Planner's Comments

I really enjoyed the last 14 months planning the event. I was lucky to mainly enjoy fantastic weather. The area is diverse and I tried to send the longer courses to all the best and varied bits. This did mean long legs at times but this allowed you to avoid the heather!

Some have questioned the use of the 1:2,000 scale. I am a big pro as it allows proper testing of your navigating skills. The better orienteers tended to lose most of their time in the boulder field and they will admit to losing time due to trying to be quick on the leg rather than controlled. I think the majority enjoyed this section even though nearly everyone lost time in it.

I have had a lot of little problems in the build-up to the final day. Ian Cooper did an outstanding job updating the map – Ian made many little journeys out. I had help with Condes (Thanks – Dom Dakin) as the initial boulder field map wasn’t geo-referenced. Ian then geo-referenced it but only one start aligned with the 1:10,00 map and nor did the finish. I eventually got there.

I loved working with Steve and Ranald. Ranald is an extremely experienced controller and always checked everything, making sure there was a reason for track running for example. Steve is a very laid back and competent Organiser. He made sure on the day it ran smoothly. Other helpers were Pete Tryner who double-checked the controls. Actually having a new pair of eyes on the day actually work as he picked up on a control in the wrong place. My first visit was in thick bracken and I never saw the other feature! Also Simon Patton for helping to place the controls. This was vital as I have been told to dumb down my physical ability. Plus Karl Marshall for testing all the long courses and checking the controls on the day too. Plus the Shuoc members who collected the controls very swiftly. BW.

Thanks, Mark Chapman.

Organiser's Comments

It was a pleasure to have organised at Burbage in the sun, mainly due to all the wonderful SYO assistance at scale. Despite the howling wind, we were very lucky with the weather, if we’d had the rain and snow of the previous week the event may not have gone ahead. Mark produced excellent courses which were physically and technically demanding, and the use of the 1:2000 boulder field map caused many orienteers serious headaches as their tired minds tried to focus coming up to the finish. Ranald operated exactly as a good controller should, with valuable and helpful suggestions without impinging on the roles of planner and organiser. The decision to get the road closed turned out to be a real winner, and gave us welcome hard-standing and an easy route to the start and finish. Thank you to you all for dressing sensibly in terrible conditions, I had been expecting more cases of hyperthermia but as it was we only had a couple of chilly children. Although I never like to pick out anyone for special thanks, I have to raise my hat to the SHUOC braves who went out again onto that wild and windy moor to collect the controls, all of which were returned by 4pm. I hope you all had an enjoyable if challenging day out.

Steve Dempsey, Organiser

Controller's Comments

I enjoyed Controlling with Mark and working with SYO again. My dog, Cassie, and I had some wonderful walks through the area over the last year in all sorts of weather.

Everyone agreed that Mark's courses were challenging being both physical and technical, not least in the boulders. The courses had interesting shapes, good long legs giving lots of route choice and then the sting in the tail -"the boulder field"! I was asked by one competitor "was it fair to switch from 1:10,000 to 1:2,000?" and my answer is unambiguously "yes". I checked this out with a number of competitors, not one of whom thought it was unfair; quite the opposite, in fact. The webpage, initial flyer and Final Details all made the nature of the event very clear, with examples of the two scales, and the previous event which used two scales on 27 November 2011 is available on Routegadget. SYO could have done no more to make the nature of the event clear and if anyone objected to it, they didn't have to enter. One very experienced orienteer commented that "we could do with more innovations like this". I agree. Another commented on the challenging courses saying "after all, it was a National Event!".

As one of the growing band of ageing and occasionally infirm Controllers, I asked SYO for an Assistant Controller, not least to help check the controls on the day. Pete Tryner covered far more ground than I could ever do and I am extremely grateful to him and the others Mark has mentioned who did trial runs of courses and helped put out controls. Pete also picked up on a misplaced control that Mark and I had both missed. His help allowed me to check the Start and Finish without undue pressure.

Apologies to those who felt the climb to the final control on the TD5 courses was too physical. All the other courses came along the edge and, whilst we could have had a Finish at the bottom, we wanted to keep it to one location, give the time of year.

To those who mispunched, retired or did not finish, I hope you at least you enjoyed your day out in a magnificent area which for once wasn't being rained on, even if the wind was rather biting. To those who did complete your course successfully, well done and thanks for the entertainment you provided for me as I looked down on the boulder field watch people confidently approach a boulder, look round the corner and realise the control wasn't there. I could sense your frustration but thankfully not hear what was said.

Ranald Macdonald, Derwent Valley Orienteers

---

Join us for a National level orienteering race and explore beautiful Burbage in the Northern Peak District. Burbage is predominately open moorland with small areas of woodland and intricate rock and contour detail providing a significant technical and physical challenge to experienced orienteers. Alongside the technical courses, there are also courses suitable for younger juniors, families and newcomers.

This event kick starts Sheffield's month long Festival of the Outdoors - come and give orienteering a go and enjoy fabulous views on the outskirts of The Outdoor City.

 

 Burbage Moor - photo credit Stephen Elliott

Location & Parking

Burbage Moor 9km SSW of Sheffield. Assembly and parking will be on the A625 Stony Ridge Road  GR SK 273 802. 

Assembly including registration, download, toilets and traders will be on hard standing on the road. The road will be closed on the day of the event and will only be open for Orienteers to park. Parking charge £2 per car.

Terrain

The event utilises the western part of Burbage which includes the most technical terrain.  Burbage is mostly open heather moorland with some woodland and areas of interesting contour detail and intricate rocky terrain. Some areas of bracken but courses have been planned to avoid the worst.

All TD5 courses will have some controls in the super-detailed Burbage Boulders section, which will be printed on the back of the map at 1:2000 scale

Map               

Map is 1:10000 and 1:2000, A3 or A4 with 5m contours.

Map updated by Ian Cooper autumn 2019. Printed by Hassall and Lucking.

Map Extracts of Burbage Moor and Boulders Area.

Courses

(subject to final controlling):

	Course	Classes				Length (km)	Climb     (m)
1	Black TD5	M21				10.5	428
2	Brown TD5	M35 M40				8.3	383
3	Short Brown TD5	M18 M20 M45 M50	W21	M21S		7.4	368
4	Blue TD5	M16 M55 M60	W35 W40	M35S M40S		6.1	283
5	Short Blue TD5	M65	W18 W20 W45 W50	M18S M20S M45S M50S	W21S	4.8	218
6	Green TD5	M70	W16 W55 W60	M55S M60S	W35S W40S	4.3	208
7	Short Green TD5	M75 M80 M85 M90	W65 W70	M65S	W18S W20S W45S W50S	2.9	155
8	Very Short Green TD5		W75 W80 W85 W90	M70S M75S M80S M85S	W55S W60S W65S W70S	1.7	108
9	Light Green TD4	M14	W14	M16B	W16B	3.3	165
10	Orange TD3	M12	W12	M14B	W14B	2.2	125
11	Yellow TD2	M10	W10	M12B	W12B	2.2	135
12	White TD1			M10B	W10B	1.9	105

 TD = Technical Difficulty with 1 being easiest and 5 being as technically difficult as the area allows. Orange courses are a good place for adult beginners to start.

Entries & Fees

Please pre-enter via Fabian4l    

Closing date Sunday 23rd Feb. On-line entries will continue to be accepted up until Friday 28th Feb subject to map availability. Limited entry on the day also subject to map availability

Seniors: £11 by 23^rd February, £12 by 28^th February, £13 Entry on the Day.
£2 supplement for non-British Orienteering members

Juniors/full-time students £4                                          

Family:  £24 by 23rd February, £28 by 28^th February, £30 EOD (Family fee = 2 senior +1 or more junior running separate courses)

Family groups welcome on white to orange - just pay for 1 entry.
Adults running White to Orange £7 (no supplement for non BOF members)

SI card hire £1, Lost SI card fee £30

Helpers receive a 50% discount on entry fees. Please use code SYOHELPER on Fabian4. We welcome volunteers from other clubs.

If you would like to pre-enter using a free run voucher please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Times            

Registration 10:00 – 12:00
Starts 10:30 - 12:30
Courses close 14:30

Dogs

Welcome in the car park but not on the courses.

Additional Safety Information             

Burbage is above 400m and very exposed, please come prepared with hat, gloves and waterproof jacket as these may be compulsory in adverse weather conditions.

Festival of the Outdoors

This event marks the start of Sheffield's month long Festival of the Outdoors. Check out the huge choice of outdoor events and activities on offer in Sheffield throughout March 2020.

Officials

Planner Mark Chapman (SYO)
Controller Ranald Macdonald  (DVO)
Organiser Steve Dempsey (SYO) 07775 705615, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.