Those BL members who just can’t get enough Scottish orienteering had yet another opportunity to feed their addiction this weekend. On Saturday (12th April) there was a middle distance event at South Achray near Aberfoyle and on Sunday (13th) a proper distance event at Limerigg, a new area near Airdrie.
The Achray event was organised in conjunction with an elite relay; this caused a confusing situation where there were two separate finish banners one of which you passed on the way to the last control. The terrain was very varied with a semi open, hilly area, a section of oak forest with small contour features and marshes. and a steep more densely treed slope. The best BL results came on Green where Stella and Andy were 5th and 8th respectively; it was good to see them both back in action at the same event after recent injuries.
Limerigg was definitely an area that divided opinion. Some people loved it, relishing the physical challenge of the dense vegetation and the absence of paths, others described it as the worst forest they’d ever been in. What united all finishers though were scratched arms and vegetation-infested clothing. In FVO’s defence, permission problems meant a late change of venue and the planners made the most of an area that might not otherwise have been used. Seven BL members took part and all got round in respectable times – no mean achievement given the above average retiral rate. Anne deserves a special mention as it was only the second time she’s done a Green course (and the the first, Burnbanks, could hardly be more of a contrast)
One nice surprise of the weekend was Dan being presented with a trophy for winning the M40 class in last year’s Scottish Orienteering League. Given that he’s neither Scottish nor an M40 he was reluctant to believe it, but further investigation confirmed it to be correct.
Results and Route Gadget can be seen here and here (Saturday) and here (Sunday)
Border Liners Orienteering Club 