101 Maps not to run on before you die

[Clive Coles]

I see Chalkney got a mention early on in this thread ~ well it's changed

http://saveourwoods.co.uk/get-involved/love-trees/chalkney-restored-a-milestone-for-england%E2%80%99s-ancient-woodlands/

Not sure how the removal of conifers will effect runnability ~ will get a chance to check it out on 7th October next year.

[Marco Polo]

In defence of Northants orienteering there are at least two excellent areas there - the small but perfectly formed Twywell Hills and Dales (SMOC), and Irchester Country Park (WAOC) which is a little larger.

Just to say that Irchester is a LEIOC area, but agree well worth the trip if you find an event planned for the areas.

[housewife]

The one I hate most is Dunalisatair - truly horrific - but as that is being used for the JK next year, it must have changed over over 15 years or so that I have refused to go near it!

The fisrt (only?) time I have heard my mum swear was after coming back from a scottish score around a forest in mid fife called Blairadam - priceless!

When I was in Sweden we would regularly train around some nasty stuff, and when I asked the coach why they headed for the green, he said the swedish champs had been in the area recently, and the thinkign was that the sport is about both a mental and physical toughness and such forests are a true test of how physically tough you are. Interesting philosophy.

[Tatty]

Must agree with Dunalstair. I was first Start at the Scottish 6 Days, and had a depression in bracken above my head. About half an hour later I eventually tracked it down, once later starters had made some tracks

[EddieH]

Bracken is not going to be a problem at the JK so the summer experience is totally irrelevant.

[Gross]

If you don't like the mental & physical challenge of terrain then just run around a local housing scheme

[Tatty]

Good

[mikey]

I'm glad I was a young & hopeless junior when I orienteered in north Welsh forests, so my experience of Penmachno, Hafodgewnllian & llyn Elsi was all on paths!

I've just dug out my Hafodgwenllian map from the 1977 Welsh Weekend - an early Tyvek map. What a great area. I wonder if it has all been chopped down and replanted since those superb late 70s events?

[ryeland of doom]

I ran at Hafordgwenllian in 1977 and it was rather good. Strange map scale for the time (1:5000) and a big sheet of Tyvek which was well stained.

The forest has been felled and replanted since. Cracking but physical open area opposite - Gorddinan.

At the other extreme - much of Blairadam is a felled area. It has been used recently for MTBO.

[Robin Tilston]

I have a 1997 OCAD map of Llyn Elsi.

What is all the fuss about - Orienteering is all about the art of moving over difficult ground with the aid of a map and a compass not how fast you can run along the tracks. Think of the pleasure you get from finding a difficult control site at the end of a hard leg.

Llyn Elsi is rough Welsh Forest and should not be considered as a playground for those not in tune with those sorts of difficulties.

I planned a Badge Event there in the late 90's and it was tough. Some runners complained about the courses but my reply to them was that as planner I had spent a large amount of time in the forest designing routes that kept them out of the really nasty bits, were as, they had only spent an hour or so enjoying themselves. My controller also had no sympathy with the complainants.

Welsh forests are not for wimps!

Robin

[Big Jon]

I think large parts of Blairadam have or are about to disappear in an open-cast mine (is that a hooray I hear from some quarters?).
incidentally while surveying the first map of the area my car was almost removed by over-zealous car recovery team - they had been sent to recover a trashed joyridden car and decided mine matched the bill, despite it still having 4 wheels and not having been smashed into a tree and torched unlike the other car sitting 50m from mine!

[ryeland of doom]

The big open cast is coming to the end of its run, it did swallow up a lot of the forest. It is being landscaped now and could be an interesting park area in the near future. Earth sculpture on a massive scale.

[Gross]

while surveying the first map of the area

Not sure your's was actually the first map... I remember Blairadam from school ... but it might have been an OS map.

[andypat]

I remember Blairadam from school ... but it might have been an OS map.

Was it one of Watson and Roy's originals?

[Big Jon]

No it was one of Timothy Pont's......