.: Ski XCOttawa.ca :: Skiing in Ottawa and Gatineau Park

Ottawa Orienteering Club's Adventure Run, May 7th 2006
By:  Nevin French   (2006/04/27)

RSS
Date: Sunday, May 7th
Location: Lac Philippe, Gatineau Park
Time: Registration: 8:15 - 9:00am.
Briefing and handout of maps: 9:15am.
Mass start:10am.
Course closes: 5pm.

A detailed description of the course follows. For more detailed event information please visit: http://ottawaoc.ca/2006_adventure_Run.shtml


Ottawa Orienteering Club
2006 Spring Orienteering Adventure Run - Course Setters Notes

Hello all! Well, the 2006 spring O-AR is set, and let me tell you, this is one heck of a race course! I had 3 major objectives in mind when designing this year’s course – (i) providing variety (terrain, navigation, etc), showcasing the natural beauty in the area, and ensuring that all racers would be adequately challenged, both physically and technically. After having set the course yesterday, I can say quite unequivocally that I have met each of these objectives, and then some! You are definitely going to get your money’s worth with this one…

The course is ~17km long, with a ~3km advanced loop. There are sections that are technically easy and will be fast and furious, and sections that are technically very challenging and will require solid navigation skills. The majority of the race course is on 1:10000-1:20000 detailed orienteering maps, although there will be sections on topographic maps, aerial photographs, contours-only maps, and other non-traditional navigational ‘surprises’. In general, the forest is open and runnable, although there will some tougher slogs through thicker bush, rocky ground, and marshes (definitely prepare to get wet!), as well as some rather large technical hill climbs and descents (i.e. lots of rock and cliffs) that will require smart micro-route choice selection. In general, the course is very demanding physically – it will certainly be a good early season fitness and toughness test!

Throughout the majority of the course, both team members will navigate together; however, there will be a ‘matrix’ section that permits teammates to separate should they choose, so be prepared for this.

For those not from the Ottawa area, the scenery in the gats is really quite spectacular, and this course will highlight much of it. It’ll take you high enough to get a great view of the park, along beautiful big lakes, and over all kinds of terrain, including beautiful deciduous and coniferous forest, old farmer’s fields, beaver’s dams, lively marshes, etc. And of course wildlife abounds. While setting the course I ran into deer, porcupine, grouse, beaver, and saw traces of bear. It really is a playground out there!

All in all, the course will be challenging but fair, offers a huge amount of terrain and navigational variety, and will highlight the great natural beauty in the area. I hope you enjoy running it as much as I’ve enjoyed designing and setting it!

Happy racing!

Doug Mahoney
Course Designer and Setter

 
Interesting Reading. . .
Interested in supporting XC Ottawa or advertising on our site? Email: info@xcottawa.ca.
© Copyright 2001-2006, www.xcottawa.ca. All Rights Reserved. Contact us before re-publishing anything seen here.