Border Liners promoted a round of the Cumbria Galoppen orienteering league recently with a superb event in the Angle Tarn Pikes area above Patterdale. Normally an area used by the Manchester and District Orienteering Club, the Liners secured permission to use the terrain through good club collaboration and landowner approval. With extensive contour and rock detail, the high open-fell area above the valley proved surprisingly runnable and resulted in some quick times across all courses.
Taking first place on the 8km (560m climbing) Brown course was visiting Scottish orienteer Chris Smithard. Chris is a member of Forth Valley Orienteers based in central Scotland and his time of 59.14 was more than five minutes clear of runner-up Steve Birkinshaw of the West Cumberland Orieteering Club (WCOC) (65.10). Andrew Stemp of the Yorkshire ‘Airenteers’ claimed third place (68.24) with James Chapman and Keith Tonkin flying the Border Liners flag in seventh (74.00) and fifteenth (82.53) places respectively.
Daniel Heppell of the West Cumberland Club claimed top honours around the Blue course (5.8km / 360m climbing) with a time of 56.18. Wilfrid Teasdale (WCOC) and Midlands orienteer David Lawson (Octavian Droobers) took second and third places in 59.32 and 60.35 with Paul Gaines having a good run for the Liners to finish fourth in 61.16.
With one of the biggest winning margins of the day, Border Liners youngster Ruben Razzetti continued his stellar 2021 season with first place around the 3.7km (310m climbing) Green course. Ruben’s time of 36.58 was a little over seven minutes clear of WCOC juniors Isaac Hunter (44.19), and Daisy Rennie (45.20). Across all the local clubs the junior orienteers are really shining at present and Ruben will shortly be taking his place in a National Junior training week near Aviemore.
In the remaining categories there was another good result for Border Liners youngsters with Maria Gaines’ second place around the 3.1km (240m climbing) Light Green course. Maria’s 72.46 was short of a super winning time of 53.24 by WCOC youngster Sophie Crawford but her split times between controls were impressive and showed continued improvement.
Border Liners next club event is at Aughertree Fell near Uldale on Saturday 14th August on courses planned by Border Liners juniors. For further details please see the BL website in due course:
David Rawle, July 18th 2021
Border Liners Orienteering Club 