KEY POINTS

●        Parking is off-road in a field. The entrance is narrow so traffic will be restricted to one direction at a time (in or out). Please arrive before 12:15 and aim to leave after that time to avoid holding up other traffic. At all times, please obey the volunteers directing traffic. 

●        The R736 can be busy, so the crossings for pedestrians will be supervised.

●        The start for all courses will be across the road from the parking/assembly area. It is about 600m from the parking area entrance.

●        The finish for most competitors will be about 500m from the parking  area.

●        The Junior finish (M/W10 & M/W12), which will also cover the Yellow and Orange EOD courses, will be about a 300m walk back to the parking area.

●        There will be a refreshment truck in the assembly field operated by Last Lap Cafe.

○        Barista coffees (cappuccino, latte, flat white, etc.)

○        Tea, hot chocolate & herbal teas

○        Mix of wraps & sandwiches

○        Crepes (with various toppings)

○        Chocolate bars and snacks

●        Members of the general public will be using the forest for recreation; please take care and be courteous.

Terrain

The Devil’s Glen boasts a dramatic landscape that was fashioned at the end of the Ice Age when the melt waters of the ice sheet created the valley. The resultant gorge affords a swift descent for the Vartry River as it makes its way from the Vartry Reservoir to nearby Ashford village. The site hosts a mixture of broad leaf and conifer forest with fine stands of beech, Spanish chestnut & ash. 

Prior to the construction of the Vartry Reservoir (1860s) the roar from the waterfall was much greater than it is today. Its echo through the gorge sounded as a “Satanic power announcing some great doom” and gave the Glen its name.

Devil’s Glen is a white forest with patches of green and light green. It has a system of paths and tracks running through it. Runnability is mostly reasonable underfoot. It varies from flatter in the west to steeper in the east. The steeper, eastern section does have considerable contour and rock detail; only the longer courses will visit this area. Depending on weather there can/will be steep muddy sections, so grippy shoes are recommended.

Mapping Notes

Road Crossing (Course 1 only):

Course 1 crosses two roads.

The first road crossed has a low but significant volume of traffic, and here there will be a 'timed-out' control to allow for safe crossing. This is an easy 150m leg that will be taken off competitors’ final times, up to a maximum of 90 seconds. Competitors will re-cross the road doing the same leg in the reverse, with the same time-out rule applying.

The second of these roads is very quiet and is crossable at any point, although competitors should take care while crossing it.

Map Flip (Course 1 and 2):

Competitors on Courses 1 and 2 will receive a double-sided map, with about 50% of the course on each side. After reaching the final control on the first side (and punching the control!), flip the map over and continue the course. On-map control descriptions are printed on the matching side.

Water Stop:

Some of the longer courses will have the opportunity to run past a water station. It will be on a forest road rather than at a control and will be marked on the map.

Adjustment to Courses and Maps:

All competitors should check the course that their age class has been allocated. It is fantastic to see so many competing this year in the IOC. However, to prevent congestion on some courses, we have re-allocated classes and split some courses to ensure a more even spread of competitors per course. This will not have a significant impact on the length of course that any competitor will be running BUT please check the course that your age class has been allocated. It is your responsibility to pick up the correct map.

Directions and traffic information

Parking for cars will be in a field close to the event area. The entrance to the parking field is narrow, so traffic will have to be restricted to one direction (in or out) at a time. Therefore, to avoid congestion, please arrive before 12:15 and leave after that time. The narrow entrance also makes it unsuitable for buses, so bus passengers will have to be dropped off and the bus parked elsewhere. There will be signs directing traffic along the R736 from the nearest main junctions.

Enquiries & Registration

Enquiries and Registration will open at 09:30. It will be in the same field as car parking. Only elite competitors need to wear a bib which can be collected at Registration. If you will be using a different SI card to the one you registered, you will need to inform Registration.

Punching

SportIdent SIAC Air+ touch-free punching will be used.  It is the competitors responsibility to ensure they register at their correct controls.

Spectators

There will be no dedicated spectator section. Spectators (finished or not competing) may enter the forest, but should not congregate around control sites and not help competitors in any way. No entry to the competition terrain via the finish route.

Map

Maps for courses 1 and 2 (M21E, M18E, M20E, W21E) will be at a scale of 1:15000 and printed on two sides.  Maps for all other courses will be at a scale of 1:10000. All maps will have a contour interval of 5m. Maps will be printed on high quality waterproof Antius paper. Size SRA4(24cm x 33 cm)

Results and Prizes

Results will be displayed and updated periodically. Mobile data coverage may be poor. Prize giving will be in Lynham’s Hotel in Laragh on Sunday at 19.00.

Clothing

It is a forest so full cover is recommended. The courses finish quite close to the start, so additional clothing left at the start can be collected from the start afterwards.

Dogs

Dogs are permitted in the parking area on a lead, and owners must clean up after them.

Toilets

Toilets are available in the assembly area only, not near the start.

Course 1 has two road crossings. For safety, the time it takes to traverse that section will be excluded from the recorded time, up to a maximum of 90 seconds each way.

Water will be provided on courses with an expected winning time of around an hour or more, and afterwards for all courses.

First Aid

There will be a crewed first aid station in the assembly area.