POC wrap up of SA Sprint and GOC champs 2019
Click here to access a thorough report from POC president Ephraim Chuene on SA Sprint and GOC Champs 2019! Well done on POC and ROC for hosting a fantastic weekend of O!
Urban Event at Bedfordview High
O-Ventures is holding an event at the school Saturday 8th June. Come any time between 10:00 and 12:00, get instruction if you need it then start in your own time. You can find the event sheet in the 2019 Events menu link.
SA Champs 2019 Bulletin 1 Published
Bulletin 1 is out! With all the details you need to get entering, booking and planning for this years SA Champs! Situated in and around the amazing town of Sabie, we’re sure that this edition won’t disappoint. Check it out here.
JWOC 2019 Team
The SAOF is happy to announce the team that has been selected to represent South Africa at the 2019 Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC) to be held in Denmark.
The team is:
- Andries Swart
- Dylan Fenthum
- Ryno Grove
We are sure that the boys will do us proud and we wish them all the best. JWOC will take place near the town of Silkeborg between 6-12 July.
2019 Orienteering Schools League – Limpopo
Starting this Saturday the 27th of April is the 2019 edition of the Limpopo Orienteering Schools League. Be sure to contact Ephraim Chuene of POC for more info!
Long weekend in Kaapsehoop!
A quick wrap up from ROC legend Nicholas Mulder on the recent Kaapsehoop O-Ringen held from the 22nd to the 24th of March. Enjoy!
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A small but dedicated field of orienteers made the journey down to Kaapsehoop over the long weekend in March to take part in ROC’s Mpumalanga O-Ringen. The weekend of events started off with a Friday night event on the very technical map in the Kaapsehoop Rockery. Alex Pope and Brian Gardner organized 3 challenging but fair short courses here. The intense rock detail left some competitors staring at their maps in bewilderment and wishing they had stronger headlamps. To add some spice to the event, there was even some mist drifting in from the escarpment and affecting navigation on the higher parts of the map. In the end everyone made it home safe and no search parties were needed!
On Saturday morning a long distance event took place at Nooitgedacht Towers. Distances were slightly reduced to account for the steep forested terrain around the watch tower, with the longest Brown course only covering 7.2km, but utilizing the maximum of 5% gradient in doing so. Planning good routes was tricky for Stephanie and Nicholas Mulder, but the steep climbs were alleviated by ensuring that the event start was at a much higher level than the finish. Many of the participants felt the legs burning on some of the steeper legs but it was the steep downhills that proved to be most problematic for some of the older competitors.
The final day of competition was again held at high altitude (2000m), this time on the Elandshoogte map. This map hasn’t been used since Big 5 in 2013 but Ian Bratt and Eugene Botha ensured that all map changes were up to date for the event. The courses were thoroughly enjoyed as the competitors got to run in stunning forests on a much flatter gradient. Eugene managed to plan some interesting route choices on the longer courses, ensuring that finishers were soon comparing split times and routes to determine which ones were best.
The two forest events were used to determine the winners of the O-Ringen and congratulations must go to the following course winners: Alex Pope on Brown, Kirsten Chambers on Blue, Cameron Morrison on Green, Pat De Klerk on Light Green and Gemma Green on Orange.
Well done ROC!
Western Cape’s first night golf course event!
This past Saturday saw PENOC hosting the Western Cape’s first night golf course event! Following the success of Gauteng’s night events, this PENOC edition didn’t disappoint. A great turnout and great conditions rounded off a well planned sprint event. Check out the event report here and the results here.
Orienteering Development in the Northern Cape
An update on the amazing work being done by our Development team Karen and Richard:
Two years ago trail runner Warnell Engelbrecht asked on Facebook when we would be bringing Orienteering to Namaqualand? Soon after we got the ball rolling by meeting up in Cape Town and doing some basic Orienteering training in his uncle’s dining room. Warnell was determined to share his navigational skills knowledge with local school children, especially after having heard about a group of teachers and children getting terribly lost on a camp and having to spend the night on the mountain.
After a challenging year of trying unsuccessfully to get schools to introduce Orienteering, Warnell teamed up with teacher /adventure programme organizer Elvin Saal and they have become a pair of passionate hardworking Orienteering ambassadors who are clearly making their mark. Last April Timothy and I travelled up to Sprinkbok to do coaching and mapping training with them as well as initiate the project with work in Dr Isak Van Niekerk Primary. Taking part in the Western Cape Champs made the pair realize how much they had to learn but also reinforced how vital skills could be taught to children through Orienteering activities.
In the past 6 months Elvin and Warnell have mapped and visited 7 different schools in the Springbok, Okiep, Concordia and Nababeep areas. The children have thoroughly enjoyed the activities and teachers they have worked with have clearly seen the benefits of introducing Orienteering into their schools.
This year Warnell and Elvin hope to also be able to reach out to areas like the Khaima, Kamiesberg and Richtersveld regions. They also hope to get pupils competing in events at neighbouring schools as well as take some children to participate in the Western Cape Champs.
Well done Elvin and Warnell. We look forward to working with you to keep growing Orienteering in Namaqualand.
-Karen Chambers
Over 420 participants take part in first OSL event of 2019!
Orienteering Schools League kicked off to an amazing start this past Monday with a massive turnout of 420 participants!
The training event at Bryanston High School saw all the participants honing their skills in preparation for the official league events starting this Monday the 28th of January.
For more information on OSL, visit the OSL Facebook page, or the 2019 OSL page on the SAOF website.
SAOF 2019 Orienteering Squad Announcement
The SAOF Selection Committee is pleased to announce the Orienteers who have been selected to the following squads for the 2019 year:
Senior : Christie Courtnage, Michael Crone, Bradley Lund
Junior : Carla Collins, Sarah Everett, Dylan Fenthum, Cameron Ferreira, Ryno Grove, Andries Swart, Luan Swart
Youth : Andrea Collins, Matthew Dos Santos, Megan Hattingh, Tristan Malherbe, Cameron Morrison, Connor Morrison, Tinus Swanepoel, Heather Wimberley, Sarah Wimberley
Development : Ephraim Chuene, Lesedi Chuene, Thato Phogole, Tebatso Ramodike
We wish to congratulate each one of you and wish you all the best for your Orienteering in 2019.
Best Wishes,
Michele Botha
SAOF Selection Committee Chairperson