SOG 4Rivers WoodSat 17 April, 2021

Report

Thank you to all of you who came out on this most perfect of days to run in beautiful Rivers Wood. At last! The event was originally planned for early last year. Storm Dennis had other ideas. It has since been rescheduled and cancelled a further three times due to COVID. So I cannot begin to tell you how relieved I was that no meteorite strike or alien invasion put paid to our plans again!

Above all thanks must go first and foremost to Simon Greenwood and all at Balcombe Estate for allowing us to range free and for being so helpful - especially in allowing us to use the open fields, moving cows and removing barbed wire in a couple of crucial places. It’s hard to believe that they had 300 horses through the wood two weeks ago, so good is the condition.

Thanks to all the usual suspects for SI, parking, starts and finish, and control collecting. To Benny for joining me at 7 this morning to set controls and helping to find 121 - I placed the stake yesterday and couldn’t find it this morning! 🤣 And of course Steve for controlling the event so seamlessly, organising all helpers, and keeping me honest!

But the biggest thanks goes to all of you who ran, and smiled and made it all

RouteGadget

Is a web app for sharing and comparing orienteering routes. You can draw your own route or upload a GPS track from your watch. It also allows you to watch an animated replay with a simulated mass start.

Pre event info

Competitors should not attend this event:

• Who are unwell with a cough, fever or other respiratory symptoms.
• Have been in close contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 and are within the quarantine period.
• If they have returned from a non exempt overseas country, until they have completed the 14 day quarantine period.
• Currently undergoing COVID-19 testing, until they receive negative result and are symptom free.
• Been asked to isolate by NHS Test and Trace due to them being a contact of known COVID-19 case.
• If they have been advised to stay at home by a health care professional.

Location Info

Nearest town: Haywards Heath

• Postcode: RH16 1XS *
• Lat,Lng:51.03128,-0.10705
• Grid Ref: TQ325274
• Google Map
• Streetmap (OS 50k)
• Bing Map (OS 50k)
• OpenStreetMap

* Postcodes are not very precise in some areas, so don't rely on them for an exact location.

Directions / Parking

From Borde Hill Lane, turn East onto the concrete farm road (Rivers Road) immediately North of the railway bridge. If heading north the turning is very soon after the railway bridge so be prepared as Borde Hill Lane is busy, fast and visibility is restricted.

Park as directed by marshals.

What3Words: known.waltzed.dreamers

Post code RH16 1XS

Grid TQ325274

Public Transport

Orienteers should consider using their own transportation and not public transport

Course Information

• Yellow 1.4km, 30m climb
• Orange 2.5km, 50m climb
• Green 4.2km, 110m climb
• Blue 6.0km, 130m climb

Loose control descriptions will not be provided at the event. Control descriptions will be on the map and will be available to download here.

Entry Details

Pre-entry only via racesignup.co.uk

Seniors £5.00

Juniors £2.50 (SO juniors free - use "SOjuniors" discount code)

Standard SI-card hire £1 (juniors 50p)

Enhanced (contactless SIAC) SI-card hire £2 (juniors £1)

Registration

09.45am - 11.00am

Start Times

10.00am - 11.15am. Courses close 13.00pm. Please start in your allocated start block.

Map Details

1:7500 with 5m contours. Based on original map by Roger Maher 2004 with updates in 2012 and 2015 plus minor updates March 2019. The path network remains accurate but some vegetation has come and some has gone.

Terrain Description

Rivers Wood is on. I’m just back from putting the stakes out and it’s looking great. For the fifth time of trying, it’s about to happen. Such excitement!
The woods and fields are in the first flush of summer. The ground is hardening up. What wet patches that remain (very few) are in the south east swampy corner only visited on the Blue course.
Brambles are bothersome but no bracken. Look out for views of the viaduct and the reservoir and for the wild flowers in the wood - bluebells, cuckoo flowers and wood spurge in particular.
Hope you enjoy it.

Dog restrictions

Sorry no dogs allowed at this event.

Facilities

None.

No key drop.

Please bring:

• Your own water to ensure adequate hydration pre and post event.
• Hand sanitizer.

Miscellaneous

Safety bearing is South. This will bring you to either:

• The fence bordering the concrete track, in which case head east beside the concrete track to the car park.
• The fence bordering the railway line, in which case head west within the woods to the concrete track and the car park. Do NOT go onto the railway line.

There is a small pile of collapsed scaffolding west of control 106. It will be marked with yellow/black tape.

Please ensure you have read and adhere to the British Orienteering Code of Conduct.

Maintain a distance of at least 2m from other people at all times.

Arrive at the event ready to run and wait in/by your car until it is time for you to start.

There are 2 starts - Blue/Orange and Green/Yellow. Follow signs - 2 minutes walk.

Competitors will start at 1 minute intervals with only one person starting each minute.

Avoid touching the start, finish and control units.

Punching start and finish, all other controls will be SIAC enabled.

Move away briskly from the start and all controls. If you need a breather then find a quiet area away from where other competitors are likely to appear.

At the end of your run punch the finish and move away to a quiet area to recover before making your way to download.

Once you have finished and downloaded please leave the event.

No splits or results displays will be available. Live WiFi results will be available at the event. Final results will appear on the club website shortly after the event.

Bramble bashers recommended.

Contacts / Officials

Planner: Mike Turner

Organiser: Steve Blount

Controller: