‘800 grams?’ I asked. ‘Are you sure it’s 800 grams?’ Paul messaged me back, confirming its weight. His proposed tent for our Mourne Mountain Marathon race indeed weighed less than a kilo. My laser competition tent that we used last year was 1.2 kg, and that was considered super-light. But no, Paul wanted to shave … Continue reading Blown away by the 2018 Mourne Mountain Marathon
Who would have thought there were orienteering maps of in and around Derry? But on Saturday, I was treated to a fast sprint series around Gransha Estate. And then on Sunday, a technically difficult stint around Magilligan's sand dune system. The sprint was staged to select the Irish junior team for the European Sprint Orienteering … Continue reading The Coastal Warrior Weekend – 2 Days of Orienteering in Derry
I was all ready to help out at the weekend's Causeway Coast Adventure Race. It was to take place in Derry, my hometown, and I'd signed up as a marshall. I woke up, bright and early on Saturday morning, ready to head to the start. Just before leaving, I checked my Facebook page. "Event cancelled. … Continue reading Bad weather blocks Weekend’s Racing
It was billed as “The Big Weekend”, a veritable feast of Orienteering to be held in Northern Ireland’s County Fermanagh on 23-24 February. To begin, the organisers promised a midday kick-off on Saturday with the Northern Ireland Score Championships. Then six hours later, the Northern Ireland Night Championships, once it got dark enough to run. … Continue reading Orienteered out – 3 Races in 24 Hours
When I was growing up in Derry, there was a limited selection of sporting things to do. Sure, I was part of the school netball and athletics teams, but that was all that was really available. Since moving back to the North of Ireland this year however I’ve noticed an explosion of sports and associated … Continue reading Northern Ireland’s Derry lays on LegenDerry Selection of Sports
North West Orienteering Club (NWOC) celebrated its 40th birthday in December. To celebrate, it laid on a score orienteering event in Limavady’s Roe Valley Country Park. Little did I know that it was going to be a “Back to the Future” experience. We had 45 minutes to visit as many controls as possible, with scores … Continue reading Orienteering goes back in time
“We have to go out fast”, our team leader said. We all agreed. Looking around the room, there was some serious competition. Not only had Irish team “Get No Sleep” turned up, but there was a group of foreigners in our midst. They had to be good if they were sponsored by Salomon and had … Continue reading Chasing after the Danes in The Sperrin Mountains’ Raid