Spring/Summer evening events

The LOC technical series is well under way, with one remaining event next Wednesday, at Claife Heights. Wednesdays then change over to the Warrior Battle Axe series, won last year by our own Mark Saunders. Lakeland OC return in June with a further series of Wednesday events, aimed at all abilities. Don't forget the SROC series of sprint events mainly on Tuesdays from late May through until July, and the Preston daylight street events on Thursdays in June. There's plenty to keep you fit in that lot! Please make use of the SROC car pool to share lifts, and read the extra note from WAROC about car sharing/parking at Battleaxe 2.

Battleaxe Week 2 (May 11th) this year is a high mountain event! We are planning to use the new Pike O'Blisco/Cold Pike/Little Stand map that was used in 2010 for an LOC Regional Event. But instead of operating from Great Langdale, which involves a massive 'uplift' to get started, and is likely to restrict the competition area for a 1 hour score event to the same bits of the map that were used by LOC, we're hoping to operate from the Three Shires Stone at the top of the Wrynose Pass. This will enable a lot of controls to be placed on the west side of Red Tarn on Cold Pike and Little Stand, an area that few orienteers have visited.

But..... and this is a big "but" - there simply aren't enough parking spots on the roadside near the top of Wrynose to accommodate the normal number of cars that come to most Battleaxe events. Consequently, we're going to have to impose some restrictions on travel (most un-Warrior-like!).

The plan is as follows:

a) we will create two "car pool areas" - one in Little Langdale, and the other somewhere between Cockley Beck and the start of the climb up to Three Shires, so that people arriving in low-occupancy cars can group together. The "pool" in Little Langdale is still to be finalised;

b) no car approaching from either side with less than four occupants will be parked at Wrynose or allowed to enter the race - sorry, but that's the only way this will work;

c) we propose to use a start interval from 4.30pm till 7pm, in order to spread the load and to allow those people who are able to start earlier, to do so, and free up their parking space ASAP;

d) we hope (although it's by no means certain at this stage) to lay on a minibus leaving Little Langdale at 4.15 for those early starters - if you wish to start early, and don't use the minibus shuttle, the same "4 to a car" rules apply. The minibus will start its return to Little Langdale at 6.00pm.

e) We may, if necessary, try another minibus shuttle from Little Langdale at 6.15pm, returning around 8.00pm, for late starters.

f) If you can arrange your own car sharing to meet the "4 to a car" requirement, then that's great - you can go straight up to the top of Wrynose.

This is very much a trial, but if we'd like everyone to have the opportunity to run on some of the more remote areas, then it's important that we make this work. Look out for signs as you approach the event.

Malc Campbell
WAROC