Southdowns 10mile Trail Challenge

The latest MapRun offering is a more extreme linear course using a combined Wolstonbury/Newtimber/Devil's Dyke map. Two courses are on offer the main one being approximately 10 miles long (actual distance), the shorter one 6 miles. Although aimed at runners there are route choices to be made and some simple navigation. See previous news items on using MapRun or a GPS devise to record your run and advice on safety.

List of available MapRunsRecently added: Sheffield Forest, Danny, Newtimber, Trail Challenge

Below is a list of runs that are available using the MapRunF app (see previous news item for further details on how to use this). Some use orienteering maps while others use OS maps of open access land. The government is encouraging us to get out and exercise and have deemed it acceptable to drive short distances to access suitable areas for exercise. When participating in any of these runs please follow our recommended safety advice.

2020 Annual general meeting postponed

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the Southdowns Orienteers Annual General Meeting planned to take place in June 2020 has been postponed. It is hoped that the meeting will take place, subject to the easing of the current COVID-19 restrictions, later in the year.

GPS Orienteering

As of today (May 13th) we are allowed to travel further afield to participate in solo outdoor exercise. Although it will be some time before organised events as we know them will take place again the club has, and will continue to, set up some alternatives. A number of MapRun courses have already been devised - these are designed to be used with a GPS-enabled smartphone App and tell you when you have reached the control point. Some early participants have found that phone GPS reception can be problematic and significantly worse than the watches that many of us use. As an alternative to using a phone you can just record your route with a watch and then email the club captain who can manually upload a .gpx file.

Solo events with MapRunF

While individuals are still encouraged to go out and exercise alone (or with close family members) I am setting up some events that can be done solo using a smartphone's GPS capability. If you want to participate in this you will need to download the MapRunF App from the usual places. See instructions below on how to use the App. Please also read the following advice on behaving responsibly when participating in these activities. Two hints: 1) Best to download the event at home or where there is a good phone signal 2) Sometime you need to loiter at a control site for some seconds for the GPS to pick up the fact that you are there.

Lockdown Orienteering 24th-26th AprilFantastic weekend of Sprint Orineteering and other online entertainment from the comfort of your sofa.....

After the great success of Lockdown Orienteering this Easter the Lockdown team are putting together another event for us to enjoy. All sorts of challenges featured in the first event- catching features, route choice games, running wild, Photo O, streetview orienteering, trail O, Quiz O etc. 500 competitors took part including several from SO and also some world champions.

Register your interest here.

Any questions then ask Will Heap and I'll do my best to help.

Karen's Photo Challenge

Karen Ashworth has set us all a problem to tackle. Here are nine photographs taken from somewhere on Devil's Dyke, all you have to do is identify from where the photos were taken. Mark down the your locations on a blank map and send to Karen (safety@southdowns-orienteers.org.uk). Answers to follow in due course. Note that rumours that she took the photos whilst completing the solo MapRun course are unfounded.