2001 Paddy Pallin Rogaine
"Stromolongolo" ACTRA 2001 Paddy Pallin 6 hour Rogaine, Mt Stromlo, 1 April 2001
Course Setter: Ian Booth
Course Vetter: Wayne Gregson
Administration: Geoff Mercer
Catering: 1st Aranda Scouts
With assistance from David Singleton, Anne Sutton, John Sutton, Judy Jenkinson (for the wonderful software and help before the event), Adrian Sheppard, Glenn Bridgart, and all those I have forgotten.
Weather: Fine, sunny, warm 25oC
Number of people: 261
Number of teams: 101
Paddy Pallin 2001 - the Setter’s Perspective
The 2001 Paddy turned out to be very satisfying from both setting and organisational perspectives. To attract 94 teams and 261 entrants, and then to see almost all of them still pretty happy at the end of a beautiful autumn day was most pleasant rewarding. (And do I see the Treasurer nodding also?).
It is always a challenge to see whether you can set a course which is just long or complicated enough to test the top team(s). So I did not mind when David Baldwin’s and Adrian Sheppard’s pre-race optimism for “cleaning” the course was not quite realised by 4pm, when they were just 4 controls (about a half hour) short. Of course the perfect test would have been one solitary control remaining!
Significantly, all 4 top teams set out with the intent of punching all four 100 point controls and thereby gaining the 100 point bonus. This meant going around the outside of the course and thereby committing to at least 30 kilometres in the 6 hours. They were the only teams to achieve all four.
There was a significant gap to the 5th and lower teams, although 32 of the 94 teams achieved at least 1000 points (nearly half of the 2200-odd points on offer). So most teams did pretty well and would have seen a variety of country and controls. The bulk of teams were in the 700 to 1200 range, most not risking the commitment of going north to Coppin’s Crossing, preferring instead the denser scoring (and contour lines) around Mt Stromlo and the safety of staying closer to Uriarra Road. So perhaps not too many got to enjoy the prickles of 51 and the vagueness of 100. The size and topography of the map warranted careful pre-start planning, and the pattern of controls was designed to make teams commit (or not) to more distant clusters.
How many had the audacity of crossing the river from 50 to 61? Not many. Perhaps Alan Sargeant and Bob Hawkins were alone in this (but a full check of cards has not yet been done; bring on the next generation software Judy - the one which machine-reads the cards!!).
I’d like to thank:
Paddy Pallin for donating all the good spot prizes and having lent its name to the event for 9 years now
ACT Forests for access and the great HH site (despite chopping down whole compartments shortly before the event…)
Bob Allison for a wonderful map, setting new standards for O-gaine maps
the Aranda Scouts for great catering
Wayne Gregson for professional vetting and MTB practice while checking sites
Geoff Mercer, David Singleton and card checkers for everything that operated so smoothly on the day (printer aside)
the kind souls who collected controls in the week after - especially Adrian, Keith Curry, John Woods, Norm Johnston, Tristram Miller and Michael Burt.
Ian Booth
Family conquers Stromolongo
The omens were mixed when the Hutchinson family embarked on the 2001 Paddy Pallin Rogaine. We were slightly depleted from our usual number and had been suitably chastened in our ambitions by our 6 hours at the Smoker’s Gap Rogaine – where we had planned something very much like the winning 12 hour route but spent nearly 3 hours finding everything except one elusive control.
We think we also found out what the country was like beyond the edge of the map. However, in our favour this time, the track was somewhat familiar, partly through experience with the Summer Orienteering Program, and the weather was clearly in fine form, showing the ACT at its Autumn best. Moreover the best map interpreter in the family (David) was still on the team and the other team member had been quietly honing his skills at setting, and actually following, sensible compass bearings.
Selecting the route of course presented the first challenge, and given our previous “success” we decided that going very much north of the Molonglo might have doomed us to a lot of walking with too few points, and we weren’t seriously considering running on such balmy day. On the other hand, there were a couple convenient bridges not too far from the Hash House, so we planned an initial foray just over the river, to be followed by a circuit around the controls mostly north of Mt Stromlo. If we found we were doing better than expected, we might venture further to the west.
The first few controls passed surprisingly quickly, and we soon found ourselves peering at the top of hill that was Control 60 through what seemed impenetrable forest. We then had our first “win’ for the day, in chancing upon a path just south of 60 that was not on the map but seemed to be headed to the top. Indeed it was and we headed off with enhanced vigour towards the mighty prickles that surrounded Control 70. Yes, we were warned, but surely it wasn’t supposed to be as bad as this! We emerged somewhat bloodied, but still keen for more (more controls that is, not more prickles). Paying close attention to the map started to pay off when we left behind some apparent rivals by setting some judicious cross country bearings though 33 and 35, followed by a huge intake of water at 21.
The area that was once called Arachnophobia then loomed, and the older team member remembered some of the steep paths in and out of gullies not to take. We quickly found 42 and duly found 48 along paths that stayed close to the contour. It seemed that we did have some time to investigate the south western portion of the map. Control 75 reminded us, yet again, to take map bearings more seriously, but we eventually found it, along with some other bemused rogainers. We then headed for home via 47 and 57 and every control that was available along the way.
Our best lesson for the day was that setting a modest course with possible add-ons was a better strategy than setting an over ambitious one, which can mean lots of distance covered with few points gained. Also, that attentive map reading and judicious short cuts can pay off. Our only misgiving for the day was not attempting some of the far flung 100 pointers. No doubt we will give them a go next time. Successful or otherwise, I think we’ll have fun.
Michael and David Hutchinson
Read MoreCourse Setter: Ian Booth
Course Vetter: Wayne Gregson
Administration: Geoff Mercer
Catering: 1st Aranda Scouts
With assistance from David Singleton, Anne Sutton, John Sutton, Judy Jenkinson (for the wonderful software and help before the event), Adrian Sheppard, Glenn Bridgart, and all those I have forgotten.
Weather: Fine, sunny, warm 25oC
Number of people: 261
Number of teams: 101
Paddy Pallin 2001 - the Setter’s Perspective
The 2001 Paddy turned out to be very satisfying from both setting and organisational perspectives. To attract 94 teams and 261 entrants, and then to see almost all of them still pretty happy at the end of a beautiful autumn day was most pleasant rewarding. (And do I see the Treasurer nodding also?).
It is always a challenge to see whether you can set a course which is just long or complicated enough to test the top team(s). So I did not mind when David Baldwin’s and Adrian Sheppard’s pre-race optimism for “cleaning” the course was not quite realised by 4pm, when they were just 4 controls (about a half hour) short. Of course the perfect test would have been one solitary control remaining!
Significantly, all 4 top teams set out with the intent of punching all four 100 point controls and thereby gaining the 100 point bonus. This meant going around the outside of the course and thereby committing to at least 30 kilometres in the 6 hours. They were the only teams to achieve all four.
There was a significant gap to the 5th and lower teams, although 32 of the 94 teams achieved at least 1000 points (nearly half of the 2200-odd points on offer). So most teams did pretty well and would have seen a variety of country and controls. The bulk of teams were in the 700 to 1200 range, most not risking the commitment of going north to Coppin’s Crossing, preferring instead the denser scoring (and contour lines) around Mt Stromlo and the safety of staying closer to Uriarra Road. So perhaps not too many got to enjoy the prickles of 51 and the vagueness of 100. The size and topography of the map warranted careful pre-start planning, and the pattern of controls was designed to make teams commit (or not) to more distant clusters.
How many had the audacity of crossing the river from 50 to 61? Not many. Perhaps Alan Sargeant and Bob Hawkins were alone in this (but a full check of cards has not yet been done; bring on the next generation software Judy - the one which machine-reads the cards!!).
I’d like to thank:
Paddy Pallin for donating all the good spot prizes and having lent its name to the event for 9 years now
ACT Forests for access and the great HH site (despite chopping down whole compartments shortly before the event…)
Bob Allison for a wonderful map, setting new standards for O-gaine maps
the Aranda Scouts for great catering
Wayne Gregson for professional vetting and MTB practice while checking sites
Geoff Mercer, David Singleton and card checkers for everything that operated so smoothly on the day (printer aside)
the kind souls who collected controls in the week after - especially Adrian, Keith Curry, John Woods, Norm Johnston, Tristram Miller and Michael Burt.
Ian Booth
Family conquers Stromolongo
The omens were mixed when the Hutchinson family embarked on the 2001 Paddy Pallin Rogaine. We were slightly depleted from our usual number and had been suitably chastened in our ambitions by our 6 hours at the Smoker’s Gap Rogaine – where we had planned something very much like the winning 12 hour route but spent nearly 3 hours finding everything except one elusive control.
We think we also found out what the country was like beyond the edge of the map. However, in our favour this time, the track was somewhat familiar, partly through experience with the Summer Orienteering Program, and the weather was clearly in fine form, showing the ACT at its Autumn best. Moreover the best map interpreter in the family (David) was still on the team and the other team member had been quietly honing his skills at setting, and actually following, sensible compass bearings.
Selecting the route of course presented the first challenge, and given our previous “success” we decided that going very much north of the Molonglo might have doomed us to a lot of walking with too few points, and we weren’t seriously considering running on such balmy day. On the other hand, there were a couple convenient bridges not too far from the Hash House, so we planned an initial foray just over the river, to be followed by a circuit around the controls mostly north of Mt Stromlo. If we found we were doing better than expected, we might venture further to the west.
The first few controls passed surprisingly quickly, and we soon found ourselves peering at the top of hill that was Control 60 through what seemed impenetrable forest. We then had our first “win’ for the day, in chancing upon a path just south of 60 that was not on the map but seemed to be headed to the top. Indeed it was and we headed off with enhanced vigour towards the mighty prickles that surrounded Control 70. Yes, we were warned, but surely it wasn’t supposed to be as bad as this! We emerged somewhat bloodied, but still keen for more (more controls that is, not more prickles). Paying close attention to the map started to pay off when we left behind some apparent rivals by setting some judicious cross country bearings though 33 and 35, followed by a huge intake of water at 21.
The area that was once called Arachnophobia then loomed, and the older team member remembered some of the steep paths in and out of gullies not to take. We quickly found 42 and duly found 48 along paths that stayed close to the contour. It seemed that we did have some time to investigate the south western portion of the map. Control 75 reminded us, yet again, to take map bearings more seriously, but we eventually found it, along with some other bemused rogainers. We then headed for home via 47 and 57 and every control that was available along the way.
Our best lesson for the day was that setting a modest course with possible add-ons was a better strategy than setting an over ambitious one, which can mean lots of distance covered with few points gained. Also, that attentive map reading and judicious short cuts can pay off. Our only misgiving for the day was not attempting some of the far flung 100 pointers. No doubt we will give them a go next time. Successful or otherwise, I think we’ll have fun.
Michael and David Hutchinson
