Mountain Bike Orienteering - 4 August
MTBO Ride
Near Darnaway Castle
This is part of the Highland O-Fest, and will be a 50 minute Score event. The course planned will have plenty of route choice options, which will cater for all ranges of physical fitness. It is a really pleasant, relatively flat forest to ride through.
The Mountain Bike Orienteering (MTBO) race will be held in an area near to Darnaway Castle but outside the main orienteering competition area. See the Highland O-Fest page for entry details.
The Start for the MTBO is about 3km from the Arena along a tarmac road. There is a crossing point along the route to/from the Start/Finish; please obey instructions from any marshals. Part of the route is along a public road, so under-16s must be accompanied. No exit from the Arena will be allowed before 12:00.
Start times will be 12:15 – 14:15. SPORTident electronic timing will be used, so bring your SI card. The time limit is 50 minutes.
There is a total 100 metre climb from one end of the area to the other. There is an extensive track network, fortunately not set out in a regular gridded pattern, and mainly consisting of fast riding.
The photos show examples of different rideability. Rideability of tracks, especially those graded Medium, will be affected in the event of wet weather. There is no technical riding, and any Slow sections are either soft grass, overgrown or (in a few isolated places) deeply rutted. Medium are usually firm but unsurfaced tracks. Fast are forest roads with a generally good surface.
Foot orienteering has been prohibited in this area due to the presence of capercaillie. Birds have right of way on any crossing points.
Bike hire is available:
- In Lossiemouth - Outfit Moray
- In Inverness - Inverness Bike Hire
MTBO Ride (Full size)
MTBO Slow (Full size)