Score Routegadget The score course has a separate Routegadget event.  Access using the "Other" link above; even if no routes are plotted, ticking the box next to a name shows on the map the sequence of controls visited.

Hope you all enjoyed your runs today on Blacka.  Not quite as nice weather as the photo below but pretty good conditions.  Results, split times and route gadget are on the links above.

A huge thank you to all our helpers today, as ever we couldn't do it without you.

Organiser's Comments

The role of the organiser is to organise things, and given when I took over organisation at quite a late stage my role was straightfoward due to the diligent work of Lucy, Pauline and Brian Shaw in securing the use of the old factory site. An indoors assembly was a welcome feature for a race in January and the site provided ample car parking for over 300 competitors. Everything on the day proceeded smoothly with the thanks to the great team of helpers and thanks to Pete and Mark as planner and controller giving me nothing to worry about.

Matthew Pickering (SYO)

Controller’s Comments

Another glorious morning with Blacka at its nicest there were many lovely comments. Pete’s courses gave interesting route choices from the start. I guess the major comment was the finish run-in. This was to aid a speedier download and to get competitors off the fell. Some gained for being faster but this wasn’t a championship race. Nevertheless Team SYO did brilliantly and thanks go to Matt, Pete and the rest of SYO.

Mark Chapman (SYO)

Planners Comments

A huge thanks to Mark who has now had to control me both here and at Cowms Rocks in the autumn, at least he was under no illusion that I was likely to be supplying courses to him months in advance! Matt was also pretty chilled as an organiser so the three of us worked pretty well together.  Thanks also to Ian Cooper for the updated map used in both events.

A big thank you as well to Richard and Oli for helping me get the controls out (and Lucy for hanging some of my controls with her night ones) and Dave, Colin L, Chris W and Wayne for the help collecting controls.

Dyson's is a great place for us to use for parking and assembly but does make it tricky to plan some of the courses with a huge heather covered hill being the prominent feature near the start. Blacka is a tough area but probably at it's most runnable this time of year and I tried to reduce the physicality for the shorter courses by walking you up to the top so that you could still enjoy the re-entrants of the valley etc. without too much climb.

It seems OOB areas only seem to be added to our maps these days with the latest being the nicest block of forest . This unfortunately impacted available options for brown and blue but hopefully there were enough route choice legs to keep you thinking.  Hopefully you will all get your routes up on Routegadget and we will see.

I have a bit of a thing for having finishes near assembly rather than remote. There is some chance of creating a bit of atmosphere around the finish and it is also helps getting people downloaded especially towards the end when you want confirmation that everyone is back.  A couple of weeks ago Matt and I looked at it and thought we could map a small section giving you a last control about halfway along but time overtook me and a long run in was the result...

The other thing I asked for was the processing of everyone at the lower start before the shorter courses then walked up to the higher start.  The thinking behind this was that it was much better protected down the bottom so we could have the bulk of our start team there, if there was any problems it wasn't too far back to assembly and an queuing would be done in relative shelter and any waitign to start at the top start would be minimal. I'd be interested in your thoughts.

Finally I started looking at Long Orange options but then thought that actually a Score would possibly a much better fit as it allows competitors to choose how much they want to do and how challenging they would like to make the navigation.  It is also a format that many fell runners etc. are used to with the events such as Peak Raid being very popular.  Hopefully this may become a regular feature at our Sunday events although it looks like I needed to put a control somewhere in the middle of the heather in the SW part of the map if I wanted to prevent Glen from getting all of them.  I measured a fairly straight line optimal route for all 21 controls to be 8.5km which with all the climb and a reduced speed for navigation thought would be enough, obviously not!

Pete Tryner, SYO

Score Splits The standard split analysis programs don't handle score events, but here is a csv file of the raw data.

Information

Enjoy the challenge of orienteering on Blacka Moor. Full range of courses on offer to cater for experienced orienteers, younger juniors and newcomers; including a 90 minute score event ideal for fell-runners.

Public Transport

It is strongly encouraged to arrive by public transport if possible, parking will be tight!

The 218 Peakline service stops directly outside the assembly Buses arrive at 10:07, 11:07 and 12:07 and depart at 12:06, 13:11 and 14:06. The full timetable can be found here.

The 97 arrives at the Gillfield Wood terminus, 3 minutes walk, at 9:37, 10:34 and 11: 34 and leaving at 11:45, 12:45, 13:45, 14:45 etc

Parking

Parking on hard standing at the old Dyson's factory, off the A621 / Baslow Rd, 8km SW of Sheffield. Nearest postcode S17 3BL. What3words: moved.finishing.mason. GR SK 296790.

Assembly 

Toilets, enquiries and download In the Dyson's factory. The SYO juniors will be selling hot drinks and cakes.

Terrain          

Blackamoor is mostly open heather moorland with some mixed forest on steep valley sides and interesting contour detail, making for challenging orienteering both technically and physically. 

Map       

Updated 2020/21 by Ian Cooper (ISOM 2017-2).

       

1:10000 with 5m contours.

Starts & Finish

1030-1230, courses close at 1400. If you think you will take a long time, please start early.

Pre-start 200m from assembly. Arrive at pre-start in time for your start. Courses yellow, orange, light green, short green and green then have 600m / 100m climb to the actual start. Courses white, blue, brown and score start adjacent to pre-start. Finish is adjacent to assembly.

Courses

Score course. Aim is to get as many of the 21 controls as you can in the 1.5 hour time limit. This is ideal for fell and trail runners who have some navigation experience and for experienced orienteers who fancy a different challenge. Controls have different point values so plan your route carefully. 10 points penalty per minute late back. Pairs welcome, just pay for 1 entry.

Brown - 7.4km, 250m climb. Technically and physically difficult.
Blue - 5.1km, 200m climb. Technically and physically diffcult
Green - 4.4km, 100m climb. Technically difficult.
Short Green - 3.1km, 50m climb. Technically difficult, avoids most physical parts of the area.
Light Green - 3.5km, 100m climb. Medium to Hard technical difficulty. Ideal for improvers.
Orange - 2.8km, 40m climb. Medium difficulty. Ideal for beginner adults.
Yellow - 2.3km, 40m. Technically easy. 
White - 1.6km, 50m. Technically very easy. Ideal for younger juniors.

Entries 

Entries now subject to map availability and £1 extra per entry (£3 extra per family), finally closing at 23:59 on 14th.

Open on Fabian4, with the Blacka night event on 15th December.  Select your start time during the entry process. 

Adult £10 (£8 British Orienteering members)
Junior/student £4
Family £24 (£20 British Orienteering members)

Family charge applies when family members are running different courses. If you are going round as a family group, just pay for 1 entry.

Helpers using code SYOHELPER get 50% discount. Email offers of help to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Additional Safety Info

Full leg cover and whistles compulsory. Much of Blackamoor is above 1000ft and very exposed, please come prepared with waterproof jacket, hat and gloves. In the event of bad weather waterproofs will be compulsory.

COVID Guidance for competitors & volunteers

You must not take part in any form of orienteering if you have tested positive for covid, have Covid symptoms or have been asked to self-isolate. Please be super courteous to any members of the public that you come across before, during or after the event and try to maintain social distancing.

Officials

Organiser - Matt Pickering
Planner - Pete Tryner
Controller - Mark Chapman