October 2007

28.10.07 Event 5 at Helsington Barrows

The final event in the series saw the return of excellent weather, and many people from all over the North West and further afield came along to enjoy some fast running on the limestone grasslands. Those moving more slowly also had time to enjoy some fantastic views from the top of the escarpment. An enthusiastic crowd stayed on to witness the O-zone league prize giving. View the results here.

22.10.07 Club training session for all newcomers Saturday 10 November

The club is arranging a special training session on Saturday 10 November at Lancaster University, 12.00 - 14.00. The aim is to introduce the basic skills of O, but with plenty of fun at the same time. Suitable for all ages, but note that there is no string course. The cost is £3 for a family, or £1 for a junior - but if you join SROC either at Helsington, by post or on the day (£7.75 family or £2.70 junior) then the training is free. This is a two-hour session, you will need to be able to attend for the whole two hours. We need to know who is planning to come as soon as possible as places are limited. Please contact Sue or Martyn Roome on 01995 603885 or email martyn@adasmroome.demon.co.uk.

19.10.07 Other events in the region

Starved of O-action? Can't wait until the next SROC event? There are other clubs in the North West, and they have their own events which might fill the gap for you, although you may have to travel a bit further. There is just time to catch the last of the PFO Autumn series on Saturday 20 October near Burnley. Then there is the LOC District Event at Tarn Hows on Saturday 3 November. You can check for other events and find out how far away they are using this link.

19.10.07 O-zone league winners

Names of league winners after the four events in the Saturday Series have been posted here. Anyone on the list needs to be at the prizegiving at Helsington Barrows on Sunday 28 October to collect their (edible) prize.

14.10.07 Final O-zone League Table

The league scores after 4 events are published here. How did you do? Please email any mistakes in names or missing age classes to the webmaster, and remember that there will be a prizegiving ceremony at the Helsington Barrows event on Sunday 28 October. Prize categories will be announced shortly and will include overall men's and women's, best novice veteran and open (men & women), best juniors and best novice juniors (boys and girls).

13.10.07 Williamson Park photos

Conditions were far from perfect for photography but we have managed to upload a few images to the SROC Gallery.

13.10.07 Williamson Park results

Well the fine weather couldn't last, and it didn't! At least spirits weren't dampened today and another successful O-zone event rounded off the Saturday series. Results are now available here. Scout & Guide Championships results will be issued later, as will the final O-zone league scores. Don't forget to record your route on RouteGadget.

10.10.07 Event 4 at Williamson Park, Lancaster Saturday 13 October

The final event in the O-zone Saturday Series will be at Williamson Park, home of the Ashton Memorial, possibly the most famous landmark in Lancaster. To get to the park, which is on the south side of Lancaster, you can follow the brown tourist signs. Parking and registration are in the main public car park on Wyresdale Road. There is a 50p fee (pay and display), but this can be reclaimed if visiting the cafe or shop by the butterfly house. The park is easily accessible by bus. Nos 8, 8A, 25, 25A pass the park entrance. Please note that there will be no string course at this event. We are hosting the Lancashire Scout & Guide Orienteering Championships as part of this event, be sure to pick up the correct entry form when registering, or download one (non-Scouts) here. 

07.10.07 O-zone league scores updated

The scores for event 3 have now been added to the table. There is sure to be a lot of movement in table positions next week, as runners who have missed an event move up. Remember it's your best three scores that count, so there is a chance to drop a low score if you have run at every event.

07.10.07 Photos from  Eaves Wood

A selection of images from Eaves Wood has been uploaded to the SROC gallery.

06.10.07 Tick alert!

We have received reports of ticks found on runners attending the Eaves Wood event today. This is nothing to be alarmed about, and is a common occurrence when spending time in the outdoors in certain areas. However there is a slight risk of contracting Lyme Disease from infected ticks. All who came to Eaves Wood are advised to check themselves very carefully and remove any ticks found as soon as possible. See this website for further advice.

06.10.07 What a fantastic day at Eaves Wood!

Glorious weather more appropriate to late summer greeted the may participants today at Eaves Wood. With little orienteering to be had this weekend in the area we attracted a number of more experienced orienteers, as well as many newcomers on their 1st, 2nd or 3rd event ever. Total "runs" was almost 200, double the previous two weeks. Results are now here. RouteGadget has also been set up for the event. Runners on the Technical course should note that they competed on one of four different courses, of similar length and difficulty. The results have been combined to allow league scores to be awarded, but all the splits files keep the courses separate to allow comparisons with runners on the same course.

05.10.07 Special Offer for all newcomer O-zone participants

If you have enjoyed one or more of the O-zone events, and you are not yet an orienteering club member, we would like to invite you to have a free run at the Helsington Barrows District Event (O-zone 5) on Sunday 28 October. This event will stage a full range of colour coded courses, plus we hope a string course. Come along and sample the atmosphere of a much larger event, with runners from all over the North West and have a look at the orienteering clothing & equipment on sale at Compasspoint's mobile shop. More details are here. The O-zone prizegiving will be held at Helsington; details will be available after event 4.

03.10.07 League scores after 2 events

As promised, we have now published the league scores for all runners, using the scoring formulae described in O-zone low-down 2, with the addition of crediting 50 points for attempting a course but not completing it.

03.10.07 More details on event 3

Start times will be the same as the first two events, that is 12-2pm. Registration opens from 11.30. We are once again planning to offer a free string course for younger children, though there is no upper age limit! Also the usual White, Yellow and Orange courses. For an explanation of the colours click here. To save a little time on the day you could download an entry form and bring it along completed. The course for experienced orienteers at Eaves Wood uses a specially modified map that has all the paths removed, so probably best to stick to one of the other courses unless really confident. Look at the planner's comments on the O-zone forum.

01.10.07 Event 3 at Eaves Wood, Silverdale Saturday 6 October

Next Saturday sees the O-zone moving a little way from Lancaster to The charming National Trust owned Eaves Wood, near Silverdale. If travelling by road from Lancaster head North to Carnforth on A6. Turn left in Carnforth, following signs to Warton & Silverdale. On entering Warton village turn sharp left, signed Silverdale. Continue on this road until 1/4 mile after the level crossing, from where the event will be signed. On arrival at Eaves Wood please park in the field next to the public car park, which should be left free for other users of the wood. Registration, string course and the finish will all be in this field. There is a railway station in Silverdale, about 1km from the event, and there is a choice of trains each way on Saturday. If you follow this option, turn right on leaving the station and continue along the road until you see the signs for the event.

Last Updated: 13.02.08