Binsey Galoppen – Sunday 18th June

Updated 16/06/2023 – Final details

Terrain: Steep open fell with rock detail, some marshy sections. Shorter courses on grazed farmland.

Car Parking: At Snittlegarth.  Please follow parking marshal’s instructions.

Directions: Please approach from the A591 between Bothel and The Castle Inn hotel, take the minor road signposted Whitrigg, Torpenhow and Ireby at GR NY 2041 3636. At Whitrigg continue straight ahead, Snittlegarth is approx. 2km.

Toilets:  At assembly.

Starts:  10:30 – 12:30

Walk to the start from assembly is 1000m with around100m climb. If you want to you can go directly to the start without going into the farmyard where assembly, toilets and download are located, please follow signs from the farmyard entrance.

Results will be displayed at download.

Finish: Courses close at 14:30. Please ensure you download, which is 750m from the finish, please follow tapes.

Entry on the day: for the White, Yellow and Orange courses only subject to map availability (£3.00 – extra maps £1.00) White maps to be collected from registration. Yellow maps to be collected from the start. Copies of Yellow maps will be available at registration should anyone wish to have a look at the course in advance.

Maps: 1:10000 for Brown and Blue. 1:7500 for all other courses.

All courses start and finish in an area of fast open grazed fields.

Courses Light Green and above go onto the rough open of Binsey Fell.

Walls are marked with purple overprint on courses Light Green to Brown and MUST only be crossed at marked crossing points. Purple overprint is not used on courses White, Yellow and Orange so as to not obscure map detail, but crossing points (gates) must be used.

Rough open is shown as white. Fast open is shown as yellow.

There is no bracken screen on the map although this will only affect one control on the Brown course.

Green circles (ISOM bushes or trees) are mainly small trees on Binsey Fell and mainly gorse bushes on the grazed fields.

Boulders are generally 1m or smaller.  Descriptions give boulder heights. 

Control Descriptions: Loose in start lanes and on the maps

Timing: Sportident – Controls will be SIAC Enabled. You will need to punch the Start and Finish.

Dibber Hire: Free but £30 payable if lost.

HEATHER BEETLE:

The heather beetle has decimated the heather on the north-facing slopes of Binsey so that it is now more runnable grassland.

Combined with the recent dry weather, the peat is contracting.  This has resulted in many more boulders appearing as the peat contracts around them.  It can be quite rocky underfoot.

Please ensure that you clean your shoes thoroughly when you leave Binsey.

SAFETY 

• Clothing: Shorts are allowed, but competitors should be aware that on the longer courses they will encounter areas of heather, bracken and possibly nettles.  Please be tick-aware.
• Weather: Whilst it is forecast to be cooler than recent days, Binsey is exposed with almost no shade. Please take appropriate precautions, hydration, sunscreen and head cover. If you want to take water to the start a bin liner will be provided at the start for the disposal of plastic bottles. Water for emergency use will be available at the finish.
• Whistles are advisory but will not be checked.
• There are cliffs and crags on the area, the rock can be very slippery when wet.  The very dry grass is surprisingly slippery.

• There are some grazing animals, sheep and possibly cattle on the course.  Cattle will be present at the start but are passive.  If cattle are present please run around them. Do not run directly at them.
• Safety bearing for all courses is North.  Junior courses, North will take you to the finish.  Senior courses, North will take you to the fell wall where you should turn west to return to the farmland.
• White, Yellow and Orange courses do not go out onto the fell. If these competitors accidently go through a gate onto the fell, they will see a sad face sign telling them to go back into the field.
• Other members of the public and the Snittlegarth owners and farmers may be in the competition area.  Please be mindful and cheery as we are grateful to them for allowing us to use their estate.
• Ticks are likely to be present so please check for ticks after the event.
• Route to assembly and start: Snittlegarth is a working farm and there is some holiday accommodation on site. Please be aware of moving vehicles, in particular on the access drive and the route to the start.

Dogs on lead in Car Parking area close your own car as there are sheep on the parkland drive – no dogs on the course or on route up to start as there are sheep and cattle on the land.  If you’d like to take your dog for a walk, please use the public road.  There is no access from Snittlegarth to the fell for dogs.

Courses:
> White 1.0km 10m climb
> Yellow 1.2km 20m climb
> Orange 2.3km 70m climb
> Light Green 3.6km 140m climb
> Short Green 3.1km 130m climb
> Very Short Green 2.8km 90m climb *** See Note Below
> Green 4.3km 170m climb
> Blue 6.0km 220m climb
> Brown 7.6km 380im climb

***VERY SHORT GREEN – this is the same course as the Short Green but with some of the higher controls in the middle of the course missed out. If you want to do Very Short Green, pick up a Short Green map at the start.  The map will show which controls to miss. You can decide while on the course whether or not to take the Very Short Green cut-off. The download system will work out which course you have completed.

COURSES CLOSE AT 2.30PM.  PLEASE REPORT TO DOWNLOAD AT ASSEMBLY EVEN IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE YOUR COURSE

Nearest A & E 
Cumberland Infirmary 
Newtown Road 
Carlisle 
CA2 7HY 
NY  387561 What3Words : ///cool.pines.tribune

Mary Hewetson Cottage Hospital, Crosthwaite Road, Keswick – Minor Injuries Walk in
What 3 words : ///exclusive.tooth.flap
Postcode: CA12 5PH

Officials:
Organiser – John Ferris Worth (johnorienteer@gmail.com) (BL)
Planner – Julie Ferris Worth (BL)
Controller – Roger Thomas (WCOC)