The seventh event of this year’s Cumbian Galoppen series was held at Eel and Stony Tarns (more intriguingly known as Peelplace Noddle) in Eskdale on Sunday. Despite it being a long way from Border Liners territory, the promise of top quality orienteering lured 18 members there and the area certainly met our high expectations. There were almost no linear features, just complex contours, crags (more than 3000 according to the mapper) and boulders. Once you lost touch with the map, relocation was almost impossible unless you were lucky enough to spot one of the two big tarns; fortunately the mist was restricted to the very highest parts of the area or the already challenging terrain could have become close to impossible.
The courses were well planned, with Green, Blue and Brown all having a long, uphill leg early on meaning that the rest of the course was largely downhill. The planner and controller had been concerned about the bracken (as were competitors looking around them on the way to the start), but because it was marked on the map, and control sites were carefully chosen it was largely avoidable (unlike the tussocky marshes).
BL had three top ten results, all on the Green course:
1st – Owain
2nd – Natalie
10th – Raymond
Full results and Routegadget can be seen here
The next Cumbrian Galoppen event is on 7th September at Pike o’ Blisco. This promises very similar terrain to Eel and Stony Tarn but with even more climb. Definitely one to put in the diary.
Border Liners Orienteering Club 