Black hole

[awk]

With the cancellation of the EPOC Regional Event on 2nd March, a big hole has emerged on a prime orienteering weekend: with no orienteering on the fixtures list on the Sunday between Derbyshire and Dumfries. Or does anybody know any different? Sadly, I can't get to the Tim Watkins Trophy on the Saturday.

Given how central we're meant to be in this part of Yorkshire, I'm amazed at how little orienteering within reasonable distance has been and is on the fixtures list in the run-up to the JK, and some of what is available is singularly unattractive. Fortunately, it does get a lot better afterwards, even if there is still considerable travelling needed. In the meantime, thank goodness for SYO, whose programme is keeping our 'local' orienteering alive this early season.

All in all, this season really underlines to me the nonsense of the current policy at regional and national level on preventing 'clashes'. What clashes? Anybody worried about the overloading of the fixtures list, just take a look at the January-March period!

[greywolf]

Look on the bright side pt 1) The 2 events you mention are c. 220 miles apart - that's only slightly less than the distance from here to Thornhill for my "local" Scottish O League race....
Look on the bright side pt 2) It's also Welsh Champs - if this was next year, or whenever the new-look superdooper Area Champs are launched, we'd be all on the road to Swansea, cos presumably there won't be any other events at all...
(not that i have anything against Swansea, )

[awk]

I do appreciate that there are parts of the UK where these would still be regarded as 'local' and that we're lucky in where we live, but part of my point was that this has happened even in a part of the country which is central, and it happens quite regularly (eg the following weekend).

As for the Welsh champs: why shouldn't there be any other events? There shouldn't be any presumably about it at all! Rather the opposite: a good weekend to hold lots of local events.

[DM]

AWK, we are affected in the same way as you.

However, at our CATI event yesterday a newcomer mentioned they wanted to brush up on their navigation ahead of the Chew 08 event at Dovestone (and the moors above) on March 2nd. This is run by Saddleworth Runners and looking at their site it's a long O type, using SI, not sue what type of map. Long and short score events and scoreless (??). £7 entry.

Might be worth a look. I'm tempted myself but I know plans are being made for serious gardening type jobs.

[Blanka]

Hi Andy,

At the the risk of stating the obvious, how about having a weekend off from orienteering? (Having said that, I'm not that much further south from where you are and I am going to the Welsh champs weekend as you can make a decent weekend of it).

Enjoy the time off from O-ing and do a training run instead I guess...

Blanka

[seabird]

C5 Saturday 1st March at Esholt £1 Seniors 50p Juniors entry. see http://www.aire.org.uk

[PorkyFatBoy]

I think the paucity of events maybe due to it being Mothering Sunday (three weeks before Easter) and the poor attendence that seems to follow as a result.
I've also noticed that the early Easter does seem to have stopped the season early too, with few events in April.

[Mrs H]

To be perfectly honest i can't understand what Andy is whingeing about - the only reason there is a black hole is because a big event was cancelled - which is unfortunate for the people in the vicinity but you don't go around organising back up events on the off chance it's going to happen do you

[DM]

MEROC event at Formby on Sat 1st March, I know it clashes with SROC event but the targeted runners are a bit different, those who want something longer go to Whitbarrow, something shorter (believe they go up to Green at Formby) then go to the dunes...good practice for Culbin?

If you plan to go, make sure you let them know so you get a preprinted map.

[RichT]

I'm struggling to understand the comment about few events in April.
Get thee to the Lakes . . . and you'll struggle to find a free weekend.

Mar 29 - Short Race 1 - Guards Wood
Mar 30 - Cumbrian Galloppen - Coombes Wood

Apr 6 - Cumbrian Galloppen - Muncaster Fell

Apr 12 - Short Race 2 - Meathop
Apr 13 - Regional Hampsfell

Apr 19 - British
Apr 20 - British

Apr 26 - Short Race 3 - Haverthwaite Heights
Apr 27 - Regional Bigland

[DM]

Rich T,

The original post was about a specific weekend in March.

Agree with you regarding April events, and we'll be up for at least 3 of the Cumbrian ones you list.

[awk]

Mrs H.:the whinge was not about there being no orienteering that particular weekend: I recognised that the hole had opened up because an event was cancelled, and asked if anybody knew of an alternative. My 'whinge' was about how thin the local programme was over a broader range of weekends - not all created by cancelled events! Having said that, I'm still surprised that there is no alternative in the whole of the north of England (and yes, I know there is some O on the Saturday), because in spite of what you say, a bog standard C3 on a fairly ordinary area in the Pennines can't exactly be described as a 'big' event (although bigger than local ones true) - I've been to bigger C4s. But you may be right, in that we may have been spoiled in the past, and maybe some events others will deem close enough and attractive enough that we don't any more.

Rich T: I agree, there are loads of events in the Lakes after Easter - indeed I commented on that: "Fortunately, it does get a lot better afterwards, even if there is still considerable travelling needed." the Lakes will provide a similar lifeline to the one SYO have been providing pre-Easter, even if at a fairly significant distance.

Blanka - you're right, we could take a weekend off (looks like we're going to have to), but the same applies the following weekend too: the nearest event is getting on for 80-90 mins drive each way away (again, it looks like Saturday will be the day for us!). That's what I was 'whingeing' about - this is, after all, meant to be prime orienteering season in England. (We also took a Sunday off this weekend because there wasn't anything local, and nothing sufficiently close to attract - fortunately SYO put on a super C5 on the Saturday).

We are a keen orienteering family, and we do travel extensively, particularly during prime orienteeering season, but there still seems to be an awful lot of 'extensive' travelling to keep active, and it's niggling away, particularly as it seems to be down to the protected regional event type of event and the 'one district event in the region' rule that some associations (including ours) seem to have.

As a family, we will pay to travel a long way some weekends, but it has recently seemed to be most weekends.

[seabird]

(We also took a Sunday off this weekend because there wasn't anything local, and nothing sufficiently close to attract - fortunately SYO put on a super C5 on the Saturday)

You missed a good event at Arncliffe,awk - The Northern Champs to boot! Half your club were there. Planning good - weather great, and less than an hour from your doorstep.

[PG]

but the same applies the following weekend too: the nearest event is getting on for 80-90 mins drive each way away (again, it looks like Saturday will be the day for us!).

SYO to the rescue again! The district event scheduled for Bawtry Woods on 9th March has been moved to Burbage Moor, which has easier access for most:
http://www.southyorkshireorienteers.org.uk/

[awk]

You missed a good event at Arncliffe,awk - The Northern Champs to boot! Half your club were there. Planning good - weather great, and less than an hour from your doorstep.

I'm glad it was good. Interesting point about the Northerns: when I was on YHOA committee it was agreed with the other associations to hold the Northerns at national events - that looks to have either been abandoned or forgotten which I think is a pity: however good Arncliffe was, it was still only a small regional event, not the most important event in the north of England this year. Our previous experiences of Arncliffe have been somewhat different, so we were glad to go to Loxley on the Saturday, which was just what we wanted in pretty much all respects. Aire numbers weren't exceptional - almost exactly the same as those at the Robin Hood Trophy a couple of weeks ago - just a higher proportion of a smaller event. You must drive faster than me!