What’s involved:

* Premarked maps (Scale 1:15,000) will be supplied giving a set number of control points to be visited in a prescribed order.
* Control points will be marked by highly visible orange and white “kites”
* At each control point the competitor will need to punch a control card that is fixed to their bike by cable tie at the start.
* Route choice between controls is up to competitor but must follow any of the marked tracks and paths – Hike a bike or dropping your bike not permitted or likely to be of advantage

Competition Format

* Winner is competitor with quickest time to visit and punch control card at all controls and return to the finish area.
* Missing any one control punch will result in disqualification.
* Long and Short Courses are available. The estimated winning times are 60 -70 mins and 45 -50 mins respectively
* The navigation and terrain will be suitable for anyone with basic mountain bike riding and navigation skills so beginners/those new to the sport welcome!

It’ll be a staggered start with the first competitors kicking off at 1pm, last start is 2 o’ clock. For information contact Paul Mahon Email: paul.mahon@ireland.com, Phone Number: 086-3503994. Leave a comment if you want more directions. I’m gonna give it a go myself, will hopefully see you there!

-Aisling-

DUBLIN, IRELAND(Geared Up Blog) - I saw a working model of the Ultra back in November and is every bit as impressive as it looks. Pretty expensive although! I’ve found a site where you can pre-order it for $499. The Ultra Belt won the Electronics section award at this years ISPO awards. The Torch has 3 light settings - economy, optimum and maximum. Below is the battery life in each setting and the distance of light given out for the Ultra. The torch comes in 2 different forms. Obviously enough with either the Battery pack attached on the torch strap at the back of your head or in a belt form for those cold long winter nights. Check out the website here. There is a lot of useful information on there and also some testimonies from people who have been using the product under different conditions and in different sports.

Economy: 40m - 16hr 45mins
Optimum: 80m - 4hr 45mins
Maximum: 120m - 1hr 30mins

With the Ultra belt you can use either the standard ACCU 2 Ultra battery or use the ACCU 4 Ultra battery which doubles your burn time.

Economy: 40m - 34hr
Optimum: 80m - 9hr 30mins
Maximum: 120m - 3hr 15mins

The ULTRA headlamp line is designed for extreme activities requiring both long distance and wide-angle lighting at the same time; which are essential for anticipating obstacles and complefreedom of movement during activities such as orienteering races, treks, running, etc. With a maximum brightness of 350 lumens, these lamps have an exceptional weight-topower ratio. The innovative and modular design of the ULTRA BELT and ULTRA headlamps allows them to be easily and quickly be adapted to any situation; by increasing the battery life or changing the way the headlamp is worn, for example.

-Eoinod-

The events are open to those who are Setanta members or members of the public/hill runners who wish to join an orienteering club and learn the basics and some of the more technical aspects of navigating.
The series will consist of a basic intro evening, followed by two more
progressive and technical evenings.
Setanta members will be on hand to offer personal assistance those taking part as required.
It is an ideal chance to learn about this “Cunning Running” sport and perhaps get more out of your hill run training in the future with confident navigation of new areas and participation in some of the Orienteering Events which take place on most Sundays in Autumn/ Winter / Spring.
Membership costs €15 (Valid for Spring / Summer 2008 if taken out now) and the training is free to Members.

Members will meet after for a drink afterwards in a local.
More details from terrylawless@gmail.com

So here’s the dates:
Event 1: Weds 29th Aug, 7:30 pm. Kindlestown Wood, Delgany. Co Wicklow.
Signposted from Kilmacanogue N11.
Event 2: Weds 5th Sept, 7:30 Djouce Woods. Co Wicklow. signposted from
Kilmacanogue N11.
Event 3: Masseys Woods/Hellfire Club Weds, 12th Sept. 7.30pm.

-Aisling-

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Geared Up Blog) - Just arrived into Great Outdoors today. Gonna grab a packet and use them after a long run on Tuesday. They are the first electrolyte replacement drink i have ever seen in Ireland. Does anyone else know of any other ones?

Imagine being out on a long run or ride, or being in the gym. rather than settle for water or buy a sugary drink from a convenience store, you just fill up your water bottle and drop in a couple of nuun tabs. by the time you’ve tied your laces or put on your pack, you’ve got a complex electrolyte drink that recharges your salts, but is refreshing and more efficiently absorbed than water alone or most sports drinks on the market.

-Eoin

If you’re taking part in tomorrows Rogaine then don’t despair, the forecast isn’t half bad.

Tomorrow will bring a mixture of bright or sunny intervals and scattered showers to all parts of the country. Moderate, northwest winds will prevail and it will be fresher, with highest temperatures ranging 14 to 17 degrees.

From Setanta’s website an explanation of Rogaining:

Rogaining is a sport of long distance navigation on foot for teams of two or more over a twenty four hour period. The object of the sport is to score points by finding checkpoints located within a specially mapped area within the allowed time period. As checkpoints can be visited in any order, strategy and teamwork are important features of the sport as well as endurance, stamina and navigational skills, with night navigation a key element. The team members must stay together at all times.

Best of luck to everyone giving either the 6 hour or 24 hour event a blast. I’d imagine you’ll need to bring along every pair of socks you possess!

-Aisling-

The Labour Party recently published draft legislation which, if passed, could give hillwalkers and other outdoor enthusiasts access to all land in the Republic of Ireland that is 150m above sea level that is not being actively farmed and is not a private garden. The legislation would also indemnify the owners of such land against injury or accidents on their land. No payment will be given to landowners if their land is deemed ‘access land’.

Just though these photos might interest the people who haven’t been able to make it into town since the new shop opened. I know I haven’t had the chance to visit it yet! I think it looks pretty nice inside. Not too cramped it looks like which is defo a good thing.

From TNF’s website:

Thursday, November 2nd: The North Face® to open first retail store in Ireland on Temple Lane South, Dublin. The opening marks the Company’s twenty-fifth retail store in Europe.

Topher Gaylord, President Outdoor International, comprising The North Face® and JanSport®, states, “Together with our retail partner, Great Outdoors, and architectural design team, Brombini & Saccardo, we’ve been able to create the optimal environment to showcase the complete range of The North Face® products.” Gerry Collins, Director of Great Outdoors, added, “This is a fantastic opportunity for us and The North Face. The dual technical and lifestyle appeal of The North Face brand means that we can look forward to working with our existing consumers, as well as work towards attracting new Dublin consumers, too.”

The 124 sqm retail store will be located on Temple Lane South, in the heart of Dublin’s shopping and dining district. The store’s conception and layout were designed exclusively for The North Face® brand by Italian design firm Brombini & Saccardo. Using the latest in retail technology, The North Face® store is designed to be both sophisticated and inviting. Its warm wood features are balanced by its stainless steal and acrylic panels, and are complimented by natural light let in through a light well in the store’s rooftop.

Among the exclusive design features, customers will find product highlights combining the lightest materials and latest technologies, such as Polartec® Power Shield® and Gore DryLoft® technology in outerwear, HyVent™ materials in Prodigy, X-Static® textile fibres in Tekware®, BOA® lacing system in footwear, and E-VAP™ technology in backpacks.

Nike PowerBlast have taken the lead with Les Arcs Quechua in hot pursuit. I wonder will it end up the same 1/2 as last year but in a different order??

NIKE/POWERBLAST (USA) was the first team to complete this fairly rapid 48km section with “only” 872m of elevation gain, however it was all at the same place. The beginning of this section must have seemed like a wall to the teams and they probably suffered immediate eyestrain the moment they spotted the 20% slope. After they had scaled this particular pleasure it was then in their interest to keep a good line on the dusty tracks leading to the Mont Valins National Park.

On this track known as the “Bras de l’enfer” (Hell’s turning), the raiders jousted with the enormous trucks that, laden with lumber, thunder down the roads raising great clouds of dust for literally hundreds of metres. At the end of this section, WILSA SPORT/HELLY HANSEN (FRA) explained their concluding gambit; to sleep this evening at the end of the trail leg, purge their last remaining hours of rest, complete section Q (MTB-122Km) during the daytime and go all the way to the finishing line without stopping.

WILSA SPORT/HELLY HANSEN (FRA), LES ARCS-QUECHUA (FRA), SPORT 2000 LAFUMA (FRA), GOLITE-TIMBERLAND (NZL), NIKE/POWERBLAST (USA) and SPYDER (USA) all pulled off a serious coup in arriving at Clermont before the cut-off at 19h00, overcoming the raging torrent of the River Malebaie on the 43km canoeing leg.

WILSA SPORT/HELLY HANSEN (FRA) who, despite the low water level, managed a much faster time than any other team achieved the most pulchritudinous paddle. “The course was pretty technical. We had to concentrate on avoiding the rocks, keeping to the best trajectory and staying vigilant,” the French team observed.

SAAB SALOMON (GBR), SALOMON CRESTED BUTTE (USA), ADIDAS NATVENTURE (GER) were the main losers in the race against the clock on this water leg, as they will now have to spend the night on the banks of the River Malebaie. A fairly uncomfortable night awaits them on the damp meadows bordering the river. Certain teams even took wooden logs with them in their canoes in anticipation of lighting a fire ton warm them through the cold, dark bivouac.

Nicolas Simonin and Seamus O’Boyle are both competing for Ireland today in the Long race. Nicolas Simonin, Seamus O’Boyle and Patrick Higgins took part in the sprint race yesterday placing 126th, 128th and 133rd respectively. Disappointing to see no female competitors racing for Ireland in either the sprint or long course at the Junior World Orienteering Championships.

In the sweltering heat today saw the first race in this years Junior World Orienteering Championships. For the first time ever, the competition included a sprint race which was held mid afternoon in the Lithuanian town of Druskininkai. For the girls this was 2.5km, and 3.1km for the guys (in a straight line but obviously the optiumum route is further) around the town centre and urban forest and parkland. First up were the girls, and the race went to form as the very promising young Norwegian, Ingunn Weltzien topok the title. After taking 6th place in the senior European Championships earlier this year, she was a hot favourite before the race. Second place, and only 3 seconds behind, was the Australian Hanny Allston (6th in senior World Championships classic distance last year). Third place went to Sweden and Eva Svensson.

The men’s race was even closer, with 28 men inside 1 minute. The first 2 places went to Sweden and Mikael Kristensson and Patrik Karlsson, and Ruslan Glebov of Ukraine taking the bronze.