Parking

There is limited parking on the grounds of the Foy Centre and also in the adjacent school. Please follow the instructions of the marshals. When these spaces are fully occupied then parking is available on Dundalk Street but please take care not to block residents’ access

Information Desk

Competitors hiring SI cards, paying late fees or entering on the day can do so by going to the Information Desk inside the Foy Centre. Those competitors who paid late entry fees due to a system error can also collect a refund here

Dogs

Please note that our continued use of this beautiful area is entirely reliant on the continued goodwill of the local farming community who keep sheep on the slopes of Carlingford Mountain. Therefore, dogs will only be allowed in the fields adjacent to the Event Centre, on a lead and under control. They will not be allowed onto the competition area and competitors will not be allowed to start if they have a dog with them.

 Please ensure that you clean up after your dog

Starts

There will be 2 separate starts, one for Seniors (Courses 1-11) which is 1.6 km and 215m climb from the Event Centre and one for Juniors (Courses 12 & 14) which is on the way to the Senior start. Competitors are advised to allow at least 40 minutes for the walk to the Start. The route follows the Tain Way which goes along narrow roads and care should be taken, both with passing cars and with narrow paths where overtaking slower walkers may be difficult.

Allow plenty of time to reach the starts.

There will be two start lanes:

1.       Championship courses

2.       Colour coded courses

The start lanes will be staged as follows:- 

After the start time you must dip your SI card in the Start box before proceeding to pick up your map. Please check to make sure that you pick up the correct course. A start flag located beyond the map boxes will represent the start triangle on the map.

Finish

You must make sure that you dip your SI card in the Finish box at the finish. The Finish is approximately 20 minutes walk to the Event Centre and retraces much of the route to the Start. Please ensure you return to the Event Centre to download so that a missing person alarm is not raised. Also, make sure to collect your belongings from the clothing transfer. Please also remember to return any hired SI cards

Clothing dump

There will be a clothing dump available on the way to the starts and competitors can reclaim their belongings after they finish. Water will be provided at the finish for emergency purposes only so please pack a drink for when you finish if you wish to do so.

First-aid

An ambulance will be parked on a lay-by near the finish with trained officials on standby. This service is being provided by The St. John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland. There will also be a first-aid kit at the finish with water for emergency purposes

Sample Maps

Copies of the map of this area will be displayed at the start. Previous versions can be viewed here

Control descriptions

Control Descriptions will be on the map. IOF descriptions will be provided for courses 1 – 11 (inclusive), with text descriptions for courses 12 & 14 and for the Yellow, Orange and Light Green courses. Control descriptions for all courses including the colour coded courses will also be issued to competitors in the -3 box at the start (these will be on waterproof paper).

SI card collection

Competitors who entered without their own SI card can collect their allocated card at the Information Desk.

Toilets/Showers

There are toilet and shower facilities available at the event centre. Please do not wear spiked or mucky shoes into the Event Centre

Entry on the Day

The following colour-coded courses will be available on the day:

• Yellow
• Orange
• Light Green

Competitors can register for these courses at the Information Desk but please note there are a limited number of maps and start times will be from 11.45 – 13.00. The Yellow and Orange courses will have the same Start as for the Junior course while the Light Green will be at the Senior Start. Maps, control descriptions and start times will be issued at the start.

Terrain

Carlingford Mountain is a fast running open mountain with stunning views over Carlingford Lough and the Mourne Mountains. The terrain is steep in parts with multiple natural terraces and intricate rock and contour detail. On the map, crags are defined in several ways with tagged crags representing vertical rock and those with a thicker upper line representing uncrossable crags. Crags that form part of the slope and are significant, are represented by a single black line. In wet weather the rock is extremely slippery and some slopes have a thin covering of vegetation that adds to the slipperiness. Boulders have been mapped relative to the size of other boulders in the immediate area.

The area is marshy in places with the extent of the marshes depending on the recent rainfall. Only significant marshes are mapped. Uncrossable marshes are as they say and should be avoided by competitors. Many seasonal watercourses are on the terrain with only the more significant being mapped. Competitors will encounter flattened bracken on the way to the start, and in the area of the penultimate controls.

The upper parts of the mountain are frequently covered with fog.

Safety statement

Competitors’ attention is drawn to the following:

• Competitors are reminded that orienteering is an adventure sport and that they are responsible for their own safety when taking part in this event.
• In view of the exposed nature of the terrain, a policy of NO WHISTLE NO GO will be strictly enforced. Whistles will be on sale at the Map Masters stand in the Event Centre.
• Please note that the Country Code must be observed at all times and competitors must report to the finish even if they do not complete the course
• Please also ensure to download your SI card at the Event Centre regardless of whether you have completed the course or not
• A decision on rain jackets (cagoules) will be taken on the morning of the event based on the expected weather. A notice as to whether cagoules have to be carried will be posted at the Event Centre on the way to the start. The policy will be strictly enforced by the start team, and competitors will be disqualified if they do not have their cagoule at the finish.

Map

The map that covers the complete competition area was first produced by East West Mapping in 1992 and is available in a reduced size here (1Mb). It was revised in 2006 with minor corrections in 2008. Only the more prominent (over 1m) rock features are marked on the map. The crag symbol with tags indicates vertical crags. The crag symbol without tags indicates crags that form part of the slope but are still significant rock features.

A feature of the area are "booleys" that are manmade, usually circular, walled enclosures. Originally used to hold sheep but are now mostly in a ruined state with some of the walls fallen. They are represented on the map by an outline black square and the control description will be shown as X (special item).

The map is printed on waterproof paper and will be A4 size for all classes. Courses 1-3 will have 1:15,000 scale, courses 4-11 will use 1:10,000 scale and courses 12 and 14 will use 1:7,500 scale. All maps have 5 metre contour interval.

Out of Bounds Areas

Competitors should avoid crossing any farmland

Starts and Courses Close

Start times for championship courses are from 11.30 to 13.30 for Courses 1-11 and from 11.45 to 13.00 for Courses 12 & 14. All championship courses will close at 15.30 while EOD courses will close at 15.00

Orienteering shop

Control Sites and Punching

The event is using the SportIdent punching and timing system. Control flags, electronic SI units, code numbers and manual back-up punches will all be carried on plastic stakes. The code numbers will be displayed horizontally on the SI units. To ensure that you have recorded your presence at a control please listen for the beep or observe the flashing light on the SI unit as you dip your SI card in the box. If the SI unit appears not to be working then use the manual punch to punch a clear part of the edge of the map.

It is essential that you use the Clear and Check stations which will be provided at the start before going into the start lanes.

Note that immediately after the start line it is essential that you dip your SI card in the Start box to record your start time before picking up your map. Similarly your finish time will be recorded when you dip the finish box.

Refreshment Points

Refreshment points will not be provided out on the courses. Competitors should bring their own drinks which can be left at the clothing dump. Competitors on the longest courses should consider bringing drinks on the courses with them.

Prizegiving

It is intended that the prizegiving will be held at 16.00 at the Event Centre. If you cannot attend the prize-giving please ask someone else to pick up your prize for you.

Event Officials

This event is being organised by Three Rock Orienteering Club (3ROC). The key event officials are as follows:

Planner:               Trina Cleary
Controller:          Harold White (LVO)
Organiser:           Eoin Dunne
Entries:                 John McCullough

SportIdent:         Brian Hollinshead

Prizes:                   Lindie Naughton