Travel directions and parking

Follow the brown signs to Newbury Showground from the roundabout at the M4-A34 junction (M4 Junction 13, OS grid reference SU480728). On exiting the roundabout north towards the A34, keep left.  Before joining the A34 fork left at the slip road, signed to Chieveley, Hermitage and Beedon. At the top of the slip road, turn right, signed to Hermitage. The event will be O signed from there. Parking is in a field just off the minor road from Hermitage to Yattendon. Nearest postcode RG18 9XP, OS grid reference SU520738. If coming from the South, be careful not to stay on the A34 as you will by-pass the junction!

Parking Fee £1 per Car, please try to have this ready as you arrive.

Enquiries/Entry on the day/Emit hire

Enquiries, entry on the day & hired Emit card collection will open from 9.30am to 12 noon.  Entry on the day is available for all age class courses, subject to map availability.  Cost - £14 for BOF seniors (£16 for non BOF members); £5 for juniors. Emit hire is £1.50 for seniors and free for juniors and students. Lost Emit cards will be charged at £45. The string course is free.

Lone travellers are encouraged to leave car keys with Enquiries.

Start.

Competitors who have pre-entered should go straight to the start. Starts are from 10am to 12.30pm.  Call up will be at -4 minutes. Start Times for competitors will be pre-allocated but it is a punching start. If you are late, you will be slotted in to the next available time.

The route to the start is via the south west corner of the assembly field and is roughly 100 metres on exit.  The route will be marked.  Please note that it passes close to the string course at one point and take due care.

Due to recent extensive logging there are several deeply rutted extraction lanes that competitors will have to navigate.

Finish

The finish is equally close to the assembly field and returns via the south east corner of the field.  Courses close at 2.30pm. Please make sure that you are back by then. Please report to the download tent even if you retire.

String course

The String course is accessed via the south east corner and is adjacent to the assembly field.   

Facilities.

Ultrasport and Tom’s Burger will be in attendance.

Toilets will be in the Assembly field.

There will be a first aid unit in the field near the entrance.

Water will be provided on entry to the assembly field.  Bin-liners will be provided for drinks but please take your own rubbish away with you.  

Courses

Those on white and yellow courses will need to collect their maps at the start. A copy will also be held at enquiries for you to get a preview if you wish

Maps

The map scale is 1:10, 000 with 5 m contours and minor updates have been made to reflect current forest conditions (up to the end of December 2014).

The longer courses (Green to Black) are printed at A3, whilst the shorter courses (White to Short Green) are printed at A4.

The following special symbols are being used and will be shown on the competition maps:

Maps do not have a full legend, only non-ISOM and special symbols are shown.

Control Description Sheets

Light Green to Black courses will have pictorial descriptions printed on the map. 

White, Yellow and Orange courses will have text descriptions printed on the map. 

Loose control descriptions on waterproof paper will be available at the Start.

Terrain

Mixed, mainly deciduous, woodland with generally good runnability except where forest thinning has taken place in the last couple of years which has resulted in localised patches of brashings.  The area has several gently sloping hills and a fairly extensive path network.

Forestry thinning operations in the northern parts of the map have continued into January, past the date that the maps went to print.  Thinning has improved visibility but worsened runnability; the green-striped ‘slow run undergrowth’ screen shows the affected areas. As well as the brashings you may encounter small piles of logs. Numerous recent extraction lanes in the thinning areas have not been mapped.  Wherever possible, courses have been designed to avoid the worst of the brashings.  The forestry operations have also churned up some of the main tracks and rides.

If it has been wet in the weeks before the event, depressions may be full of water and rides very muddy. In general, the forest and small paths offer better running than larger paths and rides. Wellies would be a good idea for those walking round the white and yellow courses.

Additional safety warning/information

The longer courses (Green to Black) cross minor roads. Visibility varies according to where you cross.  There will be no manned crossings.  Please be alert to local traffic which can be fast at times.

Horse riders, cyclists and dog walkers may be on public paths in the forest. They will have been alerted to the event. Please be respectful at all times so as to enable continued access to this area.

Shadowing

No shadowing will be allowed before your own run. The shadower must not pick up a map at the start. 

Dogs

Dogs are permitted but need to be on leads in the assembly and competition areas as the woods contain pheasant rearing areas. Please respect this requirement so as to preserve our access to these woods.

Electronic Punching

EMIT electronic punching system will be used. A demonstration EMIT control will be available in the assembly field.  It is the competitor’s responsibility to check that their EMIT card has been registered, including on the back-up card, at each control and the Finish.  Reinstatement for missing electronic punches will only be made on visible evidence of the correct pin punch on the back-up card.  Hire cards will have a named back-up card on collection.  Spare back-up cards will be available at the registration tent. It is essential that all competitors visit Download whether or not they have finished their course. 

Clothing and Safety Equipment

The torso and legs must be covered.  The Organiser may require a waterproof jacket to be worn or carried if the weather is bad - if so, notices will be displayed in Assembly and on the route to the start.  For safety reasons we recommend you carry a whistle (though it is not obligatory).  The distress signal is six short blasts, wait one minute, then repeat.  

Results

Results will be displayed in the Assembly field. Final results will be posted on the BKO website at www.bko.org.uk.

Complaints, Protests and Appeals

In the first case the competitor should discuss any concerns with the Planner, Controller or Organiser, dependent on the problem.  If this does not resolve the issue then Complaints should be made in writing via Enquiries.  A Complaint should be made as soon as possible after the problem is identified and no more than 15 minutes after the last result being displayed.  The Organiser is the adjudicator.  A Protest can only be made against the Organiser’s decision, in writing to the Controller again via Enquiries.  Protests and appeals will be handled under Rule 9 and Appendix G of the 2013 British Orienteering Rules

Photography

In accordance with British Orienteering Child Welfare Policy and Procedures, we request that any person wishing to engage in any video, zoom or close range photography should make themselves aware of British Orienteering policy.  The Organiser reserves the right to challenge anyone who is giving cause for concern.  If anyone has concerns about inappropriate or intrusive photography they should raise them with the Organiser. 

Safety

Orienteering is an adventure sport. All competitors take part entirely at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety. 

Please note that livestock has been kept in the parking/assembly field - we recommend you wash your hands, if possible, before eating.

There have been ticks reported in the area.  Check for them after your run.

First Aid is being supplied on site by ABC Medical Services. The nearest hospitals with Accident and Emergency departments are as follows: Royal Berkshire Hospital, Craven Road, Reading, RG1 5AN, telephone +44 (0)118 3225111, (Closest); Great Western Hospital, Swindon, SN3 6BB, tel +44 (0)1793 604020, signposted from Junction 15 M4 motorway. Minor Injuries Unit, West Berkshire Community Hospital, London Road, Thatcham, RG18 3AS, open 9am to 10pm, tel +44 (0)1635 273300. 

Ash Dieback precautions

The following precautions have been recommended by BOF - arrive with all of your kit, especially footwear, fully cleaned since its last outing.  After your run, place all your kit in a plastic bag to prevent spreading fungal spores.

Full details of Ash Dieback precautions can be found at British Orienteering’s website Click Here.

Cancellation

Cancellation is a last resort. However if very bad weather is forecast or some unforeseen event makes it necessary to cancel, a notice will be placed on the BKO website. If the event is cancelled BKO reserves the right to retain a part of the entry fee to cover unavoidable expenses.