Moravian success at British Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships and Grampian Orienteers' 50th anniversary event
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Moravian Orienteers were represented at the British Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships which took place in the Borders.
The forests around Peebles are a mecca for mountain bikers with hundreds of miles trails of all grades from easy forest roads to the gnarliest of descents.
With off track routes (corner cutting) being strictly forbidden and many of the trails being strictly one way the courses were very challenging and quite a few found themselves descending the wrong trail and having to go all the way to the bottom, to have to ride up again and find the right track.
The long distance took place on less manicured trails by Selkirk and after a night of heavy rain many were a quagmire and it was not possible to predict which would be, and the most seriously challenging narrow descents were noted on the map and full of roots and precipitous sections.
Monday’s middle distance was a much drier affair with the steep trails being constructed and offering fairly smooth riding with a few jumps.
Two Moravian Orienteers made the trip. For the long distance on Sunday Eddie Harwood had a serious concentration lapse and finished a distant second in the Men 70+ category.
James Stewart had decent ride in Men 60+ and failed to divert to the final control and was thus disqualified.
In Monday’s middle distance, Harwood turned the tables to win and retain his Men 70+ title whilst Stewart came fifth in Men 60+.
Closer to home, Grampian Orienteers celebrated their 50th anniversary with a regional event at classic Glen Dye, near Banchory.
The courses were well planned to take in the most technical and least storm damaged parts of the area.
Fourteen-year-old Finlay McLuckie took on the big course, for the first time mixing with the stars from Deeside finishing a fabulous sixth.
His dad Peter finished exhausted, 35 minutes behind marvelling at his son’s speed. Sister Kate finished third on the second course ahead of some good orienteers.
Anna Howard had her best run of the year to finish a close third on the intermediate course.
