Staple Ridge and Castle Neroche Galoppen Results - Controllers Comments:

The Blackdown Hills are well known for their steep hillsides, large marshy areas and undergrowth.  Staple Ridge and Castle Neroche are not exempt from these conditions, add in the Forestry Commissions thinning work on Neroche and the addition of Cattle to the Staple Common area and the terrain becomes even tougher.  The grazing of the cattle is designed to open up much of the open areas to more plants and butterflies, but the addition of barbed wire fences to control the cattle puts many obstacles in the way of the orienteering.  Will did his best to spare you from the worst parts and designed his courses to visit some of the better areas, encouraging you to keep thinking and in touch with the map.  With the uncertainty over the work in Castle Neroche areas it limited the start and finish areas for the main courses which restricted the courses that could visit some of the terrain to the west of the map.  We hope that most of you will on reflection, feel that you enjoyed your visit to a technical area.

Quantock Orienteers are one of the smaller clubs in the area, and they worked hard to produce a smooth running event.  It was their first large event with their new SI equipment and it worked well.  One thing that is needed are numbers on the stakes as well as the boxes, perhaps they could produce some cardboard ones printed on both sides and laminated, then tied to the stake.  It would make both the planner’s and the controller’s jobs easier under pressure.

Susan and Roger Hateley, Devon