For more than two years Andrew Bell has been writing regular and excellent reports about BL events for the local press. Here is his latest….
Borderliners Orienteering Club (BL) held their first night event of the winter season in Keswick Golf Club grounds last Saturday night, 2nd November. Night orienteering is a specialised and highly challenging form of the sport. Not only are the unlit control markers much harder to see in the dark, but also the lie of the land is much more confusing in the limited visibility. It’s definitely not made any easier by strong head torches belonging to other competitors running across your path or, worse still, running directly towards you and dazzling you.
Keswick Golf Course is ideal for night orienteering. Of particular importance is that most of any golf course is fairways, which are short-cut grass and offer fast running. It’s also ideal is that between the fairways are usually areas of longer grass, shrub and trees which offer awkward progress. Keswick is no exception here. Pains were taken to make greens out of bounds.
Saturday’s courses were planned and organised by Jeff Powell-Davies and Isabel Berry, both key members of BL and younger and very experienced orienteers in their own right. They planned three courses: a longer technical Blue at 5.9 km, a shorter technical Green at 4.3 km and an Orange at 2.6 km which was suitable for beginners to night orienteering of all ages.
The Blue was won by Scot M35 Chris Smithard who covered the six kilometres in the dark in 37 minutes. Many of us can’t do a shorter park run in the light as quickly, without having to find hidden markers! Best woman was Edinburgh’s W35 Alison O’Neil in 46 minutes and best BL was M65 Keith Tonkin in 57 minutes. Keith is also to be thanked for having prepared such a good map.
The Green was won by M34-and-a half BL Owain Rice who is returning to top speed after an injured summertime. Owain won in almost 42 minutes. The Orange was won by W21 Emma Camp in 37 minutes but special mention goes to W10 Cerys Naylor who completed the course in fourth place in 46 minutes.
The night orienteering season is punctuated by a potential change of class on January 1st for orienteers with big birthdays next year. Your correspondent can’t wait to be a M75. Next daytime BL event is a local event on Saturday 16th November in Rickerby Park Carlisle. This is an ideal opportunity to come and try it if you’re still wondering what orienteering would be like. Full details on the club’s website.
Andrew Bell
Border Liners Orienteering Club 