Dave McQuillen of Solway Orienteers and long-time ‘Friend of BL’ has written about his personal experience as a visitor to the 2025 Cumbrian Galoppen series where he competed in all ten rounds. Despite being an M80 with forty years of Orienteering behind him he found that there are always lessons to be learned. Compiled from his post-race notes Dave’s report includes his choice of course, the maps and the terrain and he shares his tips for doing better in future.
A visiting M80 looks back…..
Having had the privilege of being able to run in all ten of this year’s Cumbrian Galoppen races I would like to congratulate the Cumbrian clubs on an excellent series of high quality events held on first class terrain. The events were run in a relaxed and professional manner and as a competitor I was not aware of any organisational or course issues, a tribute to the skill of the main officials and their teams. Live results featured at most rounds and full Sportident results, Winsplits and Routegadget were all online by the evening and on one occasion by the time I got home. Although a ‘Friend of BL’, my first club SOLWAY membership means that I do not qualify for Galoppen points, so my participation on a mixture of Green and Short Green courses makes no difference. The following is based on my post race notes.
Round 1 was on the Short Green at the postponed LOC Bethecar Moor event in January where after a good start I completely lost it on leaving control #3. My navigation suffered what NASA would surely have described as ‘characterised as a cascading multiple system failure’, much like on Apollo 13. Unlike the moon mission I didn’t have thousands of people working on my recovery and all attempts at relocation failed in the light mist. I decided to retire on a safety bearing and then found my #4 almost by accident. According to Winsplits my seventeen minute time loss had dropped me from 5th to 26th. Feeling that I badly needed the practice I completed the course without further problems and finished in 14th place. I identified seven reasons for my time loss, all stemming from over-confidence and lack of concentration. As Derek Allison advised, “only think about how well you’re doing when you’re on the run in.”
The long trip to LOC’s Birkett Common in February for Round 2 was rewarded by a good Green course, but I struggled with the soggy underfoot conditions and the cold stiff wind. Unsurprisingly I was well down the results but was consoled by the fact that no fewer than twelve people mispunched or missed controls. Stay positive and keep going.
Round 3 and 4 were in March. I was back on Short Green at a new WCOC area for me at Rannerdale. Think rock, contours and dead bracken. The area must have presented a tricky challenge for the planner but while my early controls were not far from fences and walls I found that the second half of the course required care to navigate well without falling on rocks. Remember your age and take care. You really don’t want to trouble the first-aid team.
Then LOC lured us to Great Tower Wood where I had to try the Green. This is another amazing Lakeland area with an excellent map where planners would have to make a real effort not to produce a good course. Although it is steep, rocky and quite rough in places, there are loads of significant features and I managed to keep in touch all the way to be rewarded with a good result. Staying focused definitely pays off.
On a warm Spring day in April Dan and Karen Parker’s excellent new LiDAR based map of Burnbanks provided the basis for a very good Green course for Round 5. The area was very runnable for those that can so my modest time was not as good as it should have been and was not helped by a 180 degree error leaving #4. Always take time to check your map and compass when leaving controls, especially if you came into the control from the ‘other side’, so to speak.
Bearing in mind that I planned to do a Parkrun on the Saturday, I had entered Short Green for BL’s Round 6 at the delightfully named ‘Binsey with Humble Jumble Gill’. Nearly all the climb on the course was on the first three legs on grassy tussocks, marsh and heather but after a zigzag descent in the rough open the planner was kind and gave us a good fast run through well-grazed fields to the finish. Finishing fourth on the course came as a surprise to my sore legs. Remember to warm down and stretch properly.
A short gap followed before Round 7 when WCOC had us at Eel Tarn and Stony Tarn. The map had been redrawn and surveyed using LiDAR and renamed Peelplace Noddle. What else? This is another ‘must go to’ area with almost no line features. It was therefore the Green again for me and the planner had provided a glorious 1200m leg. I probably chose my route too quickly but, though not the fastest, it worked out fine. The forecast had made cagoules compulsory but I was lucky as the heavy rain arrived only as I approached the finish. Long leg route choice can be crucial. Choose your route well.
After a gap LOC’s next challenge was Pike of Blisco on my birthday in September for Round 8. The 2km, 400m climb to the start worried me into entering Short Green although I did feel a bit of a wimp when I saw that Carol McNeill, W80, had entered the Blue course. The climb took me almost an hour but was a good warm up before my 62 minute run. Another well-planned course called for careful navigation and even more care on the steep descents on wet grass and stony ground from #7 to the end. Fear concentrates the mind…
There was another new area for me in October at Leaps Beck, hosted by WCOC, the venue for Round 9. Less technical than most of the previous rounds, the Green course still presented a challenge in the cold wind, the residue of Hurricane Amy. No mistakes this time, just slow across the rough open and tentative in the wood. Having tripped a few times I need to resist the temptation to keep up with younger and faster runners. Better safe than sorry.
Finally we came to Round 10, Wansfell and Skelghyll Woods presented by LOC and WAROC. I was at a veterans training session in the wood in 2000 and can remember nothing about it, other than it was tricky. The contours and rock features on Wansfell looked pretty complex too so it seemed we were in for something special. And so it proved, though not in the way I expected. The early part of the Green course was on the open fell, which was reasonably runnable but for the early climb. After descending by way of three wall-crossing points we left the fell. I could see there were many controls in the wood so I was expecting some short, sharp navigation legs. Although the event details had warned of steep and rocky slopes that can be slippery underfoot, I was not prepared for just how physical I would find it and had completely run out of puff before the last two uphill legs. If the measure of success is value for money in minutes per pound entry fee then this was my best Galoppen result of the year. Final lesson? Get fitter and stronger.
I look forward to the 2026 series.
Dave McQuillen / 5 November 2025
Border Liners Orienteering Club 