trickier corners of the area and playing mind games with some of us who think we know it well enough to agonise over route choices rather than just picking one and going for it. For example, 13 to 14 I was sorely tempted to go off piste and run round the roads to the west just to test my memory.
Thanks also to David for computing and the control collectors who went round in the dark tidying up.

Final Urban Series 2019 points –  and by category

********************************************************************
Sam Griffin, Josie Gomersall, Lachlan Kirk, Marianne Lang, Lesley Gomersall, Carol Jackson and Rory Halliday
Please bring your 2018 trophies to the meal or Forvie or contact me on webmaster@grampoc.com to arrange drop off/posting
Ta!
*********************************************************************

Gramp Meal 5/10/19 at Palm Court Hotel

There’s still time for you to decide come and join us for the club meal out at the Palm Court Hotel on Saturday 5 October at 7pm.
Just send an email to Zoe (zojogriffin@hotmail.com) by the 27th September if you want to come with your menu choices.
The menu can be found here https://palmcourthotel.co.uk/menus/palm-court/palm-court-bothy-main-menu.pdf Ta!
Z

Urban Sprints 25/9/19 Cove

Results and Splits

What a pea souper! I did have a photo emailed to me by Adrian N but doesn’t seem to have made it through the fog for me to show you – very atmospheric with a halo round the street lamp and a crowd of orienteers huddled by the banner – for safety no doubt. You never know what or who might be lurking in those conditions as one startled dog found out after chasing us all around and getting further and further from its owner when Adrian W decided to pick it up and return it, but for a moment it must have wondered whether it was about to have a Cruella de Vil moment under cover of the fog.

Thanks to Ros, Hugh, Hazel, David, Pete and Dennis for planning/assisting/computing/control collecting.

Urban Series points after 3 events
*********2018 winners please bring your trophies back over the next two weeks or let me know and we’ll arrange drop off/posting*******

 Fog’s gone and photo through now.

Urban Sprints 18/9/19 Duthie Park and Ferryhill

Results and Splits

Urban Series points after 3 events
Good to see so many AUOC runners earlier in the series again this year so you can get 3 counting events. Welcome to Aberdeen!  I’ve lumped you all into the Men/Women Open categories but technically you might be in the Junior categories if still under 21? If you spot any mistakes or want me to move you into a different category then let me know via webmaster@grampoc.com.

*********2018 winners please bring your trophies back over the next two weeks or let me know and we’ll arrange drop off/posting*******

Katrina is W21 Scottish Score Champion 2019

Congratulations to Katrina McLeod on winning the W21 Scottish Score Champion crown at Faskally last weekend! 

Urban Sprints 11/9/19 Westhill

Results and Splits

Interesting idea combining 50/50 woods/streets. Did you like it? Shame I couldn’t make it but I did have an interesting urban encounter of my own this evening in the shape of a cheeky young fox nosing around hopefully for scraps at Union Square bus station.

GJO Awards

Eddy Coman has been hunting down GJOs to hand over certificates for various awards:

• Ailsa Anderson – 10 events
• Paul Caffyn – Green
• Morven Farquharson – Light Green
• Rory Halliday – 10 events
• Patrick Lang – Orange, Green
• Robert Prince – 5 events
• Emily Robertson – 5 events, Yellow
• Oli Robertson – 5 and 10 events, Yellow
• Connor Whitelaw – 10 events, Orange
• Duncan Will – 5 and 10 events
• Hannah Will – 5 events

If he hasn’t caught up with you yet, or you want to find out more about what it takes to gain the colour awards, then hunt him down at the Urban Sprints or our Forvie event coming up in October.

Urban Sprints 4/9/19 Westburn and Victoria Parks

Results and Splits

Looks like a good turnout, hopefully the rain held off for you all or maybe you like the water cooling while sprinting flat out? 

Resident (in every sense of the word) Sprint Champ, Sam Griffin, is off to a flying start in this year’s competition with Katrina McLeod now back in town leading the ladies. Good to see lots of other Junior names and families joining in the fun too.   

Summer Series 28/8/19 Templars Park

Results

Thanks to Stuart Anderson for rounding off this year’s Summer Series with a trip down memory lane hurriedly trying to glean just enough info from the master map to get us round. Next time you pick up a pre-printed map and just go you’ll be much more appreciative!

Eddy Coman was handing out Junior Awards and will be in touch with those who weren’t present to collect in person and we couldn’t manage to find an obliging clubmate who lives nearby to pass it on to you. Congratulations to you all and we’ll publish the list of names as soon as Eddy gets them over to me.

Tunnocks Tea Cakes also doled out to the planners – mmmmmm! – now if that’s not sufficient incentive for anyone to offer to plan something next year I don’t know what is.

Finally, thanks to the control collectors tonight especially Amber Graham who is not only Maroc but ran both Short and Long Techs as well as collecting. Great stuff!

Finally, finally, don’t forget that our Urban Sprint Series kicks off straight away next week at Westburn and Victoria Parks on the Griffs doorstep.
Overview of the series with timings and rules re Juniors can be found on the Urban Sprints page and details on each event will be posted each week as we’ve done for the Summer Series.

Jon Duncan Junior Deeside Cup 2019 – rankings after 6 events

Following Potarch and Balmedie here are the rankings after 6 events.

Oli Robertson still leading M10 while Joanna McDonald has taken the lead from Emily Robertson in W8. Sam McDonald is lying 2nd W10 and the Farquharson twins are comfortably leading W16 too so well done everyone!

Upcoming events:

28/8/19   MAROC   Glen Fearder EEE via Maroc website
6/10/19   GRAMP   Forvie
10/11/19 MAROC   Cambus O’May

• The (JD)2C competition will be run over 9 events with the best 5 scores counting for each runner.
• There will be 5 classes for girls and boys, using the ‘standard’ age classes, i.e.M8, M10, M12, M14, M16, W8, W10, W12, W14, W16
• Within each event, the Gramp/Maroc Junior who is highest placed for each course scores the  maximum course points: White 200, Yellow 300, Orange 400, Light Green 500, Green 600, Blue 700, Brown 800
• Points for subsequent runners are calculated using this formula:
  score = [(winner’s time)/(runner’s time)]*(maximum course points)
• Every effort will be made to provide a White course at each event. However, if this is not possible, the JDC organisers will review how many events will qualify for the M8 and W8 classes.
• If you are being shadowed or running in a pair, please declare this when you register. You will score half points for your run.
• The competition aims to provide competition in each age class. Juniors may choose the course
  appropriate to their ability. More difficult courses earn higher points.

Rules and events list pdf     Age class/course table

Summer Series 21/8/19 Raemoir

Results

The feedback was that the area is pretty rough underfoot so probably not the best for careering downhill, but no injuries and everyone managed to get back to the start. Apologies to Amber Graham who was the only one the end who I didn’t manage to get a time for as the Brikke reader was playing up.

Thanks to Pete Lawrence, Rachel Scott and David Esson for helping collect controls and Mrs Alexander at Cluny Crighton Farm for giving us permission to use the steading yard for parking.

Also thanks to everyone who bought a flapjack/muffin – another £10 raised for Antibiotic Research UK (ANTRUK), the world’s first charity to tackle antibiotic resistance. Their mission is to 1) develop new antibiotic therapies 2) educate the public and professionals about antibiotic resistance and 3) to provide patient support. They need to raise £0.5 million in the next year to do this.
Fiona will be running the Great Aberdeen Half Marathon this weekend with a team of colleagues from Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to raise money for ANTRUK. If you’d like to make any further donations or find out about the charity please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/runbatemanrun 
Dennis

(Think of it as personal insurance against needing effective antibiotics to treat Lyme Disease!  Rachel)

Summer Series 14/8/19 Mulloch

Results

I haven’t distinguished between map memory and the regular course, partly because I think there was some peeking going on, partly because a few people seem to know the area very well*. That said, my hat goes off to the handful of brave souls who went out there without a map for backup! 

Apologies to Paul Duley, whose brikke malfunctioned, and thanks to David Esson, who is valiantly trying to interrogate it. Many thanks to everyone who helped and/or collected in controls including: Hugh Nicholson, Adrian Will, Bob Daley, Dennis MacDonald, and Adrian Northcott.                        Ros

*Knowing the area didn’t help much as I got blase and accidentally started looking at the Short Tech map memory slices half way round the Long and then just made it up to finish thinking I knew what I was looking for but it’s all changed** so dramatically in the last 2 years it took me ages to convince myself I was on the so-called ‘ride’ leading to the last control.

**Definitely time for an update which is the perfect timing for me to mention our plans to get some extra hands on board to help Stuart Anderson break the back of the backlog of tweaks to be made to our maps. Anyone out there interested in a training session on how to operate Ocad or equivalent and get some tips on what to include and what to leave out etc?  Let myself or David Esson know and we’ll try to arrange something to suit a bit later in the year.    Rachel

Strathearn 2019 Scottish 6 Days

Good morning, Grandtully! This was the peaceful, misty scene snapped by Pete as he was waking controls up at 7 on Saturday morning for Gramp’s big day. A few hours later there were heffalump tracks everywhere and folk milling about all over trying to keep track of subtle vegetation changes while helter-skeltering downhill, gravity assisted. Great area and a great challenge to end the week.

Thanks to everyone who helped out on Day 6 and dutifully plugged away all day at the various tasks thrown at you, not least our GJOs Maya, Hannah, Duncan, Kirsty and Morven who worked like the proverbials and even accompanied me (fairly) uncomplainingly up that hill one last time to help collect tapes.
Crash courses on data entry, providing the smiling front-of-house at Information, herding 3000+ runners through the Starts and String Course, providing sympathy to the unsuccessful at Download, pasting results, setting out and collecting in enough stakes and tapes to reach to the moon (OK I made that stat up), fetching coffees, filling foot baths, directing traffic, emergency loo roll delivery… you name it, we did it and so smoothly that both Sam and Lesley Gomersall got a run too. Big thanks to them for Day Organising and also to joint Planners, Zoe Griffin and Pete Lawrence, for all heading up Team Gramp.

Summer Series 7/8/19 Perwinnes Moss

Results

Many thanks to Zoe and Tim (Maitre de Loops) for a fresh take on Perwinnes Moss in its newly denuded form in the old quarry. Both Technical courses had an option to complete up to 4 memory map mini loops of 2 controls each which went down well with everyone who tried them. Much discussion over tea and cake about how hard it is to remember 2 control locations compared to one for some reason and what works for some folk but not others. Amazing how the human brain works – or doesn’t!      

• easy (all on paths – white/yellow standard – up to 2km)
• medium (partly on paths – orange standard – up to 3km)
• two as-hard-as-we-can-make-it courses of different lengths (generally referred to as short and long techwith as-the-crow-flies distances between 2.5 and 5km)
• Technical training twist: map memory to help you simplify

The AWPR Three 24/8/19

By the time we had a control stolen in Westhill and David bought 2 bottles of wine for AWPR3 Trophies on an impulse, we may not have made much money today but boy did we have a load of fun and a very relaxed and sociable time sunbathing in Westhill Industrial Estate or BBQing at Balmedie. And we ate a lot of cake and drank a lot of tea throughout the day courtesy of Zoe revelling in her new found vocation as GRAMP Tea Lady.

Many thanks to our guinea pigs from GRAMP, WCOC, ESOC, AUOC, MOR and MAROC for helping us trial the AWPR3 format. Feedback was so positive that we’re already pondering whether to make it an annual thing but using Cove or Countesswells to mix it up a bit. Maybe Saturdays aren’t best for most though? Watch this space.

Dunnottar results
Westhill results
Balmedie results
Overall results – congrats to Sam Gomersall and Michaela Kolistanikova

Many thanks to David Esson, Peter Lawrence and Rachel Scott for planning/organising/computing, Carol Jackson for helping tidy up after the cake locusts had moved on, and Tim and Sam Griffin, Bob Daly and Hugh Nicholson for control collecting.

Summer Series Glen Dye 24/7/19

Results

From comments at download and earwigging conversations it seems most folk who took on the contour only map challenge for Long and Short Tech enjoyed the novelty factor and surprised themselves by managing to get their head around all the squiggles more easily than they thought they would and Katrina said she actually enjoyed the lack of distracting paths as she saved time by not deliberating distracting alternatives before choosing her routes.

In fact, if anything, the penultimate control on the gully proved the most problematic where all those helpful squiggles suddenly disappeared and counting contours and keeping tabs on height gained, or not, became key.
Some folk approached it by creeping up – hill to the left, boulder, boulder, bearing.
Some aimed deliberately high or low for the right sort of distance then turned 90 degrees and trawled down or up to it.
Some had prior knowledge of the area and went looking for the earth banks that run either side as they are quite large and noticeable even at a distance.

Thanks to my control collectors – Bob, Tim, Zoe, David, Carol and Norman – and to Ros for picking me a lovely big pot of blaeberries. (Pudding Night tonight in the Scott-Lawrence household!)

Scottish 6 Days Day 6 Grandtully

Gramp is planning/organising Day 6 at Grandtully* and Sam Gomersall recently emailed everyone with a helpers list showing who’s been allocated which jobs.
Just in case you changed email address recently but not told us or Sam’s email didn’t get through for some other reason and you have entered Day 6 so think you should have received it please get in touch asap or hunt Sam down in the club tent on one of the other days for instructions.

(*Pronounced “Grantly” BTW)

Summer Series Dunnottar Woods 17/7/19

Results    Apologies for the delay. Work getting in the way as usual.

“Wow! That was fun! Just think – some folk pay £50 for the Banchory Beast when they could come to Dunnottar for £4!!”

One family said they wanted to give orienteering a try after seeing the Adventure Show coverage of the JOK Chasing Sprints – not quite like on the telly as a truly luxurious growth of nettles this year combined with a fair bit of rain for double dose of mud made for pretty adventurous conditions tonight so well done to those who gritted teeth and braved the stingers to complete and also those who sensibly decided to go the long way round or just wave at some of the controls long distance.

Thanks to Bob Daly, Dennis McDonald, David Esson, Pete Lawrence and Rachel Scott for control collecting and Helen Rowlands for going back out to keep an eye on beginners.

Summer Series Tyrebagger 10/7/19

Results

Apologies for the control in the wrong place. Clearly those who read the warning note on the board were less likely to waste time but that is no excuse for my mistake, sorry.
Thanks to David, Hugh, Jeremy and Bob for taking in controls as well as to Matthew Thompson an ex-Grampian Junior who had come simply for a run without knowing we had an event.

Neil

(PS last weeks results updated to show Yann Newey and Katja Neumann on the correct course – Short Tech not Short.)

Balmedie 7/7/19

Results
Splits
Routegadget
BOF ranking points   will be calculated overnight Tues – need 10 BOF/SOA members finished to trigger points so no points for Brown certainly 😦

Thanks to Matt for planning today’s challenges in the dunes – apart from one slightly misplaced control and the rain showers the only ‘complaint’ I heard was an early runner on the Brown realising that his footprints in the sandy bits in the north would be a dead giveaway to anyone following.

Provisional results and splits posted above and RouteGadget for you to upload your GPS route or draw your own as Matt will be keen to get feedback to develop his planning skills further. RG user guides can be found here.
Please email webmaster@grampoc.com if you spot any errors like spelling or age classes or anything else.

Planner: Matt Parkes
Organiser: Adrian Will
Controller: David Esson
Volunteers: Hannah and Duncan Will, Helen and Stuart Anderson, Neil McLean, Pete Lawrence, Hugh and Ros Nicholson, Nigel Robison, Bob Daly, Ed Stronach, Rachel Scott.

JOK Sprint on The Adventure Show Live

The JOK sprint on Friday 28th June was broadcast live on the Adventure Show and can still be viewed on BBC iPlayer nationwide for a while yet. It was held at Callendar Park, Falkirk.

There is a good write pre-race up here: https://www.ontheredline.org.uk/articles/jok-chasesprint-preview mentioning our very own Sam Griffin.

3 Gramps entered – Rory Halliday and Sam & Tim Griffin – and there’s plenty of footage of Gramp tops running away fast from the cameras, the strategically placed banner at the Finish as well Sam being interviewed by Dougie Vipond. He came 2nd in the Junior Men’s race a mere 6 seconds behind the winner. Congrats!

The programme lasts 2 hours and includes reruns of coverage of various O events our Adventure Show friends have covered in previous years, like the Trail O Champs at Crathes in 2015. Definitely worth a watch before it gets taken down end of July.

Summer Series Scolty 3/7/19

Results
Revised for Yann Newey running his first Short Tech.

Sorry, we ran out of Short Technical maps so some people did a shortened version of the Long Technical course, very similar to Short Technical

Haven’t distinguished between those who did the Map Memory version of Long Tech as seems most had prior knowledge of the area and control sites or admitted to sensibly ‘cheating’ in order to beat the clock and be back by 8pm (much appreciated.)

Balmedie on Sunday!Balmedie on Sunday!Are you enjoying the challenge of the training elements? Do you think it’s making a difference? You’ll find out at Balmedie on Sunday! EEE by Saturday tea time please.

Summer Series Crathes 26/6/19

Results from a sunny Crathes.

Summer Series Balmedie 19/6/19

Results  balmedie-results-19062019

Here are results from Balmedie. Uncharacteristically fine summer weather for the barbecue afterwards. Thanks to Murray for organising the orienteering – and collecting the controls in while the rest of us were enjoying the barbecue. Thanks to David for organising the barbecue.

Gramp Junior success at the Scottish Schools Orienteering Festival 2019

Three GRAMP juniors attended the Scottish Schools Orienteering Festival held at Hopetoun House. All three represented Aberdeen Grammar school and ran really well to get second place S3 boys team . Sam continued his good form of the last few weeks to win overall and retain his title from last year. Patrick came 4th and Rory 11th. Well done boys!!

Summer Series Tollohill 12/6/19

Another Weally Wet Wednesday! Many thanks to all those that came along – you seemed to enjoy yourselves despite the conditions.

Special thanks to all the helpers – David for welcoming everyone and helping collect controls – Kate, Gareth and Bob* for helping collect controls.

Results (at last. Apologies for delay. Well done everyone for turning up!)

* find out more about Bob here https://www.scottish-orienteering.org/news/celebrating-volunteers-day-7-part-2-grampian-orienteers/

Tollohill orchid

Summer Series Foggieton 5/6/19

Results

The hawkeyed planner types noticed that the course lengths were overstated due to the map being 1:7500 and not 1:10000, which the software had been told.

So either you were glad the rainforest exploration was a bit shorter than expected, you ran really fast, or you were a Garmin/Planner/Performance person (or all three).

Apologies for the distance thing. Hope you all enjoyed it, the depression at no 1 was set to get you into the swing of things. Nice nettles too.          Sam

(Running really fast – nettles – is there a connection here? Ed)

Scottish Orienteering Champs 2019

Solway Orienteers hosted this year’s Champs way down in the southwest corner if Scotland and several GRAMPs made the long trek down to compete. We have three podium places – congratulations to Neil, Sam and David!

Neil McLean M75L 1st
Katrina McLeod W21E 10th
Lindsey Esson Yellow 7th
Sam Griffin M16A 1st
David Esson M40S 3rd
Tim Griffin M50L 13th
Bob Daly M60L 5th

Gramp 1 Sam Griffin/Bob Daly/Tim Griffin came 2nd in the 11+ points Relay category

Gramp 2 Michael Greenwood/David Esson tried their best in the 17+ points category but being one leg short of a full team meant that they were logged as DNF.
Hope they had fun anyway.

Summer Series Countesswells 29/5/19

Results    Training element: Attack points.

This was the biggest turnout we have had for a Summer Series Event in the last two years (only other over 50 was Scolty in July 2018). Apologies for running out of Long Tech maps (and thanks to those who had run and gave up their maps) but the usual demand is below 25.
Many thanks to Ian Hamilton, Sam and Lesley Gomersall, Bob Daly and David Esson for assisting in putting out and/or collecting controls.

Summer Series Hazlehead 22/5/19

Results   First Summer Series event of 2019!
Woohoo!

Thanks to all for coming along and apologies to the first few on the Long course who found control 2 was missing……. It wasn’t missing, I just forgot to put it out!   John

Forest Sprint 2019 Final Points

Final Points FS 2019 

If you spot any mistakes please let me know on webmaster@grampoc.com.

Many thanks to all our organisers and congratulations to the winners.
Unfortunately I don’t think we have prizes for you though apart from the kudos of having won and seeing your name up in lights!

.

Overall:
1st Eilidh Campbell W18 MAROC  (182 points)
2nd Dominykas Kardokas M21 GRAMP (172)
3rd Kirsty Campbell W18 MAROC (163)

First Junior W: Eilidh Campbell W18 MAROC
First Junior M: Adam Barrie M14 MAROC
First Senior W: Rachel Scott W50 GRAMP
First Senior M: Dominykas Kardokas M21 GRAMP

JK 2019 & BOC 2019

I had hoped to bring you some updates from JK 2019 but still can’t figure out the results by class so that’s still pending. I did have a trawl through Steve Rush’s photos and found this photo of the lesser spotted Daly though.

BOC 2019 in Yorkshire is still going strong with Relays today (6/5/19) and there were plans for a GRAMP 2-man-3-man team – well, if you’ve travelled all that way down then make the most of it! Over the weekend Bob Daly came 33rd M60L, David Esson 26th M40S, George Esson 15th M70S.

Father and son in action above on Arncliffe and Kilnsey North for the BOC 2019 Individual race – looks a bit cold and claggy but plenty of stile action to keep everyone warm judging by Routegadget.  (Photos by Steve Rush)

Forest Sprint 5 @ Scolty 8/5/19

Series points

Results  Splits  RouteGadget
If you haven’t used RouteGadget before then take a look at these guides on drawing or uploading your GPS route. Check the built in Splitsbrowser too to see where you lost time.

Series points after 4 events

Thanks to Helen and Gareth for braving the weather and doing the honours tonight. A nice wee course with a loop from number 4 that caught at least 2 folk out.

Last event in the series is at Dess/Deeside Activity Park next week and this coincides with World Orienteering Day/Week.

(Was half hoping I might spot celebrations in full swing in the woods tonight for Scottish Badger Week but maybe a bit too wet and cold for them. Or maybe they were all tucked up in their setts eagerly awaiting the start of the new series of Taskmaster like me hence the slight delay in posting results.)

Proof of the Pudding – WSOC 2019

Remember all those cakes we’ve been eating recently? Here’s photographic evidence from the World Schools Orienteering Champs of Sam Griffin during the warm up day.

JK 2019 Podium Success

Gramp has already had podium success at Day 1 of the JK 2019.

Sam Griffin came 2nd in the M16 Sprint. His father also got a top ten placing in M50.

Today is Middle Distance day, and we have three more Gramps competing, having kept their powder dry yesterday!😂

Good luck to Bob Daly, Paul Duley, David Esson and Tim and Sam Griffin👍

Picture is Middle Distance finish. Are there prizes for being first to the event😎

David

Forest Sprint 3 @ Hazlehead 24/4/19

Results    Splits    Routegadget     Cumulative scores so far

A two-hander tonight brought to you by Jonathan Smith who planned and David Esson who ran the event on the ground with a little help from some friends.

An interesting finish gave us the chance to rerun or rethink 242 to 172 – did you swap tactics the second time around or did you stick to your first plan and did it pay off for you? If you haven’t already played with RouteGadget then have a go and let us see where you went.

Next event in the series is Tilquillie – check Maroc’s website next week for directions how to reach the parking/registration point.

Forest Sprint 1 @ Tollohill 10/4/19

Results  Splits

RouteGadget (sorry, can’t quite get all controls correctly centred on features but close enough)

Many thanks to David Esson for planning at relatively short notice and hope you all enjoyed your scamper around Tollohill. It’s easy to get confused with all those paths criss-crossing as well as the loopy nature of the course and several old hands got caught out.
(And oddly when I fired up Firefox tonight there was a very apt quote at the bottom of the screen: “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” Douglas Adams.)

Apologies for the lack of splits printouts initially. A certain old hand caught himself out while trying to set things up in a rush last night. Thanks to Bob Daly for helping collect controls.

See you all next week at Glen O’Dee.

By the way, Tollohill area is subject to various Local Development Plan Bids which would eventually surround the wood with housing. Take a look at this website and follow the links for more information on bids KN069 to 72. Although not impinging into the wood itself much it looks like we’d lose the north end of the area (but gain some urban territory to mix and match?) but more importantly wildlife would lose significant corridors in and out of the woods.

Junior Sprint Selection – Go for it Sam!

GJO Sprint Maestro Sam Griffin is going down to Lancaster University this weekend for the BOF Junior Sprint Selection Race where M/W 16 – 20s from all over the UK will be competing.
It’s a fantastic location to test aspiring squad members, with multiple complex route choices on a very busy map so full on mental concentration required as well as fleet feet all the way to the finish.

Have a good one, Sam!

Cat [gjo]

Think Fast | Run Hard | Go Orienteering – coaching videos

Even if you can’t manage the Run Hard bit it’s definitely worth taking a look at this suite of 8 coaching videos funded by Sport England and produced by SLOW Orienteers along with GB Team members explaining and demonstrating various techniques to help you plan your routes between controls and nail them more accurately thus saving time and energy and making you feel chuffed with yourself as it all goes to plan. (Plus you get to put faces to the Elite names you might have read about.)

1. Setting the map – so that what you see on the map matches what you see in front of you and you don’t have to think “upside down”
2. Using the compass
3. Attack points – getting as close to the control as possible first by using bombproof features so you know exactly where you are
4. Aiming off – deliberately aiming to one side of your target when running towards a linear feature so that when you get there you know exactly how far along it you are and don’t have to guess between turning left or right to home in on the control
5. Large contour features – making those brown lines leap out at you from the map as being hills or valleys
6. Route choice – could go round it, could go through it but which is best in terms of length vs height gain vs undergrowth?
7. Intricate contours – making the really squiggly brown lines make sense – how to spot a re-entrant or a depression as opposed to a ridge or small hill
8. Simplification – forming a route plan based on the bigger picture so you can “put the map away” and don’t slow yourself down checking off every last boulder

(Personally, I just need another video now to help me remember to do all these things while I’m out there rather than tune out and drift off into a dwam as I sometimes do!)

Forest Sprint Series 2019 – Weds in Apr/May dates TBC

Sprint O is great fun – lots of controls in quick succession in a relatively short distance and fast running alone is no use in this discipline if it’s of the headless chicken variety! You really have to look closely at the map, make snap decisions about route choice, execute them quickly and cleanly while all the time trying to read a jiggling map and watch where your feet are going. Give it a go.

Dates and links to all parking locations will be confirmed soon so check back here nearer the time or on each clubs’ website.

One course TD3 or Orange standard i.e. medium difficulty, about 3km, with lots of controls and route choice in a relatively small area so full on concentration required just as much as fleet feet. Great for developing Juniors too if accompanied by a TD3 standard runner. Best 4 scores out of 6 will count towards the FSS league results.

Registration: 18:00 to 18:50
Starts: 18:30 to 19:15
Fees: £4 Senior, £2.50 Junior/Student

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SRUC tick research project has recommenced for 2019

The idea is to build up a database to help estimate the risk of exposure of humans to ticks and tick bites in Scotland and many of you helped this citizen science project by Scotland’s Rural College last year by reporting the presence, or absence, of ticks after you’d been orienteering or doing other outdoor activities in Scotland.

Preliminary results have been released by SRUC. Orienteers are an obvious group to target and you can see evidence of the 2018 campaign where SRUC folk attended some of the larger events in Speyside, Moray and Deeside to raise awareness and gather data.

(Guess who submitted the purple walking report in the middle of The Minch? Who do you know with a mischevious side to their personalities and that knows an orienteer with a boat?)

There’s a lot more analysis to do yet and the project will be looking for comparative data from this year between 1/3/19 and 31/10/19 so follow the links above and register or dig out your username and password from last year and get reporting.
And if you think March is too early for ticks, it’s not! Rachel had one after the British Night Champs at Dinnet tail end of Feb.

On a more serious note, Ewen Rennie sent a link to a petition to improve The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) upcoming guidance on Lyme Disease that orienteers might be interested in.

Glen Dye 24/3/19 Regional results

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Final Results and Splits
RouteGadget (including Splitsbrowser lite)
BOF ranking points   (will be calculated overnight 26/27th March)

Very close 1-2-3 on the Brown course: all within 40 seconds of each other!
Hope you all enjoyed the sprint style section in the complex morraine area at the north end of the map – good to revisit that bit in the daylight for a change.

The day went very smoothly, a number of new people came and gave it a try and there was lots of positive feedback from the runners. Despite the forecast, the sun shone for most of the day with only a few light showers. The new club tent looked very smart as well!

Officials
Planner: George Esson
Organiser: Laura Farquharson
Controller: Jon Musgrave MAROC

And thanks to all our volunteers too: Erik, Paul, Alasdair, Oonagh, Lesley, Morven, Kirsty, Kate, Sam, Lindsey, David, Murray, Sarah, Donald (MOR), Helen R, Gareth, Ian & George.

Another news flash! Sprint Training @ Westhill Wed 27th

Maroc are borrowing Westhill for some sprint training on Wednesday and Gramps are welcome to go along too. David Esson has made up a short course of 3.6km and will supply a map for you if you want to stretch your legs after last weekend’s excesses. No controls so GPS yourself if you want some timing.
Email him on chairman “at” grampoc.com for the pdf of the map to print out.

Meet on Wed evening in the Ashdale Drive car park next to the shopping centre ready to run at 6pm. Don’t forget to bring a headtorch as some of the back alleys might be quite dark. Not sure what rules apply re under 16s and activities like this but we can work something out.

Alternatively, if you can’t make Wed you can still get a map from David and go round whenever suits. Or if you fancy something urban but longer than sprint take a look at the Street O maps we used a few years back.

British Night Champs 2019

Well done to assorted Gramps for braving a looooooooong walk in and out as well as the technicalities of Dinnet to contest the British Night Champs over the weekend.  Congratulations to the medal winners and commiserations to those who ran out of steam/brainpower especially after helping at the SOUL at Cove earlier in the day.

W21L Katrina McLeod 5th
W50L Helen Rowlands 4th
W50S Rachel Scott 1st
W55L Lesley Gomersall Bronze

M40L Gordon Urquhart Bronze
M40S David Esson 1st
M55L Sam Gomersall 4th, Ian Hamilton 7th
M75L Neil McLean Silver

(Only L courses get medals.)

Lovely clear, calm moonlit night with geese honking out on the loch and territorial tawny owls making their presence known no doubt upset at the hundreds of bobbing lights going about. All courses started with a bit of a track run to lull you into a false sense of security before spitting you out into the complex woodland over by Burn O’Vat and beyond for some tricky diagonal legs before blasting back along the south side of the loch on fast open grassy muir if you had the legs and breath left for it.
Hats off to Big Jon and Maroc for pulling this off after a long time in the planning and preparation and especially Scott Reynolds who probably never wants to see another brikke or computer for at least 6 months!

River Dee RadioRiver Dee Radio feature on night O and BNC

SAT 23/2/19 BTO SOUL 3 @ Cove, Aberdeen

Results  To show splits, go into your class page and look for the orange “Show Splits” button at the top or bottom of the page

RouteGadget show us your wiggles
Apologies to those trying to draw routes manually as it’s not letting you save at the moment – working on it but not getting very far very fast at present 😦

Photos taken by Steve Rush

BOF results page for ranking points
SOUL rankings

Huge thank yous go to:
– Phill and Lorraine Batts and Emit UK for providing the Touch Free punching system, timing and results. (Fun to see you all playing “chicken” with the test control to see just how far away you dared get and still get a flash.)

– Altens Hotel for allowing us to use their car park

– Blair Gordon of the Altens Community Centre and Michele McPartlin of the Cove Community Council and others for helping us spread the word

– residents of Cove who agreed to host a control for us

– our willing band of volunteers, some of who just refused to stop! – David, Sam, Lesley, Josie, Helen A, Stuart, George, Laura, Kirsty, Morven, Helen R, Bob, Evgueni, Dennis, Ian, Dave, Lachlan and Chris Huthwaite and Richard Barret pp Jeremy.

– sponsors bto Solicitors

Planner: Pete Lawrence
Organiser: Rachel Scott  Contact the Organiser
Controller: Tim Griffin