SOG A5Rivers WoodSat 30 October, 2021

Report

Planners Report to come...

A pair of black trainers was found in the car parking area. Please email si@southdowns-orienteers.org.uk to arrange their return.

Yellow course, control 7 (no. 71) failed and competitors have been re-instated.

Green/Blue course control no. 77 failed and was replaced with 99 before the start.

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

This event sees the return of our FREE JUNIOR COACHING sessions for those who are learning to navigate the yellow course. It is suitable for primary school age children and those just starting to learn how to get around a course using a map. The sessions are fun and based on learning key skills in short sessions. Please contact Karen Ashworth if you think you may be interested. Parents are welcome to attend too. Meet at 10am at the Social Hub (the hexagonal tent). You will have time to do a course after the coaching, so please pre-book your course.

We are also running SHADOWING for anyone who needs a bit of help with key skills or older children who want to work on gaining confidence to run courses on their own. We will match you with someone of suitable experience who will be able to give you pointers from time to time during the course and identify opportunities for developing your current skills. Please contact Anna Chapman ahead of the event, so we can identify a suitable shadower. Please pre-book your course as normal.

There will be time to both the junior coaching and shadowing.

Before attending any orienteering activity, orienteers, including officials, volunteers and coaches, should self-assess for symptoms of COVID-19. These are:

• A high temperature.
• A new, continuous cough.
• A loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste.

If you, or anyone you live with, have one or more of these symptoms you should not attend any sporting activity, even if your symptoms are mild.

If you have been informed that you need to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace (or are required to self-isolate in relation to travel), you must do so. You should not leave your isolation location in order to participate in sport and physical activity.

Location Info

Nearest town: Balcombe

• Postcode: RH16 1XR *
• Lat,Lng:51.03146,-0.10996
• Grid Ref: TQ327275
• 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. The turning is very soon after the railway bridge so be prepared as Borde Hill Lane is busy, fast and visibility is restricted. w3w ///truth.pesky.example

Course Information

Blue: 5.8

Green: 3.7km

Orange: 2.4km

Yellow: 1.8km

Loose control descriptions will be provided in start lanes.

Entry Details

SO/BOF members: Seniors £5.00, Juniors £2.50, SO Juniors free (use discount code SOjuniors).

Non members: Seniors £7.00, Juniors £2.50

'Dibber' hire: Electronic punching (SI) chips are available to hire. SIAC (contactless): £2 (£1 Juniors), non-SIAC (not contactless) £1 (50p juniors)

Online entry only via racesignup

Registration open

9:45 to 10:45

Start Times

10:00 to 11:00. Courses close at 12:30.

Map Details

1:5000 5m contours. Undergrowth marked on the map is very thick

Terrain Description

Rivers Wood is a beautiful working woodland, part of the much larger Balcombe Estate, comprising both deciduous and evergreen trees with an extensive network of paths and rides. A previous map can be viewed at https://www.so.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#320. The bracken is dying back but there is still a lot of bramble, some of it impassable, much of it awkward. All courses avoid the worst of it. The wood is in its full autumn glory, the leaves tumbling down, but all paths should still be obvious. All courses (except Yellow) enter a small area of open farmland which is bordered by the River Ouse to the north. The ground here is wet, muddy and uneven as cows, until very recently, have been grazing on it. A public footpath runs north/south through the middle of the woods, otherwise it is private land entertaining everything from forestry to shooting to police dog training (not, I should hasten to add, while we’re running on it!).

Contacts / Officials

Planner: James Yule

Organiser:

Controller: