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Night O at Eagle Canyon Golf Course


Saturday, 7 March 2020
Eagle Canyon Golf Course


The first Night Orienteering took place on Saturday. I generally enjoy the night events because technically they are a little easier but then there is the element of it being at night – the controls cannot be seen from far off and depending on the headlight being used, features to navigate off are also hard to see, so accuracy is more important.

During registration I noticed that my usual competition was not around, so it meant I just needed to have a good run and not get disqualified.
I started last on the women’s course, which I prefer for these events as there is no stress of someone catching me. I was able to pass all the women on my course and come in as the first finisher on the women’s course, confirming my win.

Start > 1: Set off down the path, turning left. I saw the hill and went around it. I misread the map and ended up going past the control and almost all the way around. Went back and found the control, well hidden.
1 > 2: Set off up the path and just continued to follow it. I had a choice of going below undergrowth or around the path. As I couldn’t see a good way through, I played it safe and went around the path, just past the undergrowth and in to the control
2 > 3: Followed the path around through to the control. I wasn’t sure how hidden the control would be, so I was quite slow and kept checking to my left for the control
3 > 4: Followed the path, ticking off the dams before turning right into the control
4 > 5: Cut across to the path. Found the just on the right on the hill
5 > 6: Down and round the path, the control was a bit off the path
6 > 7: Followed the path, across the bridge and right, towards the control
7 > 8: Back the same way to the vegetation. Followed vegetation to control
8 > 9: Tried to take a rough bearing. Ended up to the left of the bunker, went around to the control
9 > 10: Was going to try with a straight line, but wasn’t happy with the thick growth and I could see how thick or far it was, so I ran around. Found the end of the path, turned left towards the control
10 > 11: Followed the small path through to the control
11 > 12:  Followed the vegetation around to the path, followed the path, across the bridge. I had a choice of follow path up the hill and get to the control from the top, or follow the bottom path and cut across the vegetation. I decided to cut through the vegetation and ended up exactly at the control (after chocking on some grass on the way up)
12 > 13: Took a rough bearing to run straight, ended up a little left, which I corrected.
13 > 14: Followed vegetation around to the control
14 > 15: Took a rough bearing but again ended up going left, getting to the bunker and turning right towards the control
15 > 16: Followed small path to control
16 > 17: Rough bearing, this time it went a little better, more accurate
17 > 18: Rough bearing, a little left, getting to the bunker, found the control at crossing
18 > 19: followed the path and looked for the man-made object before turning off the path. Control spot easy to see when I got closer
19 > 20: Rough bearing, too far left but corrected and got into control nicely
20 > 21: contoured a bit to the path, ran along the path and cut across to the control. I partially punched the control but then saw it wasn’t the usual 248, but rather 60, so had to double check and punch again
21 > Finish: followed path to finish



Overall it was a decent course, but not my best – I battled to get into the map and confidence was lacking. The controls I took a bearing on mostly ended up with me going to the left but I could correct it.
The next event is Relays on Sunday and then another Night O at Leeukop on 21 March and Jackal Creek on 28 March.

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