Orienteers on Sugarloaf

Press, 25 September 1980, Page 24

Orienteers on Sugarloaf

Orienteering organisers are. hoping for fine weather for Sunday’s orienteering event at Sugarloaf Hill. Orienteers usually compete under all weather conditions-, but gale-force winds and thick fog on two consecutive week-ends in July forced the postponement of this event until now. The course planner, Mr Alex Cook of Peninsula and Plains Orienteers, says that Sunday’s courses will be the same as those planned in July. There will be four courses, ranging from more than an hour’s tough running for experts, io an easy half-hour walk for beginners. Most of the hills are open tussock country, but all features sueh as rocky outcrops and patches of-forest are marked on the map, and will be useful for navigation. The A Course will extend beyond the Sign of the Kiwi to the Rapaki track; Uhe 1

i. other courses will cover a much .'smaller area. Fastest time in the A course ' is likely to go to Michael Parker, ■ after his win at Lyttelton last . week. Tough competition will * come from „ Graham Frith and ' Graham Boniface, who both missed the Lyttelton event. Alex Cook and Andy Buchanan will not compete because they are in- : volved in setting the courses. ■ This orienteering event will be : followed by two special promo- . tional events, one in Hagley Park , on October 5, suitable for casual i joggers and walkers, and one at ■ Culverden on October 19. The • Culverden event, to be called the Mini-mountain marathon, will be a tough 16km test of stamina and ; endurance for teams of two. Sunday's event will start at the Sugarloaf Hill carpark, .just below the TV tower. Reglstra- . tions will be accepted at anytime between 10.30 a.m. and 1'30: ‘p.m. |