Blackborough and Newcombe Commons
SWOL
Sun 10 Oct
Near: Dunkeswell Level of event: RegionalType of event: Race
Plot your course and compare with others on RouteGadget and discuss your run on our chatsite.
From the planner’s perspective…
This event was originally planned nearly 3 years ago and was subsequently postponed due to the pandemic. When we finally received permissions from all landowners a couple months ago to reschedule it I visited with an old all controls map to see how things were and if anything had changed in the intervening 2.5 years- Back then the whole western and northern scarp edges had been recently felled and thoroughly cleared leaving multitudes of accessible sites and access. I was devastated to see the amount of grow back coupled with summer undergrowth and had to accept a major replan was required with only a small time window to do it- it helped that I had also drawn the Ocad map based on Bill’s original so could resurvey and map myself to save some time
What you all “enjoyed” on the day was nothing compared to how it was before Matt and I attacked it with large sticks and shears, recreating paths through grot as best we could- our apologies if your chosen route into the earlier controls left you flailing in dense undergrowth- it was a lottery in places and we couldn’t predict everyone’s route choice.
Things did improve as you got into your courses and some parts were in good condition, particularly N of the road and provide decent navigation and route choice selection. Some decent times were achieved, others struggled, but everyone’s ( organisation and competitors alike) days were improved by the glorious weather.
South West League Series Info
Every year, each of the nine clubs in the South West region host a regional league event, sometimes called 'Galoppens'. These events offer the same range of colour coded courses as our QOFL series but there is also a Brown (extra long) course. There is still a White course but it is not part of any league. The series starts in the Autumn and continues at approximately one or two events per month until the spring.
Directions / Parking
Event will be signed from A373 east of Cullompton (M5 junction 28) close to Keepers Cottage Inn. Parking is in a flat well-drained field within the campsite area, drive slowly and follow directions from parking officials.
Course Information
| Course | Distance / km | Climb / m |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | 7.6 | 145 |
| Blue | 5.8 | 120 |
| Green | 4.5 | 85 |
| Short Green | 3.1 | 15 |
| Light Green | 3.2 | 45 |
| Orange | 2.3 | 30 |
| Yellow | 2.0 | 10 |
| White | 1.5 | 10 |
Sportident punching will be used- SIAC contact-less mode will be enabled. All competitors must however manually punch the start and finish controls.
All courses at 1:7500 scale. White to light green on A4, all others on A3
A self print at home loose control descriptions sheet (one copy of each course on a single A4 sheet) is available here. There will be none provided at the event in order to avoid unnecessary handling
Blackborough is a flat topped plateau with steep scarp sides. There is much contour detail, the legacy of the historical surface and underground mining. This has resulted in many pits, depressions and gullies. Only the larger features are mapped- smaller ones too close together to map reliably are shown with the uneven ground symbol (known in mining parlance as gruffy ground) Vegetation is a mixture of natural deciduous and planted coniferous forest, some of which is now slowly reclaiming these features. Undergrowth has been prolific this summer but courses have been (re)planned to avoid the worst of this. There are many paths and tracks for junior courses.
Note that due to the proximity of the camp-site, hide-like features are constructed and subsequently abandoned with regular monotony. Some are mapped, others not, and some on the map may no longer be extant on the ground so should not be relied on as navigational markers!
Entry Details
| Class | Fee |
|---|---|
| Senior | £10 |
| Senior Novice | £4 |
| Junior | £4 |
| Group | £12 |
- Junior - anyone 21 years or younger at the time of the event, regardless of the course they are running.
- Senior novice - an adult running White or Yellow.
- Group - all going round a course together, two maps provided.
An SI dibber can be hired for £1. Failure to return it will incur the cost of a replacement (£30).
A SIAC dibber can be hired for £2.50. Failure to return it will incur the cost of a replacement (£65).
If you are a helper at this event, please contact the organiser for the discount code.
Please note that there is no entry on the day at this event.
Entries now closed.
Registration & Start Times
Enquiries, download and First Aid will be from white campervan. Start and Finish are close by. As the actual start area is quite limited, Clear, Check and SIAC battery test boxes will be at the exit gate from the parking field. Hired SI cards will also be here for collection.
Starts open: 10:30hrs
Starts close: 12:30hrs
Courses close: 15:00hrs
You will be asked to sign up for a 15-minute start window when you enter. Turn up anytime during that window.
If you are a helper at this event and need an early start time there is a special Helpers slot 1000-1030 that you can select on entry.
Dog restrictions
Welcome on leads in the event centre and on courses. Please clean up after your dog.
Other Info:
Pasties will be available by contacting the organiser below- email in advance please (latest orders 07/10 please). Fillings available as follows: roasted vegetable, cheese/onion, chicken/chorizo and traditional - all at £2.00, sausage rolls at £1.30- pay on collection.
Rosie at : wychrosemary@gmail.com
Contacts / Officials
Planner: Andy Rimes
Controller: Matt Atkins
Organiser: Rosie Wych
