2001 ACT Championships
"The Totally Gorgeous Rogaine" 2001 ACT Championships 8/24hr events, Timberlight - near Oallen Ford - 5-6 May 2001
Course Setter: David Baldwin
Other setting/vetting help: Julie Quinn, David Singleton, Adrian Sheppard
Admin: Pre-event - Judy Jenkinson
On the Day - David Singleton, Alan Daley, Megan Hewett
Helpers: Jack Palmer, Pam Christensen, Richard Stone, Geoff Mercer, Adrian Sheppard
Catering: Aranda Scouts
HH Site: Thanks to the Knights for an excellent HH site and all their help before and during the event (keys, hole digging, printer cables,...)
Weather: Rain at the start then fine. A glorious night.
2001 ACT CHAMPS - FROM TOTALLY LOST TO “TOTALLY GORGEOUS”
The weather was looking uncertain on the Saturday morning of the ACT Champs. It was fairly cold, overcast and there was the odd sprinkle of rain. I arrived in the bus from Canberra to find my rogaining partner, Adrian Smith cooking a lovely pile of porridge for the band of UNSW Bushwalking and Mountaineering Club members hiding in their huge “party tent”.
The rain got heavier as it got closer to 12 o’clock, but our spirits remained high as the organisers had promised a lot, having called this the “totally gorgeous rogaine”. Finally we were off and running, or walking very fast, off up the road towards the infamous control 41. We left the road just after jumping over a gate but it became obvious that in this area of vague topography it wouldn’t be easy to find. After about 10 min we gave up. We found out later that the control had been hung in the wrong spot! To be honest I am not sure if we would have found it even if it were in the right spot!
We continued up the road and collected control 40. From here the rogaine was “totally gorgeous”. The rain cleared up and most of the course was covered in forest, which was easy to move through, as there was no scrub. This made night time navigation not too much more difficult than at daytime as the moon was bright and the topography was easy to see through the trees. The controls were also fairly easy to spot. The knife-edge ridges out to controls such as 101, with views into the Shoalhaven gorge were also enjoyed. Some large folds also were spotted in the rocks, which is terribly exciting for a geologist such as myself.
We kept heading northwest collecting control 86 at about 10pm. We had been getting over 100 points an hour, as most of the controls in this part of the course were above 70 points! We made our way back south to the hash house collecting controls as we went. We pulled into the hash house around 5am. We realised that we had not seen a soul since 9pm, except for the organisers, when they drove along the road up to 83 at about 10.30pm.
It didn’t take long to cool down, once we stopped. Breakfast was just starting. The toasted sandwiches were a hit. I was also very happy to find that chocolate cake and cherry slice were still out from dinner. Hash house cake and pancakes is the sole reason why I rogaine!!
We headed out at about 6am towards the east. We collected an 80-point control right on the Shoalhaven River. The swimming hole there was beautiful. We must go back in summer. Liloing trips along the Shoalhaven would also be fantastic.
After collecting all the controls out that way we headed back to the hash house, arriving at 11am. We had an impressive sounding score of 1870 points! So we rested easy as we watched the other rogainers come in. It was not enough however, to get a place in the mixed category as you needed over 2000 points, the winners scoring over 2500 points. All in all an enjoyable rogaine.
Emma Murray
From the 2001 ACT Women’s Vets Winners
I am not sure that I like rain. At least it is good for the garden, but when I’m out in the bush – well, that’s another matter. As the only entrants in the Women’s Veteran Class, we suggested that we didn’t need to collect many controls before we could retire. Having been told that we were being wimps, we took a long look at the weather, plunged out from under the marqee and headed off.
Gradually the group going in the same direction dissipated and we found ourselves on our own for a bit. We found a few suitable knolls but not one of them adorned with a control – just groups of bedraggled wet folk all looking rather lost. So we bade 41 goodbye, struggled through the dense scrub and set off along the track under the powerlines. We judged the point at which to turn in to 40 nicely and found it easily. Later at the Hash House we were assured it was not to be found!
Then on to 91 which caused us some grief when we somehow ended up down the side of the ridge. We concentrated hard to 75 and then went on to 64. The view was indeed spectacular – certainly worth the visit! The challenge was now to find a route to 33. With all the cliffs marked on the map, we negotiated cautiously down a creek bed towards Little Timberlight Creek. The choice was to follow along the creek bed or climb straight up the other side. A choice I later wished we had made, as I crawled on all fours along the boulders of the creek bed, my shoes refusing to grip on the slippery surfaces. This was followed by an (almost) vertical climb up the slope clinging like grim death to the soft surface and ducking under the unfriendly vegetation. Finally we made it to the top – but a wonderful highlight on the way was the sighting of a lyre bird skimming over the vegetation after having been disturbed by someone or something.
The route to 93 was then along the ridge; and then quickly back to 55 and across to 84. 47 was a case of along the ridge and follow the track; from there we moved to the water drop and on to 94. We found a track which took us all the way to the control from the water drop, so it was definitely our most successful control! Moreover we did not see Alex and Karina Tyson there though we left them at the water control also intending to visit 94 – at the end they told us they followed a bearing and didn’t risk the track!
On to 48 in the evening gloom and finally at 68 we got our torches out. We set off for 34 – but that’s where our problems started. Neither of us have rogained at night before and we need to learn a few more techniques... We wanted to follow the main creek along on the western side. We found a place where we could cross the banks which must have been about 3-4 metres high, and tried to follow along up a tributary. We found a dam and a couple of unmarked tracks – and decided we couldn’t. Just couldn’t. So we set a course for home. South. As we paused on a saddle Valerie
asked...”What was that control description? Just shine your torch over there...” And there was Number 34 as large as life.
Enthused, we plunged down the hill to the SW intending to set off on the track which was clearly marked. Well it was clearly marked on our maps. Just not clearly marked on the ground. And the creek – well the one before had 3 metre banks. This one must have had banks of 3 cm. If that. In retrospect we crossed it. But at the time we did not realise it. So back to Plan B. Head South to the track and then home. Pick a star and follow it. It all seemed easy. But no track appeared. Fortunately the scrub wasn’t too difficult in the dark. Stop to finish off lunch (just a few hours late). Decide we had missed the track and change to heading south east to pick up the more major track. Great comfort to hear cars on the road and to know civilisation was at hand. Try to stop the bleeding when I walked into a barbed wire fence in the moonlight. Finally the track appeared and we strode out briskly back to the Hash House, meeting those who had finished the 8 hour event on their way home.
A few hours sleep and then up at about 5.15 am in order to get ready to start out again. We started at first light and walked up the hill to 50. Delicious view in the morning light of the campsite – it all seemed rather mediaeval somehow.
Along the ridge towards 42. Crossing Oallen Creek we climbed up the far bank to be greeted by a wombat breakfasting in the early morning light. Crossing below the blackberries at Oallen Ford was something of a challenge but we managed it without even getting our feet wet... though we subsequently got very wet feet skirting around the edge of the quarry to the east of the ford on our way to 70. Others told us later that the control was a bit misplaced with respect to the mine – but we didn’t look for the mine, only that very welcome control! Then on to 87 through some very thick scrub (FIGHT to an orienteer) but eventually the control beckoned like a beacon
two hillsides away... 52 was a challenge because of the vagueness of the country
– in fact we had almost abandoned it when we saw it a little further down. On to 90 – once again over some pretty vague country but it was encouraging to meet folk coming out of the control as we approached. Then on to 62 with some tantalising glimpses of the Shoalhaven River, 60 with a steep climb up the northern bank of Hockey’s Creek, and on to 32. Nearly home. Just 30 to go.
But just as we started with a miss, we finished with a miss. Crossing the creek from 32 we plunged into the worst FIGHT of the whole event. Probably when we got out of it,
we were off our bearing. We probably even had time to return to the Hash House and run out again without packs. But we didn’t. The spirit might have been willing but
the flesh... well the muscles were aching a bit and the feet were definitely in need of
some dry socks and different shoes.
Our first 24 hour rogaine. We had a lot of fun. Thank you to everyone who organised the event and to the landowners for lending us their property for the day.
Jenny Hawkins
Read MoreCourse Setter: David Baldwin
Other setting/vetting help: Julie Quinn, David Singleton, Adrian Sheppard
Admin: Pre-event - Judy Jenkinson
On the Day - David Singleton, Alan Daley, Megan Hewett
Helpers: Jack Palmer, Pam Christensen, Richard Stone, Geoff Mercer, Adrian Sheppard
Catering: Aranda Scouts
HH Site: Thanks to the Knights for an excellent HH site and all their help before and during the event (keys, hole digging, printer cables,...)
Weather: Rain at the start then fine. A glorious night.
2001 ACT CHAMPS - FROM TOTALLY LOST TO “TOTALLY GORGEOUS”
The weather was looking uncertain on the Saturday morning of the ACT Champs. It was fairly cold, overcast and there was the odd sprinkle of rain. I arrived in the bus from Canberra to find my rogaining partner, Adrian Smith cooking a lovely pile of porridge for the band of UNSW Bushwalking and Mountaineering Club members hiding in their huge “party tent”.
The rain got heavier as it got closer to 12 o’clock, but our spirits remained high as the organisers had promised a lot, having called this the “totally gorgeous rogaine”. Finally we were off and running, or walking very fast, off up the road towards the infamous control 41. We left the road just after jumping over a gate but it became obvious that in this area of vague topography it wouldn’t be easy to find. After about 10 min we gave up. We found out later that the control had been hung in the wrong spot! To be honest I am not sure if we would have found it even if it were in the right spot!
We continued up the road and collected control 40. From here the rogaine was “totally gorgeous”. The rain cleared up and most of the course was covered in forest, which was easy to move through, as there was no scrub. This made night time navigation not too much more difficult than at daytime as the moon was bright and the topography was easy to see through the trees. The controls were also fairly easy to spot. The knife-edge ridges out to controls such as 101, with views into the Shoalhaven gorge were also enjoyed. Some large folds also were spotted in the rocks, which is terribly exciting for a geologist such as myself.
We kept heading northwest collecting control 86 at about 10pm. We had been getting over 100 points an hour, as most of the controls in this part of the course were above 70 points! We made our way back south to the hash house collecting controls as we went. We pulled into the hash house around 5am. We realised that we had not seen a soul since 9pm, except for the organisers, when they drove along the road up to 83 at about 10.30pm.
It didn’t take long to cool down, once we stopped. Breakfast was just starting. The toasted sandwiches were a hit. I was also very happy to find that chocolate cake and cherry slice were still out from dinner. Hash house cake and pancakes is the sole reason why I rogaine!!
We headed out at about 6am towards the east. We collected an 80-point control right on the Shoalhaven River. The swimming hole there was beautiful. We must go back in summer. Liloing trips along the Shoalhaven would also be fantastic.
After collecting all the controls out that way we headed back to the hash house, arriving at 11am. We had an impressive sounding score of 1870 points! So we rested easy as we watched the other rogainers come in. It was not enough however, to get a place in the mixed category as you needed over 2000 points, the winners scoring over 2500 points. All in all an enjoyable rogaine.
Emma Murray
From the 2001 ACT Women’s Vets Winners
I am not sure that I like rain. At least it is good for the garden, but when I’m out in the bush – well, that’s another matter. As the only entrants in the Women’s Veteran Class, we suggested that we didn’t need to collect many controls before we could retire. Having been told that we were being wimps, we took a long look at the weather, plunged out from under the marqee and headed off.
Gradually the group going in the same direction dissipated and we found ourselves on our own for a bit. We found a few suitable knolls but not one of them adorned with a control – just groups of bedraggled wet folk all looking rather lost. So we bade 41 goodbye, struggled through the dense scrub and set off along the track under the powerlines. We judged the point at which to turn in to 40 nicely and found it easily. Later at the Hash House we were assured it was not to be found!
Then on to 91 which caused us some grief when we somehow ended up down the side of the ridge. We concentrated hard to 75 and then went on to 64. The view was indeed spectacular – certainly worth the visit! The challenge was now to find a route to 33. With all the cliffs marked on the map, we negotiated cautiously down a creek bed towards Little Timberlight Creek. The choice was to follow along the creek bed or climb straight up the other side. A choice I later wished we had made, as I crawled on all fours along the boulders of the creek bed, my shoes refusing to grip on the slippery surfaces. This was followed by an (almost) vertical climb up the slope clinging like grim death to the soft surface and ducking under the unfriendly vegetation. Finally we made it to the top – but a wonderful highlight on the way was the sighting of a lyre bird skimming over the vegetation after having been disturbed by someone or something.
The route to 93 was then along the ridge; and then quickly back to 55 and across to 84. 47 was a case of along the ridge and follow the track; from there we moved to the water drop and on to 94. We found a track which took us all the way to the control from the water drop, so it was definitely our most successful control! Moreover we did not see Alex and Karina Tyson there though we left them at the water control also intending to visit 94 – at the end they told us they followed a bearing and didn’t risk the track!
On to 48 in the evening gloom and finally at 68 we got our torches out. We set off for 34 – but that’s where our problems started. Neither of us have rogained at night before and we need to learn a few more techniques... We wanted to follow the main creek along on the western side. We found a place where we could cross the banks which must have been about 3-4 metres high, and tried to follow along up a tributary. We found a dam and a couple of unmarked tracks – and decided we couldn’t. Just couldn’t. So we set a course for home. South. As we paused on a saddle Valerie
asked...”What was that control description? Just shine your torch over there...” And there was Number 34 as large as life.
Enthused, we plunged down the hill to the SW intending to set off on the track which was clearly marked. Well it was clearly marked on our maps. Just not clearly marked on the ground. And the creek – well the one before had 3 metre banks. This one must have had banks of 3 cm. If that. In retrospect we crossed it. But at the time we did not realise it. So back to Plan B. Head South to the track and then home. Pick a star and follow it. It all seemed easy. But no track appeared. Fortunately the scrub wasn’t too difficult in the dark. Stop to finish off lunch (just a few hours late). Decide we had missed the track and change to heading south east to pick up the more major track. Great comfort to hear cars on the road and to know civilisation was at hand. Try to stop the bleeding when I walked into a barbed wire fence in the moonlight. Finally the track appeared and we strode out briskly back to the Hash House, meeting those who had finished the 8 hour event on their way home.
A few hours sleep and then up at about 5.15 am in order to get ready to start out again. We started at first light and walked up the hill to 50. Delicious view in the morning light of the campsite – it all seemed rather mediaeval somehow.
Along the ridge towards 42. Crossing Oallen Creek we climbed up the far bank to be greeted by a wombat breakfasting in the early morning light. Crossing below the blackberries at Oallen Ford was something of a challenge but we managed it without even getting our feet wet... though we subsequently got very wet feet skirting around the edge of the quarry to the east of the ford on our way to 70. Others told us later that the control was a bit misplaced with respect to the mine – but we didn’t look for the mine, only that very welcome control! Then on to 87 through some very thick scrub (FIGHT to an orienteer) but eventually the control beckoned like a beacon
two hillsides away... 52 was a challenge because of the vagueness of the country
– in fact we had almost abandoned it when we saw it a little further down. On to 90 – once again over some pretty vague country but it was encouraging to meet folk coming out of the control as we approached. Then on to 62 with some tantalising glimpses of the Shoalhaven River, 60 with a steep climb up the northern bank of Hockey’s Creek, and on to 32. Nearly home. Just 30 to go.
But just as we started with a miss, we finished with a miss. Crossing the creek from 32 we plunged into the worst FIGHT of the whole event. Probably when we got out of it,
we were off our bearing. We probably even had time to return to the Hash House and run out again without packs. But we didn’t. The spirit might have been willing but
the flesh... well the muscles were aching a bit and the feet were definitely in need of
some dry socks and different shoes.
Our first 24 hour rogaine. We had a lot of fun. Thank you to everyone who organised the event and to the landowners for lending us their property for the day.
Jenny Hawkins
