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 1stKatrina McLeod W21E 10thLindsey Esson Yellow 7thSam Griffin M16A 1stDavid Esson M40S 3rdTim Griffin M50L 13thBobContinue reading “Scottish Orienteering Champs 2019”
Category Archives: News
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) andContinue reading “JK 2019 & BOC 2019”
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. Long race Wed 1st – starts from 11am Estonia time – that’s 9am our time. More happening throughout the week and no doubt Zoe will keep us posted via comments below.Continue reading “Proof of the Pudding – WSOC 2019”
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, PaulContinue reading “JK 2019 Podium Success”
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 onContinue reading “Junior Sprint Selection – Go for it Sam!”
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 thusContinue reading “Think Fast | Run Hard | Go Orienteering – coaching videos”
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 outdoorContinue reading “SRUC tick research project has recommenced for 2019”
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 KatrinaContinue reading “British Night Champs 2019”
2019 Scottish Night and Sprint Champs
We can’t claim any champions this year but we can claim some near misses. Pete, Rachel, David and Katrina ran at the Night Champs held at the John Muir Country Park just outside Dunbar 2/2/19 – very flat and fast compared to most DNC fare but good fun and an amazingly clear and starry nightContinue reading “2019 Scottish Night and Sprint Champs”
2018 AGM roundup and Roll of Honour
The Minutes of the 2018 AGM have been circulated around the club members by email so for those that missed out or have lost that email, here’s a quick summary of issues discussed, prizes awarded and the 2018 Roll of Honour.
Scottish Score Champs 2018
Four GRAMPs made the trip down south to Roxburgh Reiver’s event at Elibank in the Borders (to get in a bit of Score practice priot to the post-AGM event next weekend?) and did very well! Congratulations to Pete Lawrence and Neil McLean who are this year’s champions for M55 and M75 respectively. Bob Daly cameContinue reading “Scottish Score Champs 2018”
GJO success @ World School Orienteering Championships 2018
Three Gramp juniors had an enjoyable day at the Scottish Schools selection races for the World Schools Orienteering Championships which were held on Sunday at Faskally, near Pitlochry. Patrick Lang, Rory Halliday and Sam Griffin were representing Aberdeen Grammar and came a close second to George Watsons School in the team competition placing 9th, 8thContinue reading “GJO success @ World School Orienteering Championships 2018”
So how do they orienteer?
According to Space Weather News for Sept. 6, 2018 JUPITER HAS AN EXTRA MAGNETIC POLE: NASA’s Juno spacecraft has discovered something extraordinary about Jupiter. There is an extra magnetic pole near the giant planet’s equator, dubbed “The Great Blue Spot” by researchers who identified it. Jupiter’s unexpected magnetic morphology is a sign that strange thingsContinue reading “So how do they orienteer?”
World Masters Orienteering Championships 6th – 13th July 2018
We have 3 Gramps running at WMOC 2018 over in Denmark – Oonagh Grassie W60, Rob Hickling M60 and Peter Bellarby M80. Following the opening ceremony complete with flags, steel band and Indoor Sprint event amongst other things, they got down to business on Saturday with Sprint Qualifiers followed by Sprint Finals today. Tomorrow seesContinue reading “World Masters Orienteering Championships 6th – 13th July 2018”
GJO news: Sam Griffin selected for Regional Squads’ summer camp
Good news for one of our junior members… Sam Griffin got an email on Friday…. ‘Congratulations on your selection for the Regional Squads’ summer coaching camp at Lagganlia’ He wasn’t on the original list but was top of the reserve list after some strong peformances over the last months and gaining a Championship time atContinue reading “GJO news: Sam Griffin selected for Regional Squads’ summer camp”
JST event summary
Congratulations to all the Gramp junior competitors at the Jamie Stevenson Trophy event at Braemar on Sunday. Amidst strong competition, especially from Maroc and Moravian, Gramp juniors made a great effort, gaining four top-ten places including a podium place for Sam Griffin on the boy’s Light Green course. Many thanks to everyone, especially Zoe, TimContinue reading “JST event summary”
Jamie Stevenson Trophy 2018
Big congratulations all round to the Gramp Team who ran at the JS Trophy today at Morrone Birkwood, Braemar: Mia and Olivia Coman, Morven and Kirsty Farqhuarson, Noah and Sam Griffin, Oli Robertson, Reuben Cole and Connor Whitelaw. Between them they scored 558 points coming 6th overall which is a great result for such aContinue reading “Jamie Stevenson Trophy 2018”
Great Schools Orienteering Festival success for Gramps (aka Aberdeen Grammar)
Three junior Gramp members (two ‘old’ hands and one very recent one) competed in the Scottish Schools Orienteering Festival at Pollock Park representing Aberdeen Grammar recently and came away with a first and team Silver in S2 Boys…. can we get more next year?! Read the P&J report here. Congratulations guys!!
GRAMP Junior Participation awards
Congratulations to our Gramp Juniors on their achievements in the SOA/Gramp Participation and Colour awards. Awards are granted as follows for the period 01 Jan 2017 to 30 Apr 2018: Ailsa Anderson (5, Green) Paul Caffyn (Green) Olivia Coman (10, Orange) Josie Gomersall (Green) Noah Griffin (5, Yellow) Sam Griffin (5, Orange, Light Green) PatrickContinue reading “GRAMP Junior Participation awards”
Gramps at LAMM 2018
Congratulations to all those who high-tailed it to Harris for the last ever Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon (LAMM) this past weekend. Special mention to Sam and Jack Gomersall – FIRST – on the C course. Whoopee! Well done! Great photos on the LAMM site (and links to full results). Other Gramps and associates spotted inContinue reading “Gramps at LAMM 2018”
Scottish Championships 2018
We have more champions in our midst – and some double champions too! Building on last weekend’s successes Ros Evans, Oonagh Grassie and Kevin Reynard all won this weekend and some excellent personal results all round so congrats to all and as with the BOC I’ve listed all results as a measure of how weContinue reading “Scottish Championships 2018”
British Orienteering Championships 18th/19th May 2018
Well done to everyone who came, ran, won or just had fun and helped out over the weekend. Photo links for many of us caught in action (or mid-lick of an icecream) can be found on the SOA website post dedicated to BOC 2018. It was a mighty big ask of Gramp to be lead clubContinue reading “British Orienteering Championships 18th/19th May 2018”
New club kit running tights
In a bid to move away from the red and the castle, which some folk have said they don’t like that much, we’ve been mulling over alternative themes still connected to the Aberdeen coat of arms or other symbols and can now proudly unveil the new club running tights: made from ultra industrial rip-stop lycraContinue reading “New club kit running tights”
2017 AGM roundup and Roll of Honour
Quick summary of you for those of you who didn’t go to the AGM – and it’s very quick as it was a long time ago and I can’t remember much now. Sorry – should have posted much sooner. Busy year: Forest Sprints, Summer Series, Level C events, Urban etc. Scottish 6 Days – anotherContinue reading “2017 AGM roundup and Roll of Honour”
Scottish Sprint Championships 2018
Sprint is one of the many different flavours of orienteering that seems to be getting more and more popular. It can be done in forest* or urban settings but in either case involves very short courses with lots of controls and twists and turns to keep your brain, lungs and legs at max capacity forContinue reading “Scottish Sprint Championships 2018”
CompassSport Cup Qualifier 2018
Thanks to Tim Griffin, Oonagh Grassie and Anne Hickling for flying the Gramp flag at this year’s CSC qualifier at Beecraigs 11/3/18. Between them they scored 280 points – just enough to keep us off the bottom of the table for the small clubs’ CompassSport Trophy. I know there were several others who entered, orContinue reading “CompassSport Cup Qualifier 2018”
Bennachie under threat?
Some of you will be aware of ongoing discussions/plans for the dualling of the A96 from Aberdeen to Elgin and that some of the alternative routes under consideration would encroach upon Bennachie and its surroundings. From a purely selfish orienteering point of view, or from a wider ranging appreciation of the other benefits that BennachieContinue reading “Bennachie under threat?”
And now for something completely different…
Here’s the map from EUOC’s Big Weekend Indoor O laid on by Prof Graeme Ackland of INT in “his” offices (JCMB Building in Uni Kings Campus). Indoor O map – EUOC Big Weekend 2018 The staircases are all given letters so you can spot where they come out on successive floors, green lines across corridorsContinue reading “And now for something completely different…”
Sasha’s in the GBR Senior Squad for 2018
British Orienteering has announced the GBR Senior Squad for 2018, and there are a good number of Scottish and Scotland-based athletes included in the squad not least ex-Gramp Sasha Chepelin. Congratulations! (And next year I promise to try and keep better tabs on his international apearances and results as this year it was all alContinue reading “Sasha’s in the GBR Senior Squad for 2018”
Scottish Score Championships 2017
A good day for Gramp today. Congratulations to these guys who swept ~20% of the podium places between them: Champions M21 Jack Gomersall M40 Pete Lawrence M55 Sam Gomersall M60 Bob Daly W50 Carolyn McLeod Plenty of 2nd places too – W60 Oonagh Grassie, M60 Rob Hickling, M14 Sam Griffin, M35 David Esson (robbed byContinue reading “Scottish Score Championships 2017”
SOL Rankings 2017
Congratulations to the following GRAMPs for top 3 placings in this year’s Scottish Orienteering League final rankings: W40L 3rd Carolyn McLeod (running up a class or two) W60S 2nd Oonagh Grassie M12B 2nd Noah Griffin M35S 1st David Esson (who also got his Organiser’s badge for Forvie) M50S 1st Pete Lawrence (who also got hisContinue reading “SOL Rankings 2017”
Ex-GRAMP virtually in the Guardian
Not to do with orienteering so even more of a double-take when I read Mark Mon-Williams’ name in this article. Wonder if he’s tried using junior orienteers for his study as their eyesight and balance must be better than the average?
Porto City Race Night Podium for Pete
2nd M Supervet* in the Night Race on Friday in the build up to the Porto City Race finale on Sunday. When interviewed by our roving reporter, Pete commented “Finally all those freezing cold nights in Deeside have paid off. Cheers!” as he cracked open his prize, a bottle of Poças Tawny Port**, and crankedContinue reading “Porto City Race Night Podium for Pete”
Orienteers win races in the presence of royalty
At the 202nd Braemar Gathering last Saturday, the long distance races had great showings from orienteers: – Hill Race (Ladies) – 1st Naomi Lang (GRAMP), 2nd Tessa Hill (EUOC) – Hill Race (Open) – 1st Peter Hodkinson (NOC), 2nd Graham Gristwood (FVO), 3rd Sasha Chepelin (EUOC), 5th Alex Carcas (EUOC) – Hill Race (Ladies Veterans)Continue reading “Orienteers win races in the presence of royalty”
Scottish 6 Days 2017 Royal Deeside
Back home now after a great holiday in deepest, darkest Deeside and it’s good to see the sea again after a whole week of heathery hillsides, silvery birch and bouldery… bouldery… um… bignesses? (Sorry, been a long and energetic week.) Congratulations to the following successful Gramps: 1st Sam Griffin M14B and Oonagh Grassie W60L 2ndContinue reading “Scottish 6 Days 2017 Royal Deeside”
Sasha running really well at JWOC
SOA website has a post with regular updates on how Scottish athletes are helping Team GB rack up some great results at this year’s JWOC with Sasha playing a big part. In the Middle Sasha comfortably made it through the heats to the A Finals finishing 7th, missing a podium place by only 1 second. In theContinue reading “Sasha running really well at JWOC”
Jamie Stevenson 2017
This year’s Jamie Stevenson Trophy took place at Kinnoull Hill on Sunday 25th. Morven and Kirsty Farquharson were the only Gramp representatives which must have felt a little odd in the parade but looks like they didn’t mind too much. Both girls ran well on the Orange course scoring 187 points between them and IContinue reading “Jamie Stevenson 2017”
Team Gomersall wins the LAMM D Class
Congratulations to Sam and Lesley who won the D Class in this year’s LAMM in a stunning and very physical area comprising An Teallach, Fisherfield and Fannichs (and still had energy to peg it on the uphill finish at Dunnottar Woods – very impressive.) As course leaders they got the honour of providing a quickContinue reading “Team Gomersall wins the LAMM D Class”
Naomi Lang selected for Commonwealth Youth Games
Woohoo! Naomi will be running 3000m for Team Scotland at the CYG somewhere considerably hotter and sunnier than NE Scotland. Huge congrats from all Gramps and we’ll be glued to the track and field sports news late July. http://www.scottishathletics.org.uk/bahamas-bound-11-athletes-picked-cyg/
Compass Sport Cup 2017 – 3rd place for Gramp in the Trophy class!
=-O How did that happen?! As a club with no clear strategy or captain (although we did have a banner which was more than many) we somehow managed to rack up enough points at Tentsmuir to come 3rd in the Trophy class (small clubs) and a mere 6 points behind arch-rivals Maroc. Result! It’s aContinue reading “Compass Sport Cup 2017 – 3rd place for Gramp in the Trophy class!”
Double win for Lesley Gomersall at Scottish Night and Sprint Champs 2017!
Woohoo! Congratulations to Lesley for sweeping up two trophies a couple of weekends ago (and apologies for not spotting this and posting sooner :-[) And she wasn’t the only Champ as Gramp mopped up several of the other Night Trophies too… congrats to Helen, Carolyn, Keith and Neil too. Scottish Night Champs W45L 1st HelenContinue reading “Double win for Lesley Gomersall at Scottish Night and Sprint Champs 2017!”
2016 AGM roundup and Roll of Honour
Quick summary of you for those of you who didn’t go to the AGM: Busy year: Forest Sprints, Summer Series, Level C events, Urban etc. Scottish Champs in May – run jointly with MAROC JIRCS in Sept – very successful, Ian coordinated whole w/e GMC – Dave plus 2 Ians – no issues – mightContinue reading “2016 AGM roundup and Roll of Honour”
GRAMP Champs 2016
2016 GRAMP Champs by age class.pdf 2016 GRAMP Champs by category (for trophies).pdf Congratulations to all our trophy winners! Juniors: Naomi Lang & Paul Caffyn* Seniors: Kate Robertson & Mark Stockton* Veterans: Lesley Gomersall* & Gareth Yardley Super Veterans: Oonagh Grassie & Rob Hickling* *these folk retained their 2015 titles but Mark cut it a bitContinue reading “GRAMP Champs 2016”
Gramps on the podium – BTO Urban League 2016
The results have now been published for the 2016 SOUL races, sponsored by BTO Solicitors. Congratulations to everyone who took part, and especially to the following who finished in the top 10 of their class :- W12- 2nd Morven Farquharson 4th Kirsty Farquharson W16- 2nd Josie Gomersall M Vet 40+ 5th Peter Lawrence W VetContinue reading “Gramps on the podium – BTO Urban League 2016”
Jon Duncan Junior Deeside Cup 2016 Final Results
Final results Maybe some of the GJOs would like to leave a comment about taking part in the (JD)2C this year? We’d love to find out the good, bad and the amazing bits from a GJO perspective. The dates and rules for the (JD)2C competition 2016 are linked below. This competition is for juniors fromContinue reading “Jon Duncan Junior Deeside Cup 2016 Final Results”
Scottish Junior Inter Area Relay @ Culbin 29/10/16
Some of our GJOs did their bit for the North Team in the Scottish Junior Inter Area Relay last weekend – well done Naomi, Hannah & Josie for flying the GRAMP flag. Full results can be found here .
One to watch @ Rio 2016 – Karen Darke
Karen Darke, para-cycling medal winner and one of our patrons of Scottish Orienteering, will be competing in the Paralympics in Rio next week. Silver 2012 London Paralympic Games H1-2 time-trial Silver 2014 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, USA H3 time-trial Bronze 2014 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, USA H3 road race ….to name a fewContinue reading “One to watch @ Rio 2016 – Karen Darke”
More admissions than UCAS?
One person admitted to oversleeping and not getting to Glen Dye when expected to set up the all important time-keeping system and having to be chased from their bed by a phone call from the Planner at 10-ish. He claimed: “Mo Farah made me do it!” One person admitted to having inadvertently embezzled club assetsContinue reading “More admissions than UCAS?”
Croeso 2016 – they think it’s all over
And it is now. A veritable mud bath to finish off today, getting stuck down deep slippery sided gullies and skiting down even steeper slopes desperately hoping the folk at the bottom would get out of the way as we certainly weren’t stopping even if we’d wanted too. Sadly no podium finishes for the GrampsContinue reading “Croeso 2016 – they think it’s all over”
Croeso 2016 update
Couple of photos for you, courtesy of Lindsey Esson, showing the mixed bag of orienteering/weather we’ve been sampling. First was taken on the training area at Merthyr Mawr sand dunes and the second was taken at today’s start at Mynydd Llangynidr, limestone moorland dotted with monster depressions, sinkholes and pits and visibility down to a few hundred metresContinue reading “Croeso 2016 update”