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| Nick and a leg of lamb |
One tends to watch the temperature gauge as one heads up the mountains. The recently checked weather forecast was looking pretty correct as the numbers on the gauge kept falling. Cocooned in the snugly warm Subaru did not prepare you for the arctic blast as you opened the door in a very exposed paddock at Kahlis Rocks.
The organisers, local to the mountains figured this was one way to nobble the competitors. Park, assemble and walk to the start in what on any other day would have been a beautifully open paddock. Fortunately once you swung into the forest the winds were not as fierce and the body had warmed to the task. Well that was until you hit the last 2 controls back in that #$%$# open paddock!
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| Lawrence - Just where did I lose 8 seconds |
Kahlis Rocks was day 1 of the NSW Champs Double Header.
NSW MIDDLE CHAMPS
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| Maggie all smiles! |
The Rocks can be the most unforgiven maps with slopes peppered with boulders. Course Planner Jean Baldwin was very cunning with the first few legs of most courses in a mix of clearing boulder clumps and light forest. Talk about build confidence - increase pace and forgetting a simple principle " orienteer as a speed that you can read the map staying in contact as you go" After this gentle initiation into map we then plunged headlong into the northern slopes. Whilst not that steep they are littered with what appears to be an explosion of boulders, bare rock and gullies. Lose contact and perish.
Jared McKenna, M12A, Sophie Jones, W10A and Georgia Jones, W14A all came home leading the pack in 1st place. Not far off the place in 2nd we had Dave Mckenna , M35AS, Ian Jones M45A, Brian Cleland, M75A, Gayle Shepherd, W35AS and Maureen Ogilvie W70A. Jane McKenna running W40A was our only 3rd place getter.
And so it was we then headed off to the warm comfort of our overnight accommodation to warm our bones ready for Sunday.
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| Ron - a badge at last! |
NSW LONG CHAMPS
The morning brought with it clear skies and little wind. Ah the hallmarks of a perfect day in the Central Highlands. Gumble Forest, west of Molong and Orange is a very tricky area. Granite terrain can be very complex and this is a great example of that.Bennelong's Robert Bradley set courses that made you work hard with a cunning mix of shorter and longer legs.
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| Sophie |
Unfortunately Georgia was unwell and unable to run however she spent the event behind a camera. I am looking forward to seeing the results of her work!
So now the orienteering tragics are off to Tasmania for the Australian Champs. Lawrence and Georgia will be representing NSW as part of the Schools Team. Good luck to you both.
