Invitation

VELCOME TO -O WEST 2014 The organizers Førde IL, IL, og IL invite you to Fjord-O West 2014, formerly known as Nordvestgaloppen. The races will take place in some of the most spectacular orienteering terrains in Fjord from the inland glaciers to the outer coastline. Each stage will offer a new challenge and a new experience – orienteering “from glacier to ocean”.

Fjord-O west 2014 is a 4-stage event over a period of 5 days, from July 30th to August 3rd 2014. Three of the stages will have middle distance courses and one stage long distance. NM-Ultra Long distance (Norwegian Championship) is combined with stage no. 3.

Stage 1 – “The Fjord run” - Middle Distance on Wednesday 30. July Assembly: Kråkenesmarka Shooting Range, 10 km west of Førde along Highway 609 towards Askvoll. Parking: 0-500 meters from assembly, parking fee NOK 50. Starts: There are two starts. Start 1: At the assembly (C and N classes). Start 2: About 2 km walking on road, walking time ca. 25 minutes. Terrain: Typical terrain of North-, dominated by open marches and forested hillsides. Vegetation - open forest of coniferous and deciduous trees. Some patches of very thick spruce and Sitka plantations. Mostly good visibility and easy running, except in Sitka plantations and on wet marches after heavy rain. Map: Kråkenesmarka, ISOM 2000, map revised in 2014. Map Scales: 1:10 000 for classes up to D/H 45, 1:7 500 for classes D/H 50 and above.

Stage 2 – “The Ocean run” - Middle Distance on Thursday 31. July Location: Stage 2 takes place on the archipelago of Værlandet vest of Askvoll. There is a regular ferry service 4-5 times a day between mainland Askvoll and Værlandet. Transport: The ferry has limited capacity and ferry transport to and from Værlandet is not a reliable option during the peak tourist season during the summer months. Therefore, an extra transport option by express passenger boats will be provided. Crossing time will be about 30 min. Parking: Parking area for passenger cars is located in walking distance 1,2 km from the quay where the express boats are leaving. Coaches may park 100 metres from the quay. Parking fee for passenger cars NOK 50. Assembly: At Old School in Værlandet (Gamle Værlandet skule), about 1,3 km walking distance from the ferry quay and landing stage for passenger boats. No shower facility at assembly, but possible to take a swim in sea or lake. Starts: There are two starts. Start 1: At the assembly (N-classes only). First start at 14:00 Start 2: 1,3 km to walk on road, walking time ca. 20 min. First start at 14:00 Terrain: Varied and mixed open coastal terrain with some spruce and Sitka plantations near assembly. Runnability varies according to terrain feature. The archipelago of Værlandet has some very characteristic rocky hills and mountains with lots of cliffs and crags. All in all an intricate and complex terrain that may test concentration and map reading. Map: Værlandet ISOM 2000, first published 2008, revised 2014. Scale 1:7 500.

Stage 3 – “The Mountain run” - Long Distance on Saturday 2. August Note: NM-Ultra Long Distance (Norwegian Championship) goes parallel to stage no. 3. of Fjord-O in the same terrain and with the same assembly. Assembly: Langeland Skiing Centre, 10 km south of Førde along Highway E 39. Parking: Close to assembly, parking fee NOK 50. Start: First start at 11:00. Walking distance from assembly to start about 800 m, walking time 10 min. NM-Ultralong Distance has the same start as Fjord-O. Terrain: Open woodland with rolling hills, valleys and smaller lakes. Flatter areas dominated by marshes. Soft bottom and almost no dense undergrowth. Some areas with lots of boulders, partly overgrown. Vegetation mostly coastal pine, at places mixed with birch and alder. Some patches of spruce and Sitka plantations. Good visibility, moderate climb and easy running. Marches and streams marked crossable on the map may be difficult to pass after heavy rain. Map: Langeland, ISOM 2000. Map revised in 2014. Map Scale Fjord-O: 1:10 000 for classes up to D/H 45, 1:7 500 for classes D/H 50 and above. Map Scale NM-Ultra Long Distance: 1:15 000.

Stage 4 – “The Glacier run” - Middle Distance on Sunday 3. August. Assembly: Bøyadalen valley in Fjærland close to highway no 5. Parking: At the left side of highway no 5, about 200 metres before entering the Fjærland tunnel (opposite of turn off to Brevasshytta). Parking fee NOK 50. Walking distance about 300 m from parking to assembly. Terrain: Varied terrain marked by the glacier and characterized by glacial deposits. Many large and small moraine ridges and knolls, and some parts dotted with lots of boulders. Dense forest and thicket here and there, but also plenty of open space and flatter area with good visibility. Steep mountain sides border the area but none of the courses will pass really hilly areas. Varying runnability from good to medium, however at places slow and demanding. Start: First start at 11:00. Walking distance from assembly about 1,2 km (15 min.) Map: Surveying 2013-2014, published 2014. Scale: 1:7 500. COURSES AND CLASSES Men’s classes are marked with and H (“Herrar”) and the Women’s classes with and D (“Damer”). Course Men Women Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Middle Distance Middle Distance Long Distance Middle Distance Kråkenesmarka Værlandet Langeland Fjærland 1 H21 6,0 km 5,5 km 9,0 km 5,0 km 2 H19-20, H35 5,5 km 5,2 km 7,0 km 4,8 km 3 H17-18, H40 D21 5,2 km 4,8 km 6,0 km 4,5 km 4 H45 D35, D17-18, 5,0 km 4,3 km 5,5 km 4,0 km D19-20 5 H50, D40, 4,8 km 4,0 km 5,0 km 3,8 km 6 H55, H15-16, D45 4,5 km 3,8 km 4,8 km 3,4 km 7 H60, H17K; D15-16, D50 4,2 km 3,2 km 4,2 km 3,0 km A Open 8 H65 D55, D17K 3,5 km 2,7 km 3,8 km 2,7 km 9 H50K, H70 D60 3,3 km 2,5 km 3,5 km 2,5 km 10 H13-14 D13-14 3,3 km 2,5 km 3,5 km 2,5 km 11 H75, H80, H85 D65, D70, D75, 3,0 km 2,1 km 3,0 km 2,1 km D50K, D80, D85 12 H 13-16 C, H17C D13-16C, D17C 2,8 km 2,5 km 3,0 km 2,5 km 13 H11-12, C Open D11-12 2,3 km 1,8 km 2,3 km 1,8 km 14 H10 D10 1,8 km 1,5 km 1,8 km 1,5 km 15 H13-16N, H17N D13-16N, D17N 1,5 km 1,2 km 1,5 km 1,2 km 16 H11-12N D11-12N 1,3 km 1,0 km 1,3 km 1,0 km 17 N-Open N-Open 1,3 km 1,0 km 1,3 km 1,0 km Note: Courses with green marking are beginner level difficulty (N), yellow marking means level C difficulty and light blue level B difficulty. All other courses are level A difficulty.

PUNCHING SYSTEM EMIT control system will be used for all classes, except for the “Small Troll” course. Emit cards may be rented at a charge of NOK 50 per stage.

PRIZES Prizes will be awarded for each day, as well as prizes based on the competitor’s overall score for all stages. Number of prizes per class in accordance with the table below. Classes At each stage Overall standing (4 stages) Up to 12 years All participants No prizes 13-16 years 3 best per class 1/3 of participants in each class 17 years and above Class winners only 1/8 of participants in each class

DEADLINES FOR ENTRY To enter for Fjord-O West 2014 in og Fjordane, Norway, please go to Eventor: http://eventor.orientering.no/Events

“Early Bird” deadline: Tuesday April 1st 2014 (23:59). Ordinary deadline: Tuesday July 1st 2014 (23:59). Late Entry deadline: Tuesday July 15th 2014 (23.59).

From July 15th and onwards until the first stage of Fjord-O West 2014, we will offer Open Courses (A and C) as an alternative.

ORDINARY ENTRY FEES AND LATE ENTRY FEE All entry fees listed in the table below are per stage Age Entries before 01.04 Entries before 01.07 Late entry fee after 15.07 Up to 12 years NOK 75,00 NOK 100,00 NOK 0 (tot. NOK 100,00) 13 – 16 years NOK 100,00 NOK 125,00 NOK 50 (tot. NOK 175,00) From 17 years NOK 175,00 NOK 225,00 NOK 50 (tot. NOK 275,00) A og C – Open NOK 150,00 direct entry

PAYMENT Norwegian orienteering clubs will be billed after every entry deadline. Foreign orienteering clubs will pay the entry fee directly to Førde IL Orientering. Club: Førde IL Orientering Address: Kvamane 7, N-6812 Førde, Norway Bank account: 37052190518, IBAN: NO3737052190518, SWIFT/BIC: SOFJNO22 Bank: Sparebanken Address: Postboks 113, N-6801 Førde, Norway Note that all banking fees must be charged to sender.

Extra fee for the following changes: Change of class, EMIT-card number, starting time etc., made after July 1st: NOK 50 for each change. All entries must include the number of the athlete’s EMIT-card. Entries made without EMIT- number will be given a rental EMIT-card. There will be an extra charge of NOK 50 for the rental card per stage. In the event of the EMIT-card being lost or not returned to the Organizer, there will be a penalty fee of NOK 600 per EMIT-card lost.

MEALS AND REFRESHMENTS There will be facilities at the assembly of each stage for buying hot and cold light meals, fruits, coffee, soft drinks etc.

ACCOMMODATION There are many hotels, cottages, camping facilities etc. in the area. Details may be found on the website http://www.fjordkysten.no/. For further information please contact Mrs Merete Larsmon, e-mail [email protected], or phone +47 971 40 060. Note: Rica Hotel & Spa www.rica.no/sunnfjordhotel will keep a number of rooms reserved for participants of Fjord-O West 2014. Bookings may be made single or in groups. Deadline for booking is June 1st 2014.

DAY OFF Friday 1. August – Visit Fjord-Norway During the “day off” we recommend both competitors and visitors of Fjord-O 2014 to join some of the activities and experiences listed below:  a glacier hike on Haugabreen with professional guides  an “ordinary” Norwegian mountain hike, - not touching the ice  a fishing vessel out on the ocean from Askvoll or  a guided roundtrip by bus, visiting both the Norwegian Glacier Museum and the home of painter Nicolai Astrup  a guided 9-hours trip, also visiting the world famous Nærøyfjorden (on the UNESCO World Heritage list)

See also our web pages: http://fjord-o.no/2014/?lang=en