This is the last week of school, and pleased to say the heroes at Broadstone Middle School are doing Orienteering activities on the Broadstone Recreation ground monday and Upton Country park wednesday, if you see a big group of kids running around there- its because Wessex Orienteering help teachers with vision to get their groups involved in quality outdoor activities. Cant wait to get my after school club started at Moordown St Johns first week back after the break, again this work brought about by creative teachers who can see the need for youngsters to get outside and explore and see their world through action.
So what will you be doing other than consuming huge amounts of indulgent treats over the Holidays?
Is the bike ready for the snow? Heres my 2010 hub gear Build, in 2009 and 2010 I volunteered working on Crisis Christmas in London, the Snow wasnt something I would have wanted to be without a well equipped bike in, let alone be homeless in. Having a good set of tyres would certainly be a good start, and whatever you do, dont lean…
Pleased Ive entered 3 Orienteering races including new years day. Boxing Day the Wimbourne Canter at Moors Valley, my first time at this. Looking forward to finding the Santa in the forest and gaining extra points- even better would be a Snow event.
The second is the great O.K Nuts Trophy race- borrowing the words from South London Orienteers here, they were N.G.B.’s Club of the year 2013 so well done, I did this in the snow in 2010- brilliant, brilliant fun :-
“The OK Nuts Trophy is SLOW’s annual premier orienteering race, usually held in late November or early December. The event was first held in 1977 at the Devil’s Punchbowl, and has been held nearly every year since.
Up to 2012, the race has been held most often on Hankley Common (9 times). The second most popular location has been Esher Commons (8 times), and the third most popular location has been Winterfold & Pitch Hill (6 times).
There have been some illustrious winners of the OK Nuts trophies in the past, including orienteers who went on to become British Champions and represent Great Britain, such as Chris Hirst, the first winner in 1977, and Graham Gristwood, the winner in 2001, who went on to win a relay Gold medal for Great Britain at the World Orienteering Championships in 2008.
There were a few years when the trophies were not awarded as the race was not held for various reasons. In 2000 the first attempt to hold the race was washed out due to heavy rain and the second attempt was cancelled due to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease. The 1997 race was postponed to early 1998, hence two entries for that year.
The OK Nuts Trophy has on many occasions tried to do something other than a “bog standard” orienteering race. In 1996 at Hankley Common, the mens/womens premier courses were both set using maps where all the paths had been taken off. Most competitors enjoyed the challenge, some even saying that navigation was easier without the distraction of the black lines… As far as we’re aware, no club has been brave enough to try this since in a major event!
Innovations in recent years include mass start loop races in 2003 and 2004, a “Micr-O” section in the middle of the mens/womens premier courses in 2005, and the first middle distance regional event to be held in the south-east in 2008”
The third on New Years Day is the SARUM event
Looking forward to all these and wish you the energy to get outdoors and have some adventures over the holidays.