Brush Creek West - NOY2A
Setters Report
A couple of years ago I decided it was too much work for an event setter to be responsible for both placing control stands in the bush and looking after the setup of the assembly area, that the setter should primarily be looking after the controls and someone else be looking after the desks and pens. So late in 2011 I bought an old ambulance with the intention of setting it up as a mobile equipment storage to hold all the gear necessary to run an event. In 2012 I drove the ambulance to every bush event as a trial to see if that was the way the club wanted to go. Early this year the club committee decided yes it was a viable option and officially split the role of event setter in two: course planner and gear organiser.
The reason I tell this tale is NOY2A was my first go at planning an NOY and gave me the opportunity to see for myself what impact halving the event organiser role has on running an event. Another initiative the club has taken is trying to assign a vetter for all events, particularly the NOY series. Having a second, ideally more experienced, person offering suggestions on course design and checking taped control sites should result in a problem free event. I was most fortunate Geoff Todkill agreed to act as vetter as he not only checked the locations of control sites but help place half the control stands as well.
Some people thought of me on Saturday, wondering how I was going putting out control stands in the pouring rain. No need to worry, all bar 1 control were placed on Friday before the rain. GT and I had a little working bee on Friday morning to affix some SI units to stands and decided the weather was going to be so bad on Saturday that all the stands should all go out Friday afternoon, and they mostly did. Then all day Saturday I was thinking should I go out to hang all the streamer trails or wait until Sunday morning for that and just get wet once. I was in the bush at 6:20am Sunday and it took a full 3 hours to stand up 15 control stands and create all the streamer trails. Starts for Very Easy and Easy courses were delayed 10 minutes while I dug a step down to the rockshelf creek crossing and erected a handrail.
It is a big relief when the last competitor arrives back at the finish desk, mainly because no-one is lost so no need to organise a search party but also because I had already let people out into the bush to collect controls before course closure time. This was a gamble I took as I needed to harness the offers for control collection before everyone went home. Having people collect controls in the same clockwise direction as course flow would hopefully also round up anyone that was still struggling on their course. So a big thank you Rudi Landsiedel, Justin Stafford and Denis Lyons for their control collection effort. Thanks also to Lynda Hewson for walking a loop to bring in some easy controls, I think she has taken the coach's advice to gain some more navigating experience by offering to collect some controls. It is marvelous how much you notice when you slow down and observe the terrain properly with sufficient oxygen in the brain. I encourage others to collect controls, even do it leaving your compass in your pocket as a means of practicing map reading skills.
OK that is enough from me, the sun is out and I still have two controls to collect way out back of the map so best I go do that then bundle everything up for the next Course Planner and Gear Organiser. Oh yeah, a big thank you to Carolyn and Russell Rigby for taking on the challenge of driving the ambulance and setting up the assembly area, otherwise where would regular front desk helpers Cheryle, Joy and Maria sit in order to hand out SI sticks and hassle people to sign membership and waiver forms :-)
Updated 18/4/2013 - Minor changes made
Venue:Start is at the Eastern end of Transfield Avenue, Edgeworth. The Assembly area/Finish are 100m down a track. Approaching from the north, proceed down Minmi road towards Edgeworth and turn left into Transfield Avenue. Approaching from crossroads Glendale, travel west along Main Road and turn right into Neilson Street at the traffic lights after McDonalds. Plenty of parking along Transfield Avenue, please don't block driveways
Map: "Brush Creek West" – 1:10,000 (an updated version of the western side of Brush Creek map with some new detail in the south west corner courtesy of Denis Lyons mapping effort this week. The event utilises a new start location in the middle of the map)
Terrain: Typical spur and gully areas, some heavy vegetation in the creeks, forest areas mostly open running. Numerous trail bike tracks in all areas, new tracks have been mapped but do not be surprised if you find new ones!
Courses:
Very Easy 2.0 km
Easy 2.6 km
Easy Long 3.5 km
Moderate Short 2.4 km
Moderate Long 3.4 km
Hard Short 3.3 km
Hard Medium 4.2 km
Hard Long 5.5 km
Note Very Easy - the course follows a fence, streamer trail, manmade gully and tracks and has a mandatory creek crossing at a rock shelf. Competitors are expected to be able to orient the map in order to make some decisions about looking left or right for next control. The course is more interesting, hence requires a bit more skill and confidence, than the standard blast along tracks punching every control you see. Please evaluate ability of juniors and decide whether to shadow them.
Note Easy course - controls are typically in a gully off the side of the track after some prominent feature like a track junction. Competitors are expected to be able to monitor their progress along a track and ignore some incorrect code controls along the way. Competitors should have enough confidence to go cross country 50 - 100m and where needed a streamered section will assist.
Note Hard courses -there are so many motorbike tracks it is difficult to set hard legs. When stringing together tracks runs, just make sure you are on the correct track, otherwise you quickly end up somewhere you weren't planning to be!
Entries: Enter on the day, from 9.30am to 11.30am. Course closes at 1.00pm
Planner: Peter Newton
View NOY2A in a larger map