MTBO Development - help

[stodge]

As part of the development of the Mountain Bike variant of our sport we are currently trying to identify suitable new areas up and down the UK.
Suggestions please for medium sized 1:15000 A4 maps, with a dense track network, perfect areas for MTBO - please include whose map it is (club) and where it is
Thanks

Stodge

[Copepod]

I'd also suggest asking the adventure racing community on http://www.sleepmonsters.co.uk as many have done Polaris Challenges (generally on larger are maps, as races last 2 days, sometimes returning to camp at start / finish, sometimes carrying kit to a remote campsite). http://www.planetfear.com also covers adventure racing, mountain marathons, climbing etc, but their forum is virtually dead, so might be worth asking about submitting an article about trying to extend MTBO reach.

[MrsB]

Eryri have some forest areas that would be good for MTBO - Llyn Elsi and Gwydr Forest both near Betws y Coed and also Beddgelert Forest.

[PhilJ]

SBOC have held impromtu MTBO in Pembrey Forest. We have a MTB map of Pembrey but it might need revising.

There is an 'O' map of Afan Argoed (top mountain bike area) so I assume one could be made of Afan Argoed also SBOC owned.

Similarly there is an 'O' map of Bwlch Nant yr Arian (POW area near Aberystwyth) that has top class MTB trails.

[daviemore]

Pitmedden - just south of Perth. Excellent mix of forestry tracks and singletrack.
TAY/KFO map.
Wouldnt need a lot of work to convert to an MTBO map.

The area around Dunkeld, north of Perth, would be excellent for a score/trailquest rather than an MTBO. Parts are mapped as Craigvinean/Craig y Barns/Kings Seat/Loch Ordie/Birnam Hill/Newtyle Hill. OS 1:50 blown up to 1:25 could be used but would need a fair bit of doctoring.

Unfortunately not much interest in TAY.

[andypat]

The trouble with MTBO is that they always seem to clash with something else! Not their fault - I'm itcing to give it a go but have been busy for all the Scottish events so far.

[stodge]

Event clashes: we are thinking of tacking a come and try MTBO or 60-90 min MBO scores onto some of our normal colour coded events this winter - daylight permitting which should give a few more people the chance to give i a go !

[AndyC]

The trouble with that is that I suspect that others will have the same feeling as me that 60-90mins seems a long time and doing that after an hours run would be an exceptional challenge of fitness for a "recreational orienteeer" even if the weather were good.

I've done Trailquests and I found the navigation too easy and the bike handling minimal but my fitness pathetic in comparison with the regulars

[frog]

I looked at the possibility of an orienteering/MTBO duathlon, but BOF insurance wouldn't cover it so I would have had to get involved with another layer of red tape. If you already deal with the MTBO red tape it's maybe less daunting.
Agree with Davie Pitmeddan and Craigvinean would be good.
Tentsmuir is used by the Dundee mountain bikers.

[andypat]

Frog - Thats a great idea. Cant you work something out in tandem with the MTBO guys.
Its free to join their organisation and they could cover the MTBO part?
I'd be well up for that!

[SeanC]

How about doing something midweek where there will be less of a clash with other events. For example could you have a mass start score where you could use either a bike or run, or both. Cunning placement of controls could make it a fair race between the foot o and bike o people?

[Karen]

Frog - a lot of the administrative tasks for MBO events are now done via the website, making life easier. You join BMBO as an associate (free), register your club (free for BO clubs), register your event (free) and take it from there. Pay levies afterwards. http://www.bmbo.org.uk

Sean C - Have a look at the Open 5 events. 2 maps, one for MBO + one for O, get at least one control by each means of transport, but otherwise use your time to get as many points as possible.

[frog]

Sadly I have to work during the week

[stodge]

For those not doing anything this Sunday there is a 3 hour Score event on a 1:25 OS (hopefuly more acurate) organised by Colin palmer (so no hidden controls) near Malvern.
http://www.stodgell.co.uk/?p=1873 for more details.....

[entries-sec]

Down in the SW, we have Trevor Bridle as a leading light (not to mention Em herself). Trevor and WIMBORNE have organised several "mixed" events, usually around the schools league. MTBO in the morning, Foot-O in the afternoon, and sometimes Night-O too. It's been quite popular as a format across the board - we don't have MTBs but we still did the Foot-O, as did quite a few other folk.

Christine