Page 176 - AGC-Journal-2016

AGC JOURNAL 2016

AGC

Orienteering

By Sergeant Anna Wyatt

Every year, the AGC
Orienteering Team attends

a multi-day orienteering
event as a ‘Summer Training
Camp’ utilising it to develop
novices and as a concentrated
period of training prior to the
winter season. This year 19
of us including 7 novices set
off to the Welsh Croeso 2016
event that took place in South
Wales.

Exercise Croeso Cyfeiriannu

Croeso Cyfeiriannu’ which roughly
translated means ‘Welcome Orienteering’.
Over 5 days the competition would take us
across ground that the Military League’s arrival we settled in whilst the aroma Baker 3rd of 21 in the W45S race and
could not prepare us for; the areas used of supper wafted around the cottage, Lyndsey Jones 2nd of 6 in the W35S race.
provided a wide variety of terrain, ranging prepared that evening by Major Greg Day two was similar with result of the day
from sand dunes to open moorland, a Ehlen. After dinner we sat around for Miles Cuff, who was 1st of 37 in the
forest area with steep slopes and the the log fire for our first team briefing, novice category and Dhan Magar who
Margam Country Park Estate grounds. quickly identifying there were plenty of achieved 4th of 29 in the M45S race.
experienced orienteers amongst the team,
which put the novices firmly at ease. Margam Forest North

Kenfig Burrows In stark contrast to the sand dunes, it was
a pleasure to see some proper woods for
The weather promised to be good all the competition on day three. The terrain
week, but the heavens opened and did was varied forest with some wonderful
not stop for the rest of the day, or week deciduous woodland in a patchwork
either. The first and second days of of plantation forest; big hills and steep
competition consisted of a long distance valleys added to the mix. Running was
race and middle distance race respectively better than expected through these forests,
over very large grass-covered sand however, our routes took us up and down
dunes interspersed with areas of scrubby many steep slopes which burnt the legs,
The Night Before woodland. Between each sand dune the worse being the final ‘sprint’ leg
were ponds and marshes, which coupled
which never seemed to end and resembled
with the heavy rain to make it very more of a jog than a sprint. In the main
The exercise was organised by Captain challenging. We had some excellent results competition, notable results were Tommy
Karen Baker, who secured us an amazing on the first day; most notably Surya Limbu Harper with 4th of 11 in the M40S
cottage nestling at the foot of the Black was 5th of 37 in the novice category, Andy category; best novice result was Miles Cuff
Mountain on the western edge of the Snell 5th of 29 in the M40L race, Karen scoring an impressive 2nd of 39.
Brecon Beacons National Park. Upon

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