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Manchester & District
Orienteering Club

Twin Peak 2017 - Day 2 - Bleathwaite and Little Arrow Moor

Long Distance Event - Level B

The previous map has been extended to cross the Walna Scar Road to the lower slopes of the Old Man of Coniston.

The area now includes the detailed woodland of Bleathwaite Coppice, and the open fell of Bleathwaite Pastures, Banishead and Little Arrow Moor, with much rock detail on the higher slopes.

Full range of courses from Yellow to Black.

Sun 12th Feb 2017

Type of event: National
Type of terrain: Open Fell, Woodland
Info updated: 16th Feb

Results

Event Report

Lost Property

The foillowing items were found at Registration/Download - email to claim:

  • 1 thumb compass
  • 1 woolly hat

Planner's Comments

Martin Bagness’s extension to our previous map of Bleathwaite has now made it an excellent area for a major event, with a good variety of different types of terrain.

All technical courses started on the detailed hills near the start, and longer courses then went over the wall to cross Banishead moor and the Walna Scar road before traversing the complex lower slopes of the Old Man of Coniston. They then came back over the moor and Bleathwaite Pastures before descending into the detailed woodland of Bleathwaite Coppice. The position of the start was determined by the need for paths for Yellow and Orange courses, and not wanting to have too high a start at this time of year.

Winning times on most courses were significantly shorter than expected. With no previous events on the area to go on I had used last year’s LOC Holme Fell event as a guide, where the Black course was 9.5k with 550m climb and was won in 80 minutes. I guessed 8.5k with 450m might thus give a winning time of 70 minutes.

However the moorland area was much faster than expected, probably because it had been relatively dry over the preceding weeks. I was also quite expecting either snow or thick cloud which would slow competitors significantly. My apologies for control 151 being incorrectly placed. This was on the Short Brown and Short Blue courses, and it was on an unmapped knoll on the spur.

We were prepared for severe weather conditions, with a first aid point in a car on the Walna Scar road, and radio controls at the start, the finish and the last of the high controls.

These all worked well, and meant the download team at the school had an immediate record of competitors starting, finishing and leaving the highest area.

There were also plans for shortening the longer courses if conditions were too bad, but fortunately this was not necessary.

Many thanks to Steve Burge (and Judy) for being a very active controller, with many valuable suggestions both on courses and safety. Thanks also to all the control collectors, to Tony Wagg for looking after the highest controls and manning the Walna Scar safety car, to John Kewley for doing an early tour to wake up many of the controls, to Judy Burge for doing a tour of the higher controls to repair them after the strong overnight winds, to John Williams for improving the stile into the woodland, and to Eddie Speak for his work in ensuring the radio controls all worked successfully. Thanks also to Margaret Gregory for her help in so many ways.

Andrew Gregory

Controller's Comments

The officials did an excellent job - particularly at the Start.

There were many positive comments about the event - I was particularly pleased to hear several competitors say "Because of the conditions I was not going to go out - but I am glad I did". However, I have received a few comments that I have been asked to pass on - although I don't agree with all of them! 

Due to the nature of the terrain (mostly high and open) and the time of year it was always the intention that the courses should not be too long. However, some of the courses were too short. I think that this happened mainly because BOF guidelines were followed, so that the length of the Black course was established and the lengths of the other courses scaled down from the length of the Black. On reflection, this approach only has a chance of working if all the courses are in the same/same type of terrain and this was not the case on Sunday because the Black course went onto the steep complex slopes north of the Walna Scar road. (I have learnt a lesson here!).

A number of competitors were disappointed that the courses below Blue did not contain at least one long leg and that there were too many controls per course. (For what it's worth, my view is that the nature of the area and the need to steer competitors away from line features and towards crossing points meant that a lot of short legs were needed. Also, long legs out on the open moorland would have resulted in boring, non-technical running and considerable following).

A number of control kites were visible from some distance away. This is something I dislike, but in open areas it can be difficult to hide kites which are approached from a number of different directions.

There was a suggestion that a pre-Start should have been positioned before the stile which took competitors into the open (windy and cold) area where the Start was. I don't think this would have been feasible because the pre-Start would have been in a confined area consisting mainly of bog, blocking a public footpath and the route back from the Finish.

M65 competitors were given a 1:7,500 map on Day 1 and a 1:10,000 on Day 2. Did this happen because they ran different courses on the two days - Green on Day 1 and Short Blue on Day 2? These competitors would probably have preferred to have had the same scale (1:7,500) on both days.

Steve Burge

Pre Event Info

Twin Peak 2017 - Coniston


Preliminary Details

Twin Peak Prizes

There will be a small prize for the leading member of each age group M/W10 – M/W85 adding together the times for the Torver and Bleathwaite events.  Those wishing to be eligible for a prize should enter the appropriate course shown on the table for each individual day, or run-up on both days.

Location

Nearest town: Coniston

Directions / Parking

Signed from A593 at southern end of Coniston. Public transport is not an option

Assembly: John Ruskin School, Lake Road, Coniston. LA21 8EW GR SD302 974

Parking: Limited parking at Assembly. Fee £3

Overflow parking on road sides and in public car parks in Coniston

The usual range of facilities will be provided at assembly (Enquiries, Registration, SI Card Hire, First Aid, toilets, download etc.)

Registration & Start Times

EOD: 9:45 to 11:30 at Registration at Assembly, while maps available

Start times: 10:30 to 12:30. Courses close 15.00

Start times will be allocated, but will be flexible. 

Start: From Assembly to the start is 2.1k with 120m of climb, on roads and field footpaths. Not suitable for pushchairs.

The route crosses the A593 and parents should accompany younger children.

Clothing can be left at a point 100m before the start.

Finish: 150m with 30m climb from clothing dump. Download at Assembly.

Course Information

You may enter whichever course you want, but if you wish to be eligible for a prize in the 2-day Twin Peak Competition you should enter the appropriate course for your age class, or run-up on both days.

Course Age Classes   Length km Climb m Controls Map scale
Black M21   8.4 450 26 10,000
Brown M35, M40   7.6 380 26 10,000
Short Brown M18, M20, M45, M50 W21 6.3 300 22 10,000
Blue M16, M55, M60 W35, W40 4.7 240 21 10,000
Short Blue M65 W18, W20, W45, W50 4.2 190 19 10,000
Green M70 W16, W55, W60 3.1 170 17 7,500
Short Green M75, M80, M85 W65, W70 2.7 130 13 7,500
Very Short Green   W75, W80, W85 2.5 100 13 7,500
Light Green M14 W14 2.5 90 12 7,500
Orange M12 W12 2.4 80 14 7,500
Yellow M10 W10 1.6 60 11 7,500

 

Yellow course note

Competitors on the Yellow course should collect their map from Registration at the School before walking up to the Start. (We shall have a few spare copies at the start).

There will be three marked sections on the Yellow course, where the paths are rather vague.

Maze Course

We are providing a 'maze' course in the school grounds so younger children have a course, as we cannot provide a White course. It will be open from 10 am till 1 pm.

There is a also a children's playground opposite the school to help keep the youngsters occupied. 

Explanation of colour courses

  • White are very easy with all controls on paths. They are mainly used by 6-10 year olds and family groups.
  • Yellow use simple linear features like paths, walls and streams. They are mainly used by under 12’s and family groups.
  • Orange progress to basic use of the compass and route choice. They are ideal for novice adults or experienced youngsters.
  • Light Green are ideal for improvers as the navigational difficulty begins to increase and uses simple contours and point features.
  • Green are used mostly by experienced under 18’s and adults wanting a short but challenging course with a very hard navigational difficulty.
  • Blue are a longer, more physically demanding course in comparison to the green. The distances are more varied between controls and the course attracts experienced orienteers.
  • Brown & Black are very physically demanding and have a very hard navigational difficulty. They are for experienced orienteers only.
  • Score means visiting as many controls as possible in any order in a specific time, like 45mins.

Entry Details

Pre-entry preferred via Fabian4 website. Entries close February 4th. No late entry. 

Pre-entry: Seniors £10, Juniors and Students £4

EOD: Seniors £12, Juniors and students £5

SI card hire: Seniors £1, Juniors and students 50p (£30 if not returned) 

Entry on the day will be limited by availability of maps

Terrain Description

The previous map of Bleathwaite, used for the MDOC Twin Peak weekend in 2011 (www.mdoc.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#91), has been extended to the north west by Martin Bagness, going as far as Little Arrow Moor on the lower slopes of the Old Man of Coniston. The extension to the map was used for a WAROC Battleaxe event in May 2014.

All courses will start and finish on the open hill pastures of Bleathwaite, which rise to the north west where there are many complex rock features. There are not many paths, and the Yellow course will include two taped sections. The area is not suitable for a White course.

Light Green and all TD5 courses of Short Green and above will visit the steep wooded hillside of Bleathwaite Coppice. Although originally a coppice it is now rather overgrown with some areas of thick vegetation and fallen trees. Parallel rock ridges provide interesting detail, although many of the rock surfaces are covered with moss.

Courses of Short Blue and above will go north west of the high wall bounding the original map onto the detailed moorland of Banishead and Little Arrow Moor. Short Brown, Brown and Black courses will go above the Walna Scar Road onto the complex crags of the lower slopes of the Old Man of Coniston. Careful navigation will be needed to find the best routes through the crags. There is a significant amount of climb on these last three courses.

It is possible there will be a simple course provided in the grounds of John Ruskin School for younger competitors to make up for lack of a White course.

Safety

Whistles and cagoules must be carried, and will be checked on the way to the start.

Much of the area is very exposed and rises to nearly 500m. You should dress appropriately for the conditions. Full body cover is essential, and extra layers, gloves and hat may be necessary.

We plan to have a First Aid point on the Walna Scar Road and a vehicle nearby. Any competitors on Black, Brown or Short Brown courses retiring on the higher parts of the course should report to this point. If the weather conditions make the higher rocky slopes on these courses too dangerous, the courses will be shortened.

Facilities

Toilets: At Assembly ONLY

Catering: We hope to have NW Junior Squad catering, no commercial catering.

Traders: Compass Point (Sunday only)

First Aid: Available at Assembly and on the Walna Scar Road (see Safety section above)

Dogs allowed?

No dogs in school grounds or on courses.

Allowed on public footpaths /roads to start and in public carparks

Contacts / Officials

Organiser: Alison Doyle Tel 0161 366 5175 before 10pm

Email enquiries preferred via

Planner: Andrew Gregory

Controller: Steve Burge LOC

Safety and Risk

A comprehensive risk assessment will have been carried out by the organiser, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.

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