O coach

JK Dessert x 2

Posted on 12 Apr, 2010 by Lynne Walker | Filed under Blog • Orienteering

We made the journey down to Devon for the JK and thought that we would spend most of the week after it exploring Dartmoor and the coast. Then we found out that there was the added attraction of a couple of other orienteering events in the area on the Wednesday and Thursday - this was described as the JK dessert.

Wheal Florence

The event on the Wednesday was in an exceptional area just north east of Plymouth. This very small area (200m wide by just under 1km long) had been used for tin mining and so was a complex of deep circular depressions, re-entrants and spurs. There was a general fairly gentle slope uphill from the road. The mapper used a scale of 1:2500 with a 1.25m contour interval. We had the chance to practise with a small map sample before we started – this was a disaster as I did not have a clue where I was!

Paul & I both entered the short technical course of 2.5km with 163m climb. We thought that doing twice that distance would blow our minds with the concentration required! Once I started on the course I really enjoyed it, although I was not sure where I was for a lot of the time and I would not be able to show my route on the map for many of the controls (my GPS shows it well though). It was a case of taking and following accurate compass bearings; I also estimated distance in ‘lumps’ of about 50m. The depressions that were 2 – 3 contours deep were very obvious when you stood on the rim; re-entrants that were at least for contours long were also reasonably obvious.

We were both pleased with our times and places for this event; Paul completed the course in 34 minutes and was 10th while I took a bit longer (37 minutes) and came 14th out of 92 competitors. The day was completed with a drive past china clay pits and then out on to the middle of Dartmoor, taking the road past Princetown to Chagford for coffee & cake.

Eden Project

When we were planning our Devon holiday, I mentioned that I would like a day at the Eden Project in Cornwall. Well, we had the day visit and an orienteering event thrown in as well! Kerno (the orienteering club for Cornwall) have mapped the area and held an urban race there on the Thursday.

Registration was from 10am and there was a choice of course from
long: oak (3.6km) or teak (3.7km)
middle: beech (3.5km) or ash (3.2km)
short: spruce (2.7km) or balsa (2.5km)
Paul entered oak and I did beech. You were allocated a start time and given a voucher for £5 off the adult entry fee. We had another voucher from the Observer which was a 2-for-1 so used that.

The Eden Project is in a former china clay pit and so is basically a large hole in the ground. We explored the Biomes – the Mediterranean and Rainforest are inside the large plastic domes while there is also an Outdoor Biome. This was exhausting! Neither of us is good at ambling and looking, especially in the Rainforest Biome where it certainly was hot and sticky. We were glad to walk back to the car park mid-afternoon to prepare for the race.

The start proved to be interesting for some. We watched and saw people on our courses take about three different routes towards #1. I was careful when I picked up my map and used my compass for the only time in the race. This meant that I reached the first control a minute quicker than Paul who went off about 90° in the wrong direction.

The course had many route choices and it was critical to look to minimise the climb. It also took you into the two enclosed biomes and strangely enough I did not notice the heat as much this time! The climb back up to the car parks was hard work, having already climbed from the bottom to the top three times. I was walking for quite a lot of this; the encouragement given from the general public was good but even so I could not run!

There was one bit of mapping that caught me out. You are not allowed to cross thick black lines (like between #12 and #13 on the map, getting into the Rainforest Biome) so I looked carefully at the map and saw that there was a path in (close to #11). I retraced my steps from #12, back past #11 and up the hill to this entrance only to find a locked Fire Exit. Eventually I decided that you must have to go in through the Link Building and then through the usual door. This was correct but I lost about five minutes and used up a fair bit of energy climbing the hill. It is only a recreational competition and the organisers did apologise for this.

As with most urban races, there were out of bounds areas and all the cultivated areas were marked with the uncrossable olive green. It was disappointing to find out that a few people had not obeyed this convention and had also barged some of the general public who were visiting the project.

Our results for this event were not so good – I guess that we can both navigate OK but neither of us are runners. Paul came 46th out of 49 and I was 30th out of 44.

These two events added to our holiday in Devon – when the JK comes to Scotland in 2012 clubs should think about putting on events before/after for people who are making a holiday week out of the travelling to the event location.

We did also have time to do some other things – a run alongside the River Teign and Drogo Castle was very pleasant although more climbing than I really would have liked! On our last day we had a walk on Dartmoor from Belstone, visiting about five tors and greeting the Dartmoor ponies (who totally ignored us).

Now then - that dessert; think I’d like some sticky toffee pud with ice cream and the other one? Suggestions please!

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