TrailO Final Details

Last edited: 24th Jul

Venue: Cambus o’May.

Grid ref: NO406981.

Directions: From the west: leave Ballater on the A93. After 3 miles turn left, signed ‘Cambus o’May Forest Walks’. Follow the track to the parking area and park as directed.

From the east: Turn right off the A93 approx 4 miles west of Dinnet signed as above.

A disabled toilet unit will be available in the car park.

Cambus o’May is a popular area with local people. Please show courtesy to other forest users.

Late entries/EOD: Entries during the 6 day week and on the day will be subject to map availability. Entry fees will be Elite course £12/£3, Novice course £8/£3.

Registration/start: Registration will be adjacent to the car park. Start and finish will be close by.

Map: Cambus o’May, 1:10,000 updated with LiDAR data 2017, enlarged to 1:4,000 with some mapping enhancements for TrailO around control sites. 5m contours.

Courses: There are two courses.

Elite: 2.0k, 20 controls. Time limit 120 minutes. One timed control station with two problems at the start of the course.

Novice: 1.8k, 15 controls. Time limit 99 minutes. There is no timed control on the novice course and there will be no ‘Z’ controls.

One point is scored for each correct answer on the course. If the time limit is exceeded a penalty of 1 point per 5 minutes (or part thereof) over the limit will be imposed.

At the timed control, there is a time limit of 60 seconds to answer both problems. A wrong answer scores a penalty of 60 seconds which is added to the time taken to answer. If no answer is given to one or both problems, a penalty of 60 seconds will be given for each unanswered problem.

Tolerances for Z controls: Z controls will be clear. In particular, Z controls placed on the same feature as other controls will be separated by at least 3m. The position of a Z control on a point feature will vary by at least 90 degrees from other controls on the same feature.

Starts: 12:00 – 14:30. Start times will not be allocated.

Results: Results will be posted on the RD2017 website during the evening and will be available at registration on Day4.

Wheelchair users: We regret that we are not able to provide escorts for wheelchair users. The course generally follows good level tracks which should be easily managed by wheelchairs, but there are one or two short steeper and narrower sections. Wheelchair users may bring their own escorts to help them negotiate these sections. Escorts may give physical assistance but must not take part in decision making at controls.

Safety: Even if participants do not complete the course they must go to the finish to record their finish time and hand in their control card.

A first aid kit will be available at Registration.

All participants take part at their own risk.

Officials: Planner/organiser: Anne Hickling (GRAMP); Controller: Rob Hickling (GRAMP)

General information: Help and advice for those new to TrailO will be available at registration. Newcomers to TrailO may wish to study the IOF document Technical Introduction to TrailO for experienced foot orienteers.

Further information for novice competitors

You will be given a conventional orienteering map with what looks like a conventional course. However, you must not visit the control sites. You must stay on mapped paths and view the controls from a distance. You should not cross any tapes across paths at ground level.
There will be up to 5 control kites at or near each control site, you have to identify the correct one using the centre of the control circle on the map and the control description.
Kites are identified by letter from left to right, as seen from the decision point, with kite 'A' being the left-most. Column two of the Control Descriptions indicates how many kites are involved in the puzzle. Thus A-B would mean two kites, A on the left, B on the right. A-E would mean five kites, from A on the left, through B, C and D, to E on the right. The identification of which kite is which takes place from the marked decision point. Sometimes there may be other kites which are hidden by a hill or a tree from the decision point; these do not count.
Decision points are marked on the ground by numbered canes, but are not marked on the map. It’s your job to identify their position on the map.
You are permitted to move up and down any path to obtain a clearer view of the kites, but you must use the order of the kites when viewed from the decision point to determine your answer.
Controls must be punched in the correct sequence. However, while you are solving one control, there is nothing to stop you walking backwards and forwards past the next control, or the previous control.
TrailO uses pin punches. You will carry a control card, and punches will be found near to decision points. Remember to check the control number, and the number of kites you should be considering each time. The control card is a double card, folded down the middle. You must punch through both parts.
After the last control on the course you will go to the finish where your finish time for the course will be recorded.
One half of your control card will be returned to you, along with a ‘solutions sheet’ showing the positions of all kites at each control, after the last starter has set off. Anyone who is not able to wait on the day will be able to collect them from Information on Days 4,5 or 6. Copies of the results will also be available from Information, and will also be put on the RD2017 website, hopefully during the evening after the event.
It is against the rules of TrailO to communicate with other competitors while on the course, although post-mortems are fine provided no-one yet to start is within earshot. Please understand that some people on the course will be competing seriously. Therefore please respect their need for concentration, do not discuss controls within earshot, and above all do not leave the path and wander around control sites.
You may go around the course again with the solutions once the last competitor has finished.
Binoculars, cameras with zoom lenses and mobile phones or other communication devices are forbidden.
The rules of British Orienteering apply.

Categorised under: Rest day