14/10/2023 – League 9 – Blakeney Hill

14/10/2023 – League 9 – Blakeney Hill
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14/10/2023 - League 9 - Blakeney Hill

We return to the Forest of Dean for our October League and Regional event at Blakeney Hill

Thank you to Forestry England for allowing us use of Wenchford picnic cite.

Entries are now open, and will close at midnight on Wednesday 11th October.


Enter Online

Officials

Organiser/Planner: Vanessa Lawson, NGOC Queries? email Vanessa

Controller: Tom Cochrane, NGOC

Biosecurity

Biosecurity is of great concern to the Forestry Commission in the Forest of Dean, in this area in particular the problem being Chronic Oak Decline disease. British Orienteering has issued the following advice to all clubs on the biosecurity measures that should be taken by all orienteers (i.e. Planners, Controllers and control hangers, as well as competitors) when holding or participating in an area suspected to contain any bio-threat. This includes all of the competition area, so please do what you can to comply with these instructions.

  • Thoroughly wash all footwear before leaving the area, ensuring that all mud, soil and leaf litter is removed.
  • On returning home, rinse all boots and shoes in a chlorine based cleaner or garden fungicide and allow them to dry thoroughly. N.B. please read the manufacturer's label and follow their instructions on use and disposal of the product.
  • Thoroughly wash and dry all kit and any other clothing that may potentially have been contaminated with fungal spores.
  • Clothing and footwear should not be reused for at least 48 hours after drying.
  • Please do what you can to help prevent the spread of these diseases.

Directions and Parking

Parking and assembly are at Wenchford picnic site. Please try and lift share if you can, both to save costs and space in the public car park. There is a parking charge -CASH ONLY - as it is a Forestry England car park. Full details including parking charges which apply up to 31 October are at https://www.forestryengland.uk/wenchford

What 3 words: ///digs.relishes.villas
Grid Ref: SO653077

By Public Transport

From Coleford - number 23 bus
From Lydney - number 23 bus
From Cinderford - number 30 bus
All bus stops are a half hour walk from Wenchford.

Assembly is adjacent to parking.

NGOC have recently set up a Car Sharing WhatsApp group, called NGOC Ride Share, so if you need, or can offer, a lift, please sign up to the group and we can try and cut down our travel footprint. Request an invitation to join by emailing equipment@ngoc.org.uk, or texting Pat Macleod, if you have his mobile number.

Click on the running man icon on the map below, and then the Direction icon icon to get directions to the course.

The Area

Mixed woodland, with a good path network. There is minor (dead end) road within the area but only Green, Blue and Brown courses are likely to cross this. Some open areas have high bracken undergrowth but the woodland is generally very runnable.

The Map

Scale 1:10,000, 5m contours. Based on the previous NGOC 2022 map, minor updates 2023 for this event by Greg Best.

Start and Finish

The Start is about 200m beyond Assembly and the route to it crosses the parking area and will be marked with tape. Juniors should be accompanied to the start.

The Finish is adjacent to the car park. Follow tape back to Assembly. Juniors must be accompanied on the route back through the car park to Assembly. The Finish will be marshalled

Courses

Class/Course lengh(Km) Climb(m) Controls Suitable for
Brown 7.2 300 20 Experienced Orienteers
Blue 6.1 230 16 Experienced Orienteers
Green 4.2 135 12 Experienced Orienteers
Short Green 2.6 85 10 Experienced Orienteers
Orange 2.6 125 11 Adult beginners and improving children
Yellow 2.4 80 9 Children

Course details subject to final controlling. Course distances are straight line.

We hope to have a string course on the day.

We will use SI Timing, in contact and touch free modes. All runners must however punch the Start and Finish controls.

In order to minimise demands on scarce volunteer resources we operate a 2 hour start window for this event, and we recognise that this can be a challenge for parents seeking split starts. We are happy to accommodate split starts provided:

  • You let us know in advance that you need a split start. Do this by emailing the organiser, address in the introduction above
  • You come early; the start team will normally be ready to allow very early starts sometime between 10:30 and the published 11:00 start time, so aim to be there soon after 10:30. We do not offer starts later than the published end of the start window.
  • The shorter course runner goes first. We will not turn you away if you can't manage this, but it gives you both a better chance of beating the course closure time.

Entries, Timing and Fees

Entry Details

You should enter the course appropriate to your involvement in the NGOC league, if relevant, or whichever course you choose otherwise.

Starts: 11:00 - 13:00
Courses close: 14:30, meaning that you must report to download before 14:45, or risk disqualification.

Fees Pre-entry Entry on the Day Non-member Supplement
Adults £7 £10 £2
Juniors £3 £4 £1
Family (2 adults + their children) £16 £20 As above for any non-members

SI dibber hire: Standard dibber £1 Adults, Juniors free

Touch Free dibber: £2 Adults, £1 Juniors

Entries are now open, and will close at midnight on Wednesday 11th October.
Enter Online

Entry on the day is possible only while maps last, but note the premium price to discourage this. We should by then be able to accept credit/debit card payments, but this is not guaranteed so bring cash just in case.

A helper discount is available for those offering to help on the day. These events don't happen without volunteers willing to help out on the day, so if you are able to do so, before signing up to enter, email Ian Prowse, Volunteer Coordinator, to let us know if you can help, and ask for the helper discount code that you can apply when entering. You don't have to be a NGOC member to help, but you do need to be a BOF member to be covered insurance wise.

Refunds

As the Government has removed all restrictions on events and activities, COVID related refunds are no longer available. The standard Fabian4 terms and conditions offer an automatic refund up to 2 months before the event date, and we do not normally vary this specification. That means that in most cases no refunds are possible, as we do not publish details until less than 2 months before the date of the event.

However, for all except large events we hold entries open until only a day or so before the event, so you can delay entry if unsure whether you can run, until very close to event day.

Dogs

Dogs are permitted at assembly and on courses

Facilities

Toilets are available

The NGOC cafe will be present.

Safety

The area is well used by families with children as well as walkers, horse riders and cyclists, so please be mindful of other users.

Orienteering is an adventure sport. All runners take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety.

A risk assessment has been completed, and a copy will be held at Enquiries and Download in case competitors wish to consult it before their run.

A first aid kit and trained first aiders will be available at Enquiries and Download.