Lothian Edge SoSOL
Sunday 28th February
Lothian Edge – Halls Farm near Dunbar
Planner’s report – Thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed such a glorious day on the Lammermuirs. Thanks also to all the ELO members, family and friends plus several people from other clubs who worked so hard beforehand and on the day.
I must apologise to everyone on Brown and Green who struggled to reach control 164 – the Controller had severe reservations about it but I opted to tweak the map instead of moving the control as I should have done.
PY
Organiser’s report – Wow! Weren’t we lucky with the weather. Pete-the-planner had said that if we got weather like he had when trying to tape control sites, then we would be cancelling. Well done to Pete for persevering and for all his work in planning and setting out the courses.
I need to thank lots of people who made today possible and successful. I am scared to try to name everyone in case I miss somebody but will try (so if I have missed someone please shout at me and I will edit them in). Thank you to Godfrey Beddard for his help in updating the map, particularly the ever-changing gorse bushes. Helpers from within the club included Julian Hall, and Duncan and Benji Edmonston (Starts and control collecting), Duncan Leishman (setting up), Liz Henderson and Tim and Jonny Harding (registration/download), Robin (preparing the maps and SI units as well as all the computing), Ian Rowland, Saartje Drijver and Lily Younger (car parking) and the Young family for helping an injured competitor.
Special thanks to those from other clubs whose help was greatly appreciated. Andrea Davidson, Jonathan Ellis and Ben Davidson-Ellis (ESOC) set out, looked after and collected in the String course, which was enjoyed by lots of wee folk, and Lorna and Colin Eades (Int) collected in controls.
Thank you to the landowners for allowing us access to the area: Mr Jeffrey of Halls farm for the car parking field and the east side of the area and a different Mr Jeffrey of Deuchrie farm to the west.
East Lothian Outdoor Learning kindly lent us their generator, and the all-in-one controls for the String course.
Now whom have I missed out?
SS
Pre-event information
Our South of Scotland Orienteering League (SoSOL) event will have the usual range of White to Brown courses. More details below.
There will also be a Long Orange course suitable for those who are experienced runners but novice orienteers – i.e. quite long with fairly easy navigation.
The map is mostly open moorland with plenty of gorse bushes and some complex terrain features. The longer courses will also visit both conifer and mixed woodland areas. All areas are generally runnable, although after the wet winter the ground will inevitably be soft and muddy in many parts.
All our events are open to everyone, novices and experts alike. If anything here is not clear use the contact form to ask for more information.
Online entries at Oentries will save time and trouble at the event. We have many spare maps on almost all courses and pre-entries will now stay open until some time on Saturday. (Thanks to all who entered earlier in the week and gave us a basis on which to order maps.)
Event Details
Info updated: 27th Feb.
Type of event: Level C event in the South of Scotland O League.
Terrain: Generally open moorland with some areas of complex contour detail.
Dress: Waterproof jackets may be compulsory due to the exposed nature of the area. Please watch the forecast and this web site and come prepared.
Dogs: Dogs are only permitted under close control in the car park.
Location
Nearest town/village: Dunbar/Pitcox.
Post code (approx.): EH42 1RN
Grid Ref: NT654721
Lat,Long: 55.941325,-2.55541
Directions
Leave the A1 at the Thistly Cross roundabout, west of Dunbar, and go south on the B6370 for 1.5 miles to Pitcox. Go south from Pitcox, signed Pathhead and Halls Farms, for 2.5 miles to the parking.
The last stretch of road has two blind summits and two steep down and up hills so take care, especially if it is frosty.
The parking field is a bit wet (surprise, surprise) limiting the space suitable for cars. Sharing transport would help us fit you in.
Registration
Registration from 10am to 11:30 will be in the car park field. Start times are from 10:30 to 12:00. If possible, please use OEntries to register in advance. There will be entry on the day for which filling in this form will help.
Start and Finish
Start is 250 metres from Download and White and Yellow Finish is close to Start. For other courses, Finish is 400 metres from Download.
We will not be allocating start times. Just join the, hopefully very short, queue for your course at Start.
Courses
Subject to controlling.
| Course | Controls | Length | Climb |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 12 | 1.2 km | 10 m |
| Yellow | 11 | 1.8 km | 25 m |
| Orange | 12 | 3.0 km | 60 m |
| Long Orange | 19 | 4.4 km | 130 m |
| Light Green | 13 | 4.0 km | 165 m |
| Short Green | 12 | 3.5 km | 190 m |
| Green | 14 | 5.0 km | 220 m |
| Blue | 20 | 7.0 km | 300 m |
| Brown | 25 | 8.1 km | 340 m |
The Long Orange course is aimed particularly at members of running clubs wanting the distance (4.6km straight line) without the hardest navigational challenge.
SPORTident (SI) electronic timing will be used. If you have your own SI please bring it with you. We will have SIs for hire free of charge but there is a £30 charge if lost. The units will not be set for contactless punching.
Please leave gates as you find them, whether open or closed. Gates in the main (east) part of the area will be opened where possible as there is no stock out, but the farm on the west side has sheep in various different fields so we will not be opening gates there.
Take care crossing fences, and don’t do any damage, but if any does occur, please report it at Download. As far as we know, all electric fences are off (although one quite far out did sound as though it was humming).
Map
The map was drawn originally from a photogrammetric plot in 2003 by Contours Orienteering Survey Services and has been revised for this event by Godfrey Beddard. Areas mapped as out of bounds generally surround pheasant pens which we have been asked to keep clear of. Godfrey has done a good job of mapping the constantly changing gorse but there are smaller patches which will not have been mapped. White and Yellow maps are 1:5000 and others are 1:10000. There is no legend on either map, but there will be loose copies at registration.
White and Yellow maps (and loose descriptions) should be collected from registration. Other maps will be given out at the start.
Entry Charges
Senior £8.00
Senior (non BOF member) £10.00
Seniors running white/yellow/orange £4.00
Seniors (non BOF) running white/yellow/orange £6.00
Juniors and students £4.00
Results
Results will be published here after the event. There may be a local WiFi results service in assembly and the car park.
Contact / Officials
Planner: Pete Younger
Organiser: Sheila Strain Contact
Controller: TBC
Assist. Controller: Trina Rogerson
Safety and Risk
A comprehensive risk assessment has been carried out by the organiser, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.
There is a pond just after Start which is much bigger and deeper than usual. White and Yellow courses pass round it so please say to children doing these courses to keep away from the edge.
There are lots of crags, some of them quite big, so read your map carefully and don’t find yourself jumping off them!
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