Dunalastair - Individual Race (WRE)

Last edited: 03rd Apr

Saturday 7th April

Dunalastair was last used in 1997 for a Scottish 6 Day, but with a fantastic new parking and assembly area we will manage to get courses into the best of the area including moorland, open land, birch woodland and both pine and mixed plantations.
This day is also a World Ranking Event.

Organising Clubs: FVO, INVOC & MOR
Organiser: David Nicol (FVO)
Planners: Robin & Liz Orr (CLYDE)
Controller: Gareth Bryan-Jones (FVO)
IOF Adviser: Mike Forrest (BOK)

Directions

Assembly area and parking:
Signed of the B846
Grid ref: NN712594
Lat/Lon: 56.71N 4.11W
Postcode: PH16 5PA
Open a Google Map in a new window
Download a PDF of the directions map

Black and yellow “Orienteering Event” signs will direct traffic off the trunk road (A9).  Directions for Day 2 to Day 4 are given from the A9. Please follow these routes where possible to avoid adding to congestion or putting fellow competitors at risk.

Tayside Police have recommended that Dunalastair is accessed from the minor junction off the A9 at Calvine (signposted Calvine/Struan B847).  It is assumed all competitors will be travelling from the south i.e. Pitlochry. Traffic will be directed to turn left onto the B847.  Directions for traffic will be: After 300m turn right and follow road 300 m to Railway Bridge (12’3” height restriction).  After 8.6 km cross bridge at Trinafour (do not take road off to the right) and carry on B847 for 1km to next junction.  Ignore turning to left and carry on a further 5.6 km to junction with B846.  Turn left and follow this road 1.6km to event parking.  Total distance from A9 to event parking 17.4 km.

Do NOT attempt to approach the event from the east (Tummel Bridge) in a westbound direction along the B846. The road has been closed by the local council for traffic arriving from that direction. Any such traffic arriving will be diverted north along the unclassified road which runs to the north-east of the competitions area, to join the B847 (the recommended route).

All traffic leaving the car park must turn onto the B846 towards Tummel Bridge, and then may either continue on the B846 via Tummel Bridge towards the A9, or after 2.5 miles turn left and travel via the unclassified road to the east of the competition area and the B847 back towards the A9 at Calvine.

Open a Google Map (aerial) in a new tab

Campervans

Hardstanding for Days 2 and 4 is very limited and only those who have made prior arrangements can be accommodated in the event of severe weather/wet ground conditions. Other campervans may be directed to alternative parking venues by the organisers from key junctions prior to arrival at the entrance to parking – these venues could be some considerable distance from the assembly area. Please consider other arrangements e.g. lift share to avoid disappointment.

Assembly

800m from assembly on road and track.

Dogs

Please note that dogs are not allowed in the car park (that includes inside your car), assembly area or anywhere in the competition area, as these fields will be used for silage and there are cows with calves and lambing ewes in the near vicinity.

Starts

None are pushchair accessible. Yellow & Red start – 2km from car park centre with 40m climb or 2.8km from Assembly with 40m climb. White start – 700m from car park centre with no climb. 1.5km from assembly with no climb. The routes to the starts diverge imme- diately after leaving the car park. To access the red/yellow start from the white is 2.2km with 40m climb. The walk to the White start follows the side of a ditch and crosses boggy land. The ditch is very deep and filled with water. It is highly recommended that young junior competitors are accompanied to the start.

Weather, clothing and starts

Despite the balmy weather we have had in Scotland for the last 2 weeks, the forecast is for the weather at Easter to revert to more normal for the time of year.  The good news is that the dry weather has made Dunalastair a lot drier underfoot than it has been for ages.

Now have 5 day forecast for Saturday for Dunalastair. Cloudy, 7 C, with a 10mph NW wind.  Good visibility. With luck all the recently fallen snow will have melted, but still looks like a day for warm clothing.

Around Tuesday evening, once we have a more reliable forecast for Saturday, we will put more information on the website.  However we recommend you bring to the event full waterproof cover, we may make it compulsory to carry it in the competition.  In any case we would recommend you carry a light cagoule or pertex top to the start and carry it with you during the event.

The White start has no shelter.  The Red and Yellow start has plenty of shelter.

Allow plenty of time to get to your start.  The last 500m of the route to the white start and the last 1 km of the route to the Red and Yellow start is fairly slow going.

Start Times

10am to 2pm. The start times will be extended to accommodate the WRE competitors on the elite courses.

Courses Close

4.30pm.

Map

Dunalastair was originally mapped in 1994 and up dated in 2012 by Deeside Orienteering and Leisure Maps.
A copy of the existing map is available below.

Dunalastair was originally mapped in 1994 and up dated in 2012 by Deeside Ori-enteering and Leisure Maps.

1: 15 000 (296 x 218mm) for courses 5 - 12
1: 10 000 (296 x 218mm) for courses 26 - 28
1: 10 000 (344 x 296mm) for courses 1,2, 18 -25 & 30
1: 10 000 (408 x 296mm) for courses 13 -17

Terrain description

Dunalistair is a mixture of commer- cial conifer wood with variable runnability and rock in places underfoot; open mature birch wood with very good runnability; and more open hillside with young birch, heather, bog myrtle and rock in places therefore it is quite physical terrain. Junior competitors should be made aware that conditions underfoot are likely to be rough and wet and appropriate clothing and footwear should be worn.

Safety Information

All competitors take part entirely at their own risk. Competitors shall take into account their own ability to compete safely.
BOF Rule 1.7.1:

The area is bisected by a small river which most competitors will cross at a compulsory point as this is deep in places and varies significantly with rainfall. There are deer fences, stock fencing and walls. Where required there are compulsory crossing points with stiles whilst other fences may be crossed with care at any point. Some fences have barbed wire but not as an upper strand. Take care at all crossings as the deer fence stiles are high! The area has vegetation covered rock underfoot in places and care should be taken in the forest and open hill- side.

Construction work has commenced on the new Beauly-Denny Electricity Transmission line. This runs NW-SE on the eastern edge of the area. This area is out of bounds to competitors but courses have been planned to avoid entering this area. In case of emergency the area can be crossed to the nearest unclassified road as it is not anticipated works will be taking place on the day of the competition.

Elite Courses

World Ranking Event. Start times will be extended to cope with the num- ber of Elite competitors. Only Elite courses will have a water point mid-way. Elite courses will have radio controls and a spectator control.

String Course

The string course will be adjacent to the main car parking area, and unfortunately will not be push chair friendly.

Ceilidh

There will be a Ceilidh at the Pitlochry Town Hall in the evening, with the Fraser McKinnon Ceilidh Band, who were very popular at the TAY 6 Days so should be a great night.

Thanks

To the Dunalastair Estate for allowing us to use the area. This is a busy time on the estate and they have been very accomodating given the disruption that an event this size causes.

Last edited: 03rd Apr

Tweet

Image gallery