COMPASS SPORT SOA QUALIFYING ROUND BIRSEMORE HILL SUNDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2013 FINAL DETAILS Please check MAROC website the night before the event in case of cancellation due to severe weather (well, it is February in !). www.marocscotland.org.uk PLANNERS NOTES The hill is as big as ever, and the going is soft in places, especially the rides on the hill which have recently been used for forestry work. There is a huge stack of timber next to one of the tracks, so please keep away from this. There is a great mix of terrain and lots of contour detail. The northern side of the hill has some steep sections with big and dangerous crags. All courses are routed away from the big crags. From the Red Start, all competitors will soon have to cross the burn that you walked alongside up to the start. The water is shallow and easily crossable at most locations, but please avoid the sections with very steep banks. For a safety bearing, heading east or northeast will get you to a minor road which goes north back to .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dunecht and Glen Tanner Estates. Elaine Davidson, Community Leisure Officer, Council. Our thanks go out to Deeside Community Centre for the use of their facilities. Could we please show our appreciation by removing muddy footwear and spikes before entering the building.

TRAVEL DIRECTIONS AND PARKING Signposted from the A93 in the Centre of Aboyne at Aboyne Primary School, Aberdeenshire. Grid Reference NO 518984. Please follow Marshall’s directions on arrival. Registration

Parking Courtesy of Streetmap UK

REGISTRATION Registration will be open from 9.45 to 12.00 and is situated upstairs in Deeside Community Centre. All competitors please report to collect brikkes or, if you have registered your own brikke, to pick up a backup card.

ENTRY ON DAY Will be available for Light Green, Orange, Yellow and White Courses. Cost £6 per course irrespective of Adult or Junior. There is no entry on the day for the Compass Sport Cup or Trophy races.

Apologies but there will be no string course on offer.

TOILETS/SHOWERS Toilets available inside Community Centre. Showers will also be available at a charge of £1.55 per person, please bring your own towel and pay at Reception. PLEASE NOTE: There are no toilets on route to or at the Start.

STARTS Starts are from 10.30 to 12.30. Maps to start will be displayed at registration.

There are two starts: Red Start (courses 1-5) and Green Start (courses 6-10) Boxes at each start are: -4 minutes: call up -3 minutes: collect loose control descriptions -2 minutes: blank maps on display -1 minute: start box

There will be a clothing dump available on the route to both starts.

Starts are approximately a 1.9km walk away, please allow at least 25 minutes.

There are 3 unmanned road crossings and 1 manned road crossing. Children must, therefore, be accompanied to the start and from the finish.

FINISH Maps will be collected in Club bags and will be available for collection from Registration after 12.40pm. Route back from Finish will pass clothing dump then, as before, there are 3 unmanned road crossings and 1 manned road crossing, therefore, all children must be accompanied.

DOWNLOAD Next to registration. All finishers must report to download, even if course is not completed. Lost brikkes will be charged at £45.

COURSES

COURSE START COURSE DESCRIPTION LENGTH CLIMB NUMBER 1 Red Brown Men Open 7.1 380 2 Red Blue W Women Open 5.2 320 3 Red Blue M M45 + M20- 5.7 330 4 Red Green W W45+ W20- 4.2 220 5 Red Green M M60+ 4.2 260 6 Green Short Green Veterans M75+ W60+ 3.6 225 7A Green Light Green M & W M/W18- 3.4 210 7B Green Light Green EOD 3.2 190 8 Green Orange M & W + EOD M/W14- 2.7 120 9 Green Yellow + EOD Juniors and Newcomers 1.9 80 10 Green White +EOD Juniors and Newcomers 1.4 40

TERRAIN Birsemore Hill, Aboyne is one of the best areas in Deeside with a mix of complex rock and contour details in varied forest terrain, ranging from semi-open natural pine forest to commercial plantation. The forest is largely open and runnable, with thinning being done recently, but there are still areas of heavier undergrowth, impeding progress. The track and ride network on the lower hill provides suitable terrain for less technical courses. Quoted as “the best new area in Britain in 2007”, it has been used for some famous orienteering events such as the 2007 and 2010 SOLs, the 2009 Scottish Night Champs and the 2011 VHI’s.

FIRST AID Red Cross First Aiders will be in attendance. There is also a minor injuries unit in Aboyne, 1.5km from Registration. Details available from Registration.

EVENT SAFETY Competitors are advised to wear full leg cover and are reminded they take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety. Please respect other forest users. During severe weather a “no whistle or cagoule, no go” policy will be enforced, please come prepared.

DOGS On leads only. No dogs inside Community Centre.

RESULTS Individual Results will be available on the day. Compass Sport results will be made available on the Maroc website as soon as possible.

TRADERS Aboyne Academy will be selling hot drinks, cakes and snacks in the canteen area adjacent to Registration in order to raise funds to send their Team to the World Schools Orienteering Championships in Portugal this year, your support will be greatly appreciated.

COMPLAINTS AND PROTESTS BOF Rule 9 applies. Complaints, orally or in writing, can only be made at Registration. The Organiser will respond with a decision as soon as practicable. If you wish to protest against that decision, you will need to lodge a protest at Registration in writing. This will be passed to the Controller who shall, if necessary, convene the Jury.