18/2/19 Sorry for delay in loading splits etc.

Controllers  Comments

Thank you all for coming. This, I think, was Colin's first map and he did a good job, using OOM instead of OCAD. The map turned out well and it was nice to have a new area.The weather was fine too. Everyone I spoke to said they enjoyed it and that the course planning was good, with the change between the woods and golf course requiring changes to navigation techniques - people did make mistakes. Thanks to Lucy for her usual efficient organisation, a trial for Wharncliffe in 4 weeks. Thanks to Beauchief Golf Course, also for the use of the clubhouse - pity we cannot roll it up and take to all our events.

Ian Cooper, SYO

Planners comments

Ladies Spring woods is one of my local training areas and I'd always thought it would make a small but interesting orienteering area, so I started mapping it a year ago as a long term project. SYO then suggested we use it for the night event, which meant the map did actually get finished! In combination with the golf course and Park Bank woods I think it produced an interesting mix of terrain and good night challenge, though it took a few iterations to get the mapping of the trees and greens right. I hope they were clear. The feedback that I got was that you enjoyed the courses - it was interesting to watch the lines of lights moving through the woods and across the golf course, and it looked like the changes of terrain caught a few people out. While control collecting I could see little evidence that there had been 90 or so runners on the area, so I think the impact was minimal. Many thanks to Beauchief golf club for permission to use the golf course and for use of the excellent clubhouse. It was good to be able to sit down and chat over a bowl of hot soup. Thanks also to Sheffield City Council and Natural England for permission to use the woodlands.

Colin Smith

 

Organisers Comments

Just an apology, careful consideration of previous events entries and adding a few didn't get us to the correct map numbers! I suppose you cannot estimate the attraction of an indoor location and beer. Thank you for your patience and generosity if you gave up or had to wait for a map. I hope you enjoyed your run despite this. Any one who would like a paper or pdf map please let me know. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

Join us for a challenging night orienteering race on a brand new SYO area. Lady Spring Wood and Beauchief Golf course offer a mix of fast runnable open and steeply contoured deciduous woodland. There are a choice of 4 courses catering for experienced orienteers and newcomers. 

Travel

Parking at Beauchief golf course S8 0DB, 100m East of the Junction of Abbey land and Addeydale Road.

Terrain

This is a new area for orienteering located on the other side of the River Sheaf from Ecclesall woods. The terrain comprises part of the former Beauchief estate. To the North is the Beauchief golf course which provides fast running underfoot on gentle slopes with scattered trees. To the south of the golf course are Ladies Spring Wood and Park Bank Wood which comprise steep sided oak woodland with a few paths and a mix of undergrowth and runnable woodland.

Map

1:7500.  A4 5 m contours. Waterproof paper. New map by Colin Smith 2018/19

 

 

Assembly

In the golf club. The bar will be open for BEER and there will be hot soup to purchase, please support the club as they are generously hosting the event. Registration from 1730-1900, courses close at 2030, please run early if you are likely to be out for a long time.

Start

Adjacent to Assembly. From 1815-1930

Night League

This event is part of the YHOA night league. The rules for the league are here. You should check if you are not familiar as it might influence which course you should do.

Courses

Subject to final controlling

Course	Distance	Climb	Controls
Long	5.3km	215m	27
Medium	3.6km	130m	20
Short	1.8km	45m	7
Easy	1.6km	65m	7

 

PLANNERS NOTES:
We are grateful to Beauchief Golf club for permission to use the golf course for the event. All greens are strictly out of bounds. They are marked in olive green on the map (out of bounds symbol) with a black outline. Many greens also have a smaller temporary green adjacent to them. The boundaries of these are often marked with white lines on the ground. .  On the map the greens are as shown below

The courses have been planned so that the optimal route does not go near a green. If you see a golf flag, or a white line on the ground STOP! It means you are near to a green. Check your map and go around it. Similarly bunkers and tees should be avoided. Please do not run through or on the edge of bunkers. These are not mapped, but are fairly obvious on the ground. Our future use of the terrain depends on leaving the golf course as we found it. NB All courses have one leg that may take you between a green and training green, but this is at the end of a path and is quite obvious.
Trees on the golf course are mapped in a variety of ways: lines of adjacent spaced trees, or small groups of trees are mapped by the white ‘runnable’ symbol with no vegetation boundary as below.

 

If used for a control, these will be described as copses (even if just a row of trees). A vegetation boundary is only used if conditions underfoot change from mown grass. Small isolated trees will be shown by a small white circle.

 

Isolated large trees are mapped with a green circle, usually with a white background. On the golf course these are typically large mature oak trees.

The woodland comprises natural deciduous woods, primarily oak. Distinctive trees are marked with a green circle and are typically mature pine trees with foliage high in the canopy. There are a number of holly trees in the woods. These have only been mapped where they form dense clusters which would impede progress (using the ‘fight’ screen), or where individual specimens are particularly distinctive; these are mapped with green dots.

 

Some of the woodland is runnable with no undergrowth. Parts have bracken, but this is quite runnable at this time of the year. Other areas have brambles and these are mapped with the undergrowth screen. The light undergrowth screen can be run through, but bramble bashers/gaiters are recommended. Courses have been planned to keep to the runnable areas as much as possible.
The woodland is steep and the long and medium courses in particular will involve steep descents and ascents through the forest. Studded shoes with good grip are recommended particularly if wet.

SAFETY AND OUT OF BOUNDS
Both the Medium and Long courses cross a public road from one part of the golf course to the other. This road is very quiet and provides access to only a few residential properties and a sports club. Warning signs will be provided to drivers either side of the crossing, but the crossing will not be marshalled. Please take care crossing the road.
Adjacent to the road crossing is a track which goes between the grounds of Beauchief Abbey and a residential property. Both are strictly out of bounds and have been marked on the map as such. You will have two controls in each direction that guide you along the track between the properties. An example from one of the courses is shown below.

The long course also crosses the same road higher up. Again this will not be marshalled. Please take care.
One route choice on the Long course comprises a public footpath that runs between another golf course on the South part of the map (the Abbeydale golf course) and the grounds of a sports club. Both are out of bounds. The footpath is clearly fenced on either side along its length as shown below. However part way along the path there is an exit on to the Abbeydale golf course. If you find yourself on a fairway on this route, go back!

Parts of the River Sheaf to the west and the brook to the north of the area have steep sides/cliffs down to the water. Courses have been planned to keep away from these. The main Sheffield to London railway also runs to the west of the area and is strictly out of bounds. Again courses have been planned to keep well away from this. You would either have to cross a high fence, a river, descend an almost vertical slope, or wade through a lot of undergrowth to reach it!

Example map extracts and legend will be shown at registration.

Course close at 20:30.  You must report to the finish even if you retire.