The ACT Classic Series continues this Sunday 21 July on a brand new map of Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. This will be the eighth round of the 2019 ACT League. A full range of courses suitable for all abilities will be available. The event details are available here.
Nathan Guinness (course setter) & Phil Walker (controller) offer the following observations in the hope they may help you to enjoy the event as much as possible!
Welcome to the very first event on the new Tidbinbilla map.
The area used for this event has a great mix of open flat ground, hillsides with steep gullies, varied vegetation, a Goldilocks amount of rock, a strong trail network and a few picnic areas along the river. Most courses visit all these features to varying extent and there is only a lot of climb if you insist on doing it all.
The vegetation has been enthusiastically and accurately mapped, which suits this area well. It is possible to navigate very effectively by reference to the dark and mid- green vegetation mapping. The light green can be less obvious and may not seem much different to white, until you try to move through it quickly.
The dark green is almost exclusively blackberry thicket (mostly dead) and impenetrable.
Vegetation mapped as mid-green is thick and generally the unyielding spiky stuff found in parts of most bush maps around Canberra. Route choices that attempt to save distance by pushing through this stuff are likely to be unrewarding.
The best river crossings are marked on the map and generally correspond with tracks. Other crossings are possible, but are not good enough to be universally recommended and due to thick, spiky vegetation are not likely to reward the effort.
Isolated blackberry strands can be encountered across most of the competition area, though most commonly in creeks and gullies. While readily avoided if seen, as most of it is dead it does not stand out well from tufts of grass or dry brush. Full leg cover and a good lookout are recommended.
Orienteer in the morning, make use of Tidbinbilla’s wonderful picnic areas for lunch, visit the new young koala, then if time permits in the afternoon drop into Tidbinbilla Tracking Station to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
TNR have very kindly waived the entry fee for orienteers, but we will be collecting gold coin donations at the parking area.
Important course and entry information is on the OACT Event Webpage.
