YHOA Middle Distance Champs, Plumpton Rocks, 23rd Mar Results

Results here
Routegadget here
British Orienteering ranking results here
Yorkshire and Humberside Champions here
Wendy Carlyle’s photos here
Lois Parker’s photos here
Any enquries on results, please contact andrewkATclaro-orienteering.org.uk

Sadly, we have made the decision to disqualify two competitors who chose to swim across the lake.  We were aware that the rules are vague in this instance so had a specific instruction in the Safety Briefing not to swim in the lake at this event.  The maps also clearly mark the lake as uncrossable. Richard Kirk (Organiser) and Ruth Ker (Controller)

We have a few spare prizes. If you couldn’t stay for prize-giving and would like yours please get in touch (secretaryATclaro-orienteering.org.uk). SYO and AIRE took a batch so please ask around first if you are from one of those clubs.

FINAL DETAILS
ASSEMBLY: On private road north of (and accessed from) A661. Grid reference SE353542. What3words: pages.bills.repay . Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream will be in attendance.  

ENTRIES:

Entries are open via Racesignup above until midnight on Thursday 20 March. Numbers are now limited by the availability of maps, details of which are on the Racesignup page. After this time, entry on the day only, maps allowing. Please note that courses close 1 hour after the last start. If you think you might take longer than this, please ensure you start early.

Entries on the day- We have maps available on a good range of courses, so do come along!

TIMINGS:
1000 – 1200: Enquiries/Registration open
1030 – 1230: Start open
1330: Courses close
1400: Prize giving

ACCESS & PARKING
By public transport: Harrogate is accessible by train.  The Number 7 Bus runs an hourly service along the A661 on Sundays from Harrogate to Leeds via Wetherby.  Please refer to up to date timetables before travelling.  The nearest bus stop to the event, is the Plumpton Rocks access road junction with the A661. Grid ref: SE355534; w3w: stress.elder.leans.  It’s a 1.5km, 15-20 min, pleasant walk from here, via Plumpton Rocks Farmhouse.

By cycle:  As an alternative to the road access outlined above, cycle and pedestrian access to the northern end of the metalled road can be had at SE352548; w3w: visits.prefer.forum.  Proceed south from here for about 400m to Assembly, If combining bike and train, the closest station is Knaresborough (3km).

By car: Whichever direction you travel from, please approach the venue from the roundabout at the junction of the Harrogate bypass (A658) with the Wetherby Road (A661). Then go east along the A661 for about 400m. Turn left into the signed entrance (in the lay-by on the left just beyond Wingate Farm, SE349537; w3w: grin.tribune.shift). Drivers approaching from the east along the A661 MUST overshoot to the roundabout and then return to the car park. The road is very busy in both directions, and you are asked not to attempt a right turn across the east bound lane. It will only add a minute or two to your journey.

At the entrance: please comply with the officials’ instructions about parking which will be further along this road.  Detailed information about parking will be given at a later date.

FACILITIES: Portable toilets, ice-cream van.

CompassSport SHOP will be in attendance at Assembly for all your O shopping needs.

START & FINISH: There will be a single start an easy walk approx 10 minutes from Assembly.  The route will be signed. The last 100m on the way to the start will have competitors running in the opposite direction (away from the start), please give way accordingly. The finish is about 5 minutes from Assembly.  Members of the public may be present on the path to start and finish – please be courteous.

START TIMES. Please come to the start during your chosen start block between 10.30 and 12.30. These are now correctly up on RaceSignUp (apologies that they fell off for a while). We will aim to open the start at 10.15 for Claro helpers, parents requiring split starts, our older competitors and those with a specific need for an early start.

TERRAIN:  A compact area comprising mostly runnable woodland surrounding a small lake.  The woodlands features very large, high and often flat-topped rock formations riven by gullies and hollows which make for fast and exciting courses with challenging route choices.

MAP: 1:3000, 2.5m contours, surveyed and drawn by Quentin Harding, revised 2025. Printed by BML on SRA4 waterproof paper; one or two sided as listed below. Descriptions both on the map and available loose at the start. The size of control circles has been reduced for clarity (see Planner’s notes below).

COURSE DETAILS: These are straight-line distances; you will run further!

The longest courses (Short Brown, Brown & Black) will have over 30 controls. Ensure your dibber can cope with these numbers. The oldest dibbers cannot. Claro have a few newer dibbers which we can lend. Add your request for one in RaceSignUp.

Lengthy Description Sheets: Courses Short Brown, Brown and Black have a lot of controls and, unsurprisingly, long loose descriptions. If you own two description holders you could tear them in half at the TURN MAP point and have both separately. Or you could fold them at the same point and extract and turn them over. Or another creative method of your devising…

PLANNER’S COMMENTS: Plumpton is a unique and exciting area to plan in, with a high density of fun features and potential control sites- I’ve even managed to find some new ones! If you haven’t been before (or if you have and have forgotten!) the crags are huge. So until you know otherwise, assume all crags are truly uncrossable.
Due to the nature of the area we have strayed a little from the IOF standards in order for you to get the most exciting and clear courses possible.
The size of the control circles has been reduced from the standard 6.35mm to 4mm diameter. This is for clarity, so that there are fewer features in each control circle, meaning the control site is easier to identify.
Many control circles and lines have been cut. This means that control circles may not be complete circles and lines between controls may not be continuous. This is for readability. In many instances full lines and circles would obscure features and make it hard to read your maps. We have tried to make it all as clear as possible.
There will be a lot of controls out there, some of which will be very close together. In these instances the controls are on different features and levels, and this will be clear from the control descriptions. I strongly recommend you take care reading these, and checking your control codes.
Some control sites can only be accessed by one or two people at a time, owing to tight spaces. Please be careful and sensible when approaching and leaving such controls, and wait for the site to be clear if needed.

Yorkshire and Humberside MIDDLE DISTANCE CHAMPS: These championships are open to all members of YHOA affiliated open and closed clubs. If you wish to be eligible you must enter and run under your YH club. Pease ensure you enter the correct course for your class as these are not standard. If you wish to run a longer course than the one for your class, you will be automatically entered for the class nearest your own. If you want to be competitive in another class on the course you are running, you must inform the entries secretary (via entriesATclaro.orienteering.org.uk) in writing by midnight Thursday 20 March (Entries on the day will be allocated under the automatic system). You can only be eligible for one class.

If you are not participating in the YHOA championships you are welcome to choose whichever course you wish. Please note that the area has some extreme rocks and the courses are planned with the aim of being an appropriate physical challenge for each cohort. While the longest courses may look short, if you are not agile on rock, it may make sense to enter your suggested age class.

PRIZES: Prizes for the first 3 YH in M/W10-16 and YH winners of M/W18-85

DOGS:  No dogs on courses please, although they are acceptable on a lead in the car parking area and near Assembly

SAFETY AND RESPONSIBILITY:  Competitors take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety.  If travelling alone, please leave your keys at Registration. All competitors who start must report to Download even if they retire.  In the unlikely event of cancellation, details will be posted on the Claro webs ite – www.claro-orienteering.org.uk.  Information can also be obtained by phoning the Organiser.  Full leg cover mandatory. Whistles are mandatory.  Depending on the weather, cagoules may be mandatory.

RESULTS:  These will be posted on the Claro website www.claro-orienteering.org.uk.

PHOTOGRAPHY:  In accordance with current British Orienteering O-Safe Safeguarding Policy, participants should be aware that there will be no specific ban on photography (including headcams) at this event. Anyone partaking in photography should be aware of the current O-Safe policy, which is available here

Wendy Carlyle of Airienteers and Lois Parker (Planner) will be in attendance taking photographs of the action. A link to their photographs will be added to our website along with the event results.

OFFICIALS: Planner: Lois Parker; Controller: Ruth Ker; Organiser: Richard Kirk (07871 755311)