Best areas never mapped for orienteering?

[Spookster]

Buckingham Palace gardens would make a great sprint-O area. And no chance of controls getting knicked with armed guards on the roof...

[DJM]

I've been looking at some cracking areas in Mid Wales which we hope to use first for Croeso 2012. One has a PG plot, but little more at this stage, and others have nothing more than an OS map ... But they look really good!

[AndyC]

Buckingham Palace gardens would make a great sprint-O area. And no chance of controls getting knicked with armed guards on the roof...

I once had the experience of opening the blinds in the boardroom on the top of one of the offices beside Buck House and seeing the gun-sights glint at me- the blinds were closed very quickly!

[rocky]

Anywhere within a 20 mile radius of Lochinver looks amazing. Are there any O maps at all of that region N of Ullapool?

One of the toughest areas I've run on was adjacent to Lochinver. Big Jon, who mapped it, claims it's the most northerly map in Britain. It was good in the forest, but the open had all been recently cleared and was very tough going.

It's attributed to Lochinver Primary School - if anyone actually learnt to orienteer on that map they need to be signed up - they'll find anything south of inverness (trossachs excluded) too easy!

[greywolf]

Culag is a fantastic wee wood, i've run round it several times, and there's some interesting climbing on the crags too (and some huge trees for that part of the world - some of the spruce by the bay in the extreme SW corner are pushing 40m)...but as per other recent threads it's a long way from being the most northerly map in GB, i know of at least 3 further north...

[DavidJ]

Several years ago I was on holiday in Shropshire and visited Hawkstone Follies, North of Shrewsbury. It may have been used for orienteering but I suspect that there would be difficulties in access and using it so I doubt it. However it did seem a fascinating place with follies, many cliffs, tunnels, bridges. Producing a map would be fun although planning courses would be a considerable challenge but then so would the orienteering! There is a leaflet (with a sketch of the area on the back) at:
http://www.principal-hayley.com/file-download.php?file=%2Fpdfs%2Fhawkstone_brochure.pdf

[Monte]

Another quirky area for events (Sprint races?) would be 'The Village' at Portmeirion - with security being even tighter than for Buckingham Palace.
Morfa Harlech across the estuary is an interesting expanding area of sanddunes but a Nature Reserve so access unlikely.

[Scott]

Another quirky area for events (Sprint races?) would be 'The Village' at Portmeirion

That might actually be the coolest idea ever. Seriously. Where's the Croeso 2012 event centre? According to these committee minutes, they were considering Dolgellau - in which case, Portmeirion would be within easy driving distance...

[redkite]

Croeso 2012 event centre is likely to be Aberystwyth Uni. A bit far for the Prisoner. However, as David May mentioned earlier, there are lilely to be a few great new areas.

[SeanC]

Aberystwyth would make a great area for some kind of urban/semi-urban event. 2 uni campuses, the National Library, the old town, Penglais Wood, seafront, harbour, castle, Constitution Hill...

[PKJ]

Aberystwyth would make a great area for some kind of urban/semi-urban event. 2 uni campuses, the National Library, the old town, Penglais Wood, seafront, harbour, castle, Constitution Hill...

As one of the few ex-Aberystwyth University orienteers still around, and an early POW member, I'd go along with that. You could even have a control outside 22/1B Stryd-y-Popty.
And, although I wouldn't expect the 'best areas never mapped', I'm sure that a better area than Plynlimon can be found in Ceredigion, and better than Gregynog in Montgomery.

Roll on Croeso 2012 as a way of exploiting this potential. But, how could areas in the NW Highlands ever be used? How far up in the North-West would be considered for a Scottish 6-day? Or a Purple Thistle?

[greywolf]

how could areas in the NW Highlands ever be used? How far up in the North-West would be considered for a Scottish 6-day? Or a Purple Thistle?

Having lived in NW Sutherland for 5 years I think the infrastructure of the area would struggle to host the 6 days, although I suppose if this was ever based at say Dingwall they could have a day or two "out west". It's a long drive and an entertaining road, mind
But the Purple Thistle might be possible, or maybe the OMM, not sure if any of the big mountain marathons have ever made it up to the northwest.
Meanwhile those who want to race in the area might like to consider the Cape Wrath Challenge

[mike g]

The Cape Wrath Challenge is excellent - I did it last year with a group from my running club. Some great hill walking up there too - Suilven and Ben Hope.

[EddieH]

[quote]Some great hill walking up there too - Suilven and Ben Hope.[/quote]

To name but a few. If you want Ben Hope to be right up there you have to do the north ridge, not the tourist route.

[seabird]

[quote="greywolf"] not sure if any of the big mountain marathons have ever made it up to the northwest. [quote]

The LAMM made it to Ben More Assynt a few years ago.