RR East of Scotland Orienteering Championships - Fauldshope and Bowhill

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2006



Bowhill House near Selkirk.


Bowhill was at its autumnal best - dry, sunny and leaves of every colour! I ran the brown course which was 7.7k with 320m of climb and 18 controls. I took 63minutes which gave me second place to Ben Hartman of INT. I lost a bit of time at number 1 by having to go around some slow run which proved to be impenetrable. Also lost 2 minutes to Ben on the third leg, despite taking similar routes - only difference was Ben was running faster than me and followed the small path in the open!

Results.
Splits.

Map with my course.


Map with my route.

BAOC Compass Sport Trophy Final - Greenham and Crookham Common

Greenham Common as seen on Google Earth.



Greenham Common is well know for cruise missiles and peace camps. It was the venue of this years Compass Sport Final - the "cup" for big clubs and "trophy" for small clubs. FVO were in the trophy competition with CLARO, ERYRI, GO, SARUM, SOS, SBOC and TAY; and narrowly lost out to SARUM.

I ran the blue (trophy) course which was 8.2k, with 75m of climb and 16 controls. I took 43 minutes and was reasonably happy with my run, save for being hesitant into number 1 and having to deviate around a flooded marsh between 7 and 8.

Approaching the finish.



Results.
Splits.

Map with my course.



Map with my route.

BASOC Colour Coded Event - Deishar

I ran the brown course which was 8.1k, with 230m of climb and 22 controls. Deishar is a fantastic area (one of the best in Britain!), is really well mapped and was very well planned; ingredients which, together with good weather, made for an excellent day!

I had a clean run and took 65 minutes, some 10 minutes slower than Mark Nixon of EUOC, who continues to show tremendous form.

Video of event on You Tube.

Results.
Splits.

Map with my course.



Map with my route.



SATURDAY, OCTOBER 07, 2006
GRAMP Training - Loch Vaa



I was one of a number of Scottish Veterans who joined Grampian Orienteers training at Loch Vaa in Speyside.

Morning training:
- Window course - 2.9k with 5 controls
- Contour only course - 1.3k with 5 controls
- Line event - 1.5k

Afternoon training:
- Control picking - 1.7k with 7 controls
- Contour only course - 1.4k with 4 controls

Map with window course.



Map of contour only course (morning).



Map of contour only course (afternoon).

MAROC Colour Coded Event - Pannanich

Pannanich as seen on Google Earth.


Deeside was very wet making Pannanich even tougher going than usual! I ran the brown (longest) course which was 7.0k with 220m of climb and 14 controls, and which took me 72 minutes - a time I was reasonably happy with, especially given recent illness! I lost a bit of time through hesitancies in some places (mostly from misinterpreting black features which had been printed so that they looked more significant than they really were) and from small misses near controls 7, 8 and 12 - all towards the end of the course when I was tired!

Results.
Splits.

Map with my course.


Map with my route.

MOR Colour Coded Event - Achlean

It was good to return to Achlean - even though it was only a week since last running there! I ran the brown (longest) course which was 8.6k with 21 controls. I had a clean run and took 67 minutes, finishing third. Ben Hartman took 65 minutes and Mark Nixon took an incredible 53 minutes!

Results.
Splits.
RouteGadget.

Map with my course.



Map with my route.

BASOC Colour Coded Event - Beachen Wood

Beachen Wood is situauted on the outskirts of Grantown on Spey and has not previously been used for orienteering. It is a mixed wood with areas of pine, birch and hazel; and a multitude of point features.

I ran the brown (longest) course which was 7.7k with 315m of climb and 23 controls. I took 68 minutes and finished second, 2 minutes slower than Mark Nixon of EUOC.

My run was a bit scrappy with time losses in the circle at 5, 14 and 22; and by drifting-off between 8 and 9.

Results.
Splits.

Part 1 map with my course.



Part 2 map with my course.



Part 1 map with my route.



Part 2 map with my route.

FVO Evening Event - Touch

I ran the long course which was 5.5k with 12 controls. The area was great - if a little brackeny, and I completed the course in 37 minutes; which gave me 5th place, some 3 minutes down on Mark Nixon who won.

Results.

INVOC SOL 6 - Loch Vaa

Loch Vaa was first used for orienteering for the World Championships Relay in 1999. Like Achlean, it has numerous moraines and offers a sustained technical challenge.

I ran M45L which was 7.2k with 145m of climb and 22 controls. I took 51 minutes - a time which left me trailing Donald Petrie of CLYDE by some 3 minutes! I lost time by going too far east and being hesitant into 11, and by not simplifying 19; but can't account for 3 minutes!

Results.
Splits.
RouteGadget.



SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 09, 2006
ECKO 11 Person relay - Achlean



On a sunny Saturday in Speyside, I ran the 4th of 5 legs (legs 2, 3 and 4 each had 3 runners!) which was light green standard and 3.1k with 70 m of climb, and 10 controls. The course took me 19 minutes. Fraser Purves set off in first place on the last leg for FVO, but had only a minutes lead over Oleg Chepelin from EUOC, which wasn't enough to keep the students at bay! Nonetheless, our second place did mean we gained revenge over CLYDE; who narrowly beat us at this years Harvester.

Results.
Splits.
RouteGadget.

Purple Thistle - Glen Affric

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2006
Purple Thistle - Day 1 - Glen Affric South



I ran the Mighty Thistle which was 12.7k with 23 controls. I found the forest rough and tough, and retired after control 13.

Results.
Splits.

Came away realising how amazing Bjornar Valsted's time was when he won the World Championships Long Course in Glen Affric in 1999.

Bjornar Valstad - one of the all time great orienteers!





SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2006
Purple Thistle - Day 2 - Glen Affric North



The Mighty Thistle was 9.6k with 26 controls and took me 112 minutes - a long time, but at least I found all the controls today!

Results.
Splits.
Overall results.