JK2004 > Orienteering Holiday

Orienteering Holiday

For those competitors at the JK who are extending their holiday, why not have some fun, exercise, training and competition at one, several or all of the events on in the Lake District in the week before and the week after the JK. If you wish to really have an "orienteering holiday" there are ten events in the two weeks of the Easter holiday. There should be something to suit all tastes, ages and abilities, from a "normal" District (formerly colour-coded) event, through informal navigational fell runs, technical south lakes woodland informal events and the "eyeballs out" mass start Blodslitet.

Sunday 4th April

Lakeland Orienteering Club (LOC) - District Event and Cumbria Galoppen at Great Tower, Bowness-on-Windermere. Ulverston Victoria High School, the venue for the JK Event Centre, is raising funds at this event for their trip to the World Schools Championships. Great Tower is a superb area of mature broadleaf woodland with complex contour detail. Ideal for honing up those skills needed for the JK. You can choose the course most suitable for you. The Car park is at GR 395 915. Start times 10.30 - 12.30 Entry fees are £4.50 seniors, £2.50 juniors SI punching and pre-marked maps Organiser: Clare Evans 01229 463034. Usual courses Yellow to Brown. For further details visit the LOC website.

Wednesday 7th April

Warrior Orienteering Club (WAROC) - Springtime in the Lakes 2. This event is one of a series of short(ish), informal, technical events in fine terrain. 3-4.5 km woodland courses with pre-marked maps and SI punching. Starts between 5.30 and 6.00 pm. For further details visit the Warrior website.

Thursday 8th April

West Cumberland Orienteering Club (WCOC) - The "Melbreak Hellraiser" This is one of a series of Thursday night informal navigational fell challenges. Lots of climb on, usually, two courses. These take you to the tops of the fells in scenic Lakeland terrain where you can enjoy the views on a fine evening. There is usually a mass start.  Parking is very limited at these events so try to share transport wherever possible. Shorts are usually allowed. An average time for these events will be around 60 minutes but they are not really suitable for younger juniors as the shorter course is usually about 4.5km with prodigious amounts of climb (and descent!). For further details visit the WCOC website.

Friday 9th April

This is the Peel Adventure mtbo series for 2004. The events are spread over the whole country and combine a range of different terrain challenges to test all your mountain bike orienteering skills. Event 1 is to be held just before the JK International Festival of Orienteering so why not combine both events for a long weekend of top quality orienteering in the Lake District. For further details visit the MTBO website.

Tuesday 13th April

West Cumberland Orienteering Club (WCOC) - are staging an informal middle distance race on Low Rigg near Keswick. It is an area of fast, open fell with great views of the Northern Fells. Starts will be from 16:30 to 18:30, with electronic punching and pre-printed maps. There will be a long course around 6km, a short course around 4km and an Orange standard course. For further details visit the WCOC website. Results are now available.

Wednesday 14th April

Warrior Orienteering Club (WAROC) - Springtime in the Lakes 3. Another in the series of short(ish), technical events in fine terrain. 3-4.5 km woodland courses with pre-marked maps and SI punching. Starts between 5.30 and 6.00 pm. For further details visit the Warrior website.

Thursday 15th April

West Cumberland Orienteering Club (WCOC) - The Coledale Lottery Another in the series of Thursday night informal navigational fell challenges. Lots of climb on, usually, two courses. These take you to the tops of the fells in scenic Lakeland terrain where you can enjoy the views on a fine evening. There is usually a mass start. Parking is very limited at these events so try to share transport wherever possible. Shorts are usually allowed.  An average time for these events will be around 60 minutes but they are not really suitable for younger juniors as the shorter course is usually about 4.5km with prodigious amounts of climb (and descent!). This event has a slightly different format to the previous one. There are interval starts and the control points can be visited in any order; more of a score event. For further details visit the WCOC website.

Saturday 17th April

South Ribble Orienteering Club (SROC) - British Blodslitet 2004. With support from SPORTident UK, and the Sweat Shop. This is a mass start long distance race that will challenge an individual's endurance and mental agility to the extreme over some of the Lake District's finest orienteering  terrain. Since the early 1970's the Blodslitet race has been staged annually, each autumn, by the Norwegian club Fredrikstad Skiklubb. During this period it has been raised to an almost cult event attracting competitors from all over Scandinavia and elsewhere. The nearest literal translation to 'Blodslitet' is 'Blood Race'. This gives an idea of the thinking behind the event in the early 70's but thankfully it has been toned down a little to accommodate some of us lesser mortals! Venue: Scout Scar, Near Kendal. Used for Junior Inter Regional Championships together with extensions new to orienteering. Parking: Parking is within 2 miles of Kendal town centre and will be signposted from the one-way system. For further information and entry details visit the SROC website.

 JK2004 > Orienteering Holiday