Autumn Series, event (3/4)Aitken WoodSat 07 October, 2023

Local level event

Explanation of Event levels

Training events are non competitive events used for training and coaching, aimed at members of the club, but they can attract people from neighbouring clubs, and are often ideal for newcomers to try the sport.
Local events are usually low key and in the 'localised' area, ideal for newcomers to try the sport. Most clubs run some 'mini series' throughout the year as local mid week events.
Regional events attract participants from around the local Region.
National events are high quality competitions that will attract people from far away,
Major events are Major Events such as a British Championships or the annual JK competition.

Results

• Results and Splits
• Routegadget

Report

Planner's Comments:

What a blessing! The weather was kind to us - warm, bright and sunny, even if still a bit blowy.

Planning in Aitken, a lovely wood in its own right, is always difficult because of its small size. Over the years we have added the moorland to east and west to add distance to courses. This year we've added Boothman Park to the South, but that incurred a lengthy fixed route to get over to Aitken. The Blue and Red courses starting, in Boothman, had a grand tour of the area. I hope you had a chance to turn and see the stunning views across Pendle!

Other courses visited both Whitehough and Aitken, that included many of the art installations. Did you notice the unmapped aerial sculptures? Probably not as they are not marked on the map and you would have been concentrating on your navigation.

Only Yellow was planned to stay exclusively in the grounds of Whitehough Outdoor Centre. When putting out controls in the incessant rain on Friday, it was discovered that the stile at control 103 was lethally slippy. Action was needed to bypass the danger for young or less agile competitors. Our solution was to drop some controls and shorten the course. I hope no one felt short changed by this late amendment.

One major apology is to all competitors on Blue and Red. Since my last visit 2 weeks ago, there has been a forestry team at work in the area, felling and clearing. The access tracks and other parts looked like the Somme! Fortunately their work was concentrated in the brambly open areas in which I had placed only one control, mercifully unaffected. None of these changes were on the map, but all competitors had to cross through the works. Remarkably, no one complained! The map will have to be updated!

Mention must be made of one standout performance. David Roome completed the Blue course in a smidgen over 47 minutes, a full 25 minutes faster than the second placed competitor! Impressive!

Our thanks are due to Whitehough Outdoor Centre for providing such excellent facilities for us AND their free tea and coffee, though surprisingly few took up this offer.

Also thanks to our many PFO helpers: SI & Download, parking, Starts x 2, control placing and collecting, etc, etc. Thanks to Wendy Crawford-Smith for Organising and liaison officer duties.

As always thanks to all competitors for running. It was a grand day out.

RouteGadget

Is a web browser app for sharing and comparing orienteering routes. You can draw your own route or upload a GPS track from your watch. It also allows you to watch an animated replay with a simulated mass start.

Go to the Pendle Forest Routegadget now

Location Info

Near: Barley, Burnley
Lat,Lng: 53.85813,-2.25625
OS Grid Ref: SD832402
Postcode: BB12 9LF

Open an interactive map in:
GoogleMap - Streetmap (OS 50k)
OpenStreetMap - BingMap (OS 50k)

Directions / Parking

Nearest postcode BB12 9LF. Parking coordinates What3Words: ///imperious.taped.jousting

Single file roadside parking (half-on / half-off the pavement) for cars, campers, etc.
Please approach from the west (i.e. from Barley village) driving east along Barley New Road. This will minimise the space required to park everyone. If you approach from the east (Roughlee direction) please drive past all parked O-cars, turn around safely and return to park facing east.

Advance notice: The road through Roughlee village has been recently closed to traffic. It has now reopened but there are temorary traffic lights causing a few minutes delay via this approach.

Event centre: Allow 10 to 15 minutes walk (signed route) to the Whitehough Outdoor Centre, depending on where you are able to park. Take everything you need. There is an indoor safe area for personal belongings.

Far Start: Blue and Red courses only. You can save time by going direct to your start. which is near parking, provided you have your own dibber. There is a toilet 100m beyond the Far Start.

Map / Terrain

Mostly runnable woodland but with scattered scrub, thickets and fallen trees in places. Passable areas of tussock are marked with the wide green vertical pin-stripe symbol. Areas of impassable low undergrowth are marked with the narrow green pinstripe symbol. Longer courses will also visit areas of open moorland.

Aitken Wood is home to the Pendle Sculpture Trail.

Only ground based sculptures taller than 1m are marked on the map, using a special tall isosceles triangle symbol to distinguish them from more usual man-made features. Small or aerial art installations are not marked. See example photos.

Registration and Start times

Dibber collection and Download are in the Event Centre at Whitehough Outdoor Centre. Open from 12:00 noon. Toilets and gear drop here.

Starts from 13:00 till 14:00. Courses close at 16:00.

Finish is near to Downlaod.

Course Information

There are two Starts. See course list.

Near Start: Allow 3 minutes from the Event Centre. 200m.

Far Start: Total distance is 950m with 40m height gain. Allow 15/20 minutes walk from the Event Centre, back to parking then no more than 5 minutes onward to the Start.
Alternatively, if you do not need to collect a dibber and do not need to drop equipment at the Event Centre, you can proceed direct to the Far Start, a distance of 400m with 30m climb. Allow 5 minutes direct from Parking. Cubicle toilet available at the Far Start.

The map scale for all courses is 1:5000. All courses (except Yellow) will have double sided maps.

Course: (subject to final controlling)	Length:	Climb:	Start:	Notes: TD = Technical Difficulty
Blue	5.4k	230m	Far	TD5
Green	4.1k	140m	Near	TD5
Light Green	2.9k	110m	Near	TD4
Red (previously Long Orange)	4.6k	220m	Far	TD3
Orange	2.6k	100m	Near	TD3
Yellow	1.4k	55m	Near	TD2

Entry Details

Registration: ALL entries must be made through SI-Entries.
Entries close at midnight on 6th October, but entries made on or after 5th September are subject map availability and a higher entry fee - see below.
For pairs entries (or small groups), it is only necessary to register one name, pay for one entry and hire one dibber.

Dibber hire: If you do not possess a dibber** (SI-card) you must book and pay £1 when entering on-line.
Your hired dibber can be picked up at the Event Centre.
[**Note: £40 charge if dibber is lost or broken during the hire period.]

Entry fees: Adult (M/W21+) £6.00 (£8.00 from 5/10/23)
Junior £2.50 (M/W20-) (£3.50 from 5/10/23)
Dibber hire £1.00

Dog restrictions

No dogs on courses. This is sheep country.
Dogs may be exercised under control on any of the many public rrights of way in the locality. Please observe doggy etiquette.

Facilities

Indoor mens and womens toilets at the Event Centre.
There is one cubicle toilet near the Far Start.
Tea and coffee at the Event Centre.

Barley village is about 1km from parking. This is a popular start point for walking up Pendle Hill. It boasts cafes, pubs, restaurants, tea rooms and a public toilet.
There is an ample public car park, but it is no longer free. ANPR controlled. Free roadside parking is available as an alternative, if you can find a space!

Miscellaneous

For general enquiries -

BOF event: 82295

Contacts / Officials

Organiser: Wendy Crawford-Smith PFO

Planner: George Crawford-Smith PFO