Training

Here are details of training and coaching opportunities before and during Tay 2009 - updated 29th July.

Training Areas

There are 5 areas available for training, and these will be available from Monday 27th July to Saturday 8th August.

A 6th training area, Muirward Wood, only 2 km from the event centre, is available for general training and practice for TD1 - TD4 standard courses.

The areas are as follows (see locations on PDF map of training areas).

Faskally

Location: Pitlochry. Ordnance Survey grid reference of car park NN 922590.

Description: A small Forestry Commission woodland with good contour and rock detail and mixed runnability. Terrain relevant for Days 1, 2 and 3. Faskally training details.pdf

Other attractions: waymarked woodland walks and the town of Pitlochry.

The Hermitage

Location: Dunkeld. Ordnance Survey Grid Reference of car park NO 009419.

Description: A small Forestry Commission woodland with good contour and rock detail and mixed runnability. Terrain relevant for Days 1, 2 and 3. Hermitage training details.pdf

Other attractions: waymarked woodland walks and the town of Dunkeld. A walk guide will be provided with the training pack, including routes to a fine viewpoint, the River Braan and its waterfalls, and Birnam Glen.

Craig a Barns

Location: Dunkeld. Ordnance Survey Grid Reference of car park NO 023436.

Description: One of the best areas in Scotland, intricate contour & rock detail with mixed runnability. Terrain relevant for Days 1, 2 and 3. Craig-a-barns training details.pdf

Note: there will be a 1km uphill walk from the car park to the start.

Other attractions: waymarked woodland walks and the town of Dunkeld.

Pitmedden Forest

Location: Abernethy. Ordnance Survey Grid Reference of car park NO 197138.

Description: A Forestry Commission woodland with good contour detail, a path network and mixed runnability plus a very runnable open area with contour detail, rock features and marshes. Terrain relevant for Days 1, 2, 3 and 6. Pitmedden training details.pdf

Other attractions: nearby villages of interest include Abernethy, Newburgh and Auchtermuchty. A walk guide will be provided with the training pack, including a route around Pitmedden and another on the nearby Moncreiffe Hill which goes to the site of an iron-age hill fort.

Tentsmuir South

Location: Leuchars, near St Andrews. Ordnance Survey Grid Reference of car park NO 498242.

Description: A Forestry Commission woodland with good contour detail (sand dunes). Terrain relevant for Days 4 and 5. Tentsmuir training details.pdf

Map notes: The contour interval is 2.5m NOT the 5m printed in error on the training maps.Control description for 271 should be “small depression” NOT “hill west side”

Note: there is a Forestry Commision entry fee of £1 per car to Kinshaldy Beach car park.

Other attractions: wonderful beach and picnic area at car park; the historic town of St Andrews is 11km/7m away.

Muirward Wood

Location: Old Scone, near Perth; 2km north of the Event Centre on the A93 Blairgowrie road. Ordnance Survey Grid Reference of car park NO 125275.

Description: A pleasant mixed broadleaf and conifer woodland with generally good runnability and a path network. Terrain relevant for Day 2.

Other attractions: Scone Palace, one of Scotland’s finest stately homes, and Perth nearby.  Directions will be provided on how to walk from the Event Centre to the wood, and a guide to a walk along the banks of the River Tay will also be included.

Training Format

Training will be run in a self-help format - you purchase a pack which includes all the details of the area, directions and a pre-marked map, and you can then visit and train in the area in your own time (within the availability dates given).

There will be a training pack available for each area. Included in each of the packs will be a pre-marked map, general information about the area, directions and control descriptions, and for selected areas a guide to walking routes in the area. There will also be a suggested training theme for each of the area for you to try if you wish.

There will be between 10-15 controls out in each of the training areas. The control sites will be aimed at the intermediate to experienced orienteer (TD4 and 5). The control sites, descriptions and codes will all be pre-marked on the maps included in each pack.

How to obtain your Training Packs

Training Packs will cost £2.50 each and can be purchased from the following:

You can also pick up a pack (limited availability) from Perth Tourist Information Centre (25th-31st July only); if you do so you will be given a payment slip, which you should take with your payment to Information Point at the Event Centre, or at Information at each day’s Assembly area.

People who have pre-ordered training packs via Fabian and opted to collect them on arrival rather than have them posted out, can collect their reserved packs at Perth Tourist Information Centre.

Coaching

Fully qualified coaches will be on hand to help and offer advice with the aim of improving the orienteering skills of those at Light Green standard or above, progressing through to TD5 and 5*.

Coaches will be available from 11am to 3pm at the venues and days listed below:

The exercises and advice will be pitched at the following levels: TD 4 progressing to TD 5; TD 5*

There will be no specific charge for coaching, although participants must be in possession of a training pack.

 

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Training and Coaching details announced
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