Northern Championships - not grim up North

[AndyC]

I've just got home from Ray Demense (doing chores for Colin) and I will a) vouch that it isn't in the North Sea b) that grid reference looks about right on the paper map from the OS I've just looked at.
Half an inch of snow on the moor overnight highlighting the contour detail caused me to stop and try to work out the terrain on the small fragment of map I was using - it will be challenging out there - I resisted the temptation to go onto the moor to see if I'd got it right -even though I've probably already DQ'd myself.
Wet underfoot today so had the event been tomorrow I suspect times might be a bit longer than Colin anticipated (see thread on the Southern Champs) let's see what happens in a fortnight

[Jethro]

The map reference is wrong in final details. It should be NY not NT.

[AndyC]

I've emailed the organiser to check

[Monte]

NY988857 not NT. [Curse - beaten to it]
May I make a plea here for organisers to supply grid references of Assembly as well as turn off point. When travelling by bike or on foot from the nearest public transport point it helps to know what the distance is (and if there is a shortcut).
The recent event at Torver gave a postcode but it was the (shared) postcode for a hotel over 1 km from Assembly at the Priestley centre.

[Jethro]

Looking at OS map I would say assembly is 970859

[Muddy Boots]

By all standards the Midland and Southern have been excellent well organised events. Looking forward to running in the final exciting event of this trio of English Area Championships.

[Freefall]

Thank you, thank you. Just a small note here, and it hasn't gone in the final details, but will be displayed at the event, is that for the sake of clarity we have not overprinted walls and fences in purple. We looked at the discussions on Nopesport, but given the fact that nearly all the walls and fences clearly encircle forest enclosures (apart from one north-south fence on the east of the area), and crossing points are marked (and instructions say compulsory) we have left fences and walls in all their un-purpled glory if that is a word. Frankly it is so complex in and out of the forest you will be baffled enough as it is without another 17 purple lines to contend with (crossings have reduced from 31 to 26 by the way AndyC)

[Spookster]

and crossing points are marked (and instructions say compulsory) we have left fences and walls in all their un-purpled glory if that is a word.

Do you mean "instructions on the map say compulsory"? It's not compulsory to read the final details! I'm not suggesting people should or will cross the walls, but you can't disqualify them afterwards if they do so.

[Freefall]

I will ask the Start Team to brief competitors, and include a notice in the start lanes to this effect. If you do look at the final details, which contain a small section of map, you will appreciate why overprinting would cause confusion. I welcome further comment after the race of course.

[graeme]

Why wait...

British Orienteering needs to define a local ISOM map symbol which means "Wall, forbidden to cross". Ask them!

[rocky]

British Orienteering needs to define a local ISOM map symbol which means "Wall, forbidden to cross". Ask them!

Surely a "local International" symbol is an oxymoron? Which inevitably leads us to the concept of a British Orienteering Specification Orienteering Map...
We could then all stand around the car park discussing BOSOMs and the best map to use this feature would surely then be BOSOM of the year!

[pete.owens]

Having looked at the map section of the final details it is not at all obvious which of the walls and fences are supposed to be crossable and which uncrossable - and the wording in the final details is ambiguous. There seem to be several different types of wall or fence, some within the woods, some enclosing woods, some across open moor, some bounding a disused railway, some bounding fields. Some of these may be crossed and some not. Some crossing points are compulsory - sometimes there is a choice.

Now of course, this might all be perfectly clear when I pick up the map, but it does sound potentially like a repeat of Torver. What can seem obvious when carefully studying a map in relaxed circumstances can seem less so after an hour of running.

[graeme]

Surely a "local International" symbol is an oxymoron? !

OK, a sloppy shorthand for BOF rule 5.1.1 which addresses the incompleteness of the formal ISOM system.

Any map used for an event shall be drawn according to the ‘International Specification for Orienteering Maps 2000’ (ISOM 2000), or the ‘International Specification for Sprint Orienteering Maps 2007’ (ISSOM 2007), subject to any specific British Orienteering amendments as described in Appendix H (Mapping).

[Freefall]

Don't worry too much about the walls and fences. Even in the heat of the moment it will be obvious. Trust me, I'm an experienced planner (but not a Doctor). The crossing points on non-crossable walls and fences are obvious (the ones that enclose the three forests). the railway line (crossed in one place only) and the north-south fence on the moor. Any walls and fences in the forest are fair game and choose where you go as you like. Local Northumberland rules apply.

[EddieH]

I have to say that that may sound obvious when written like that, but in the heat of the moment ...

It is no good whatever if it is only obvious once one arrives at a wall/fence to realise that you took the wrong choice because, either you need to use the CP, or that you needn't have bothered.

If most of the uncrossable boundaries are round woods, there is an obvious visible feature which would mean that an additional purple line would hardly get in the way.