Bonaly Park

ESOC local event in Edinburgh and the Lothians

Sat 14th Jun 2014

Info updated: 18th Feb
Type of event: Local
Type of terrain: Moorland, Woodland

Results

The results are now available here. 

The results are also at winsplits

Bonaly was so busy this afternoon, it was hard to tell who was orienteering, walking (some with dogs)  going camping or coming back from it,  or just looking for a quiet afternoon’s stroll.  There were lots of cyclists too. Fortunately there is room for everyone on the hill (if not in the upper car park).  We were delighted to be joined by so many parents and children from Bonaly Primary School, and the refreshments they brought were very welcome on this hot afternoon.   It was also good to see members of several different orienteering clubs, in addition to adventurers ranging in age from two to quite old, trying it for the first time.  The Planner, Gemma, had been meticulous about her control placing for the courses of varying difficulty, and almost everyone was successful in completing their course, though the large scale map foxed a couple of first-timers.
Well done everyone: competitors, club members who willingly wore the “Ask me for Help” vests at the Front of House and others who implemented  the technical necessities for slick Entries and Results.   It was  a good afternoon’s experience for everyone.  Hope to see lots of you at our next event on Blackford Hill on 19th July.

Janet Clark    Organiser     0131 225 7771   

General Information

Dress: Check the weather forecast and dress appropriately.  The weather in June could be anything from very cool to very hot.  Hopefully it will be warm and sunny.

Terrain:  Mostly exposed open hillside but there is also a runnable wooded area and some paths. 

Other Users: Bonaly is very well used by the general public including dog walkers, bikers and horse riders as well as hikers and walkers.  

Dogs: Dogs should be on a lead at all times. Although you will probably encounter dog walkers while running on your course, we do not have permission for dogs to be out with competitors while running on their course.  

Location

Nearest town: Edinburgh

• Grid Ref: NT212676
• Postcode: EH13 0PB
• Latitude: 55.89689
• Longitude: -3.26027
• Google Map (aerial) - Bing Map (OS)

Directions

Head for the Bonaly upper car park which is beyond the Scout Centre. Event will be signed from Bonaly Road in Colinton.

You can reach pretty close to the event by public transport.  Check Lothian Buses for routes and timetables.  Service 10 is closest with some (Bonaly) terminating within a short walk of the event and others passing within reasonable walking distance to the alternative terminus (Torphin).  Try to choose a number 10 which is headed to 'Bonaly' rather than 'Torphin' to be sure of getting closest to the event. 

Registration & Start Times

REGISTRATION: close to car park and open from 2pm to 3pm. It is not necessary - or possible – to pre-enter for this event.  Everyone is very welcome, just to turn up.  Please try to come early if you think you might take a long time over your course.

START AND FINISH will be only a short walk from the car park. Start times will be from 2pm to 3pm.

COURSES CLOSE at 4pm and controls will be brought in from that time, so it is essential that you report to the Finish by 4pm, even if you have not completed your course.  

Course Information

There will be White, Yellow and Orange courses and a course for more experienced orienteers.  Bonaly is an area suitable for orienteering at all skill levels. 

Explanation of colour courses

• White are very easy with all controls on paths. They are mainly used by 6-10 year olds and family groups.
• Yellow use simple linear features like paths, walls and streams. They are mainly used by under 12’s and family groups.
• Orange progress to basic use of the compass and route choice. They are ideal for novice adults or experienced youngsters.
• Light Green are ideal for improvers as the navigational difficulty begins to increase and uses simple contours and point features.
• Green are used mostly by experienced under 18’s and adults wanting a short but challenging course with a very hard navigational difficulty.
• Blue are a longer, more physically demanding course in comparison to the green. The distances are more varied between controls and the course attracts experienced orienteers.
• Brown & Black are very physically demanding and have a very hard navigational difficulty. They are for experienced orienteers only.
• Score means visiting as many controls as possible in any order in a specific time, like 45mins.

Entry Details

Seniors (born 1993 or earlier)
British Orienteering members - £3
Non-members - £5

Juniors (born 1994 or later)
British Orienteering members - £2
Non-members - £2.50

Students
British Orienteering members - £2
Non-members - £2.50

Groups (Adults + children)
British Orienteering members - £4
Non- members - £5

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.

Contacts / Officials

Organiser: Janet Clark

Email:

Phone: 0131 225 7771

Safety and Risk

A comprehensive risk assessment will have been carried out by the organiser, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.

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