SFU Wednesday Evening Training
February 29th 2012 6:30pm
Organizer: Rachel F (Event Director)
EVENT INSTRUCTIONS:
The start location is at the undercover at the East entrance to Blusson Hall, just North of the NEW Transportation Exchange Centre near the Cornerstone Building (at the intersection of University High Road and East Campus Road). If it is extremely cold and windy, we will meet just inside.
Standard point-to-point course with primary focus on route choice on the multi-level map of SFU. Control description strips will be provided (small strips of paper with a list of the controls you will be going to, c.f., Control/clue descriptions ), so some of you may wish to bring your control description holders or a safety pin. Instructions for shorter (Course B: 3.3 km point-to-point, 29 controls) and longer distance (Course A: 4.6 km point-to point, 40 controls) options will be announced at the start. Upon finishing, participants will tell the course official which distance option they completed.
Individual starts will commence at 6:30pm.
The course closes at 7:45. (i.e., ALL runners must be back by then).
Most areas will be moderately lit, however, headlamps are as always advised and useful for locating the pinflag with the reflector tape on it. There will be a couple of road/parking lot crossings, so reflective clothing is recommended. If temperatures are sub-zero, attention for frost/slippery sections on concrete & asphalt is appropriate.
Note: There are a variety of Pay Visitor's Parking Lots on campus. The most ample Visitor's Parking is in Parking Lot B, on the south side of Cornerstone Mews. Use of bus passes to the top of the hill, or carpooling to keep parking fee costs down is recommended.
Some of us will go for something to eat after the event; all are welcome. Choices include Club Ilia which has a great new menu, as well as the Himalayan Peak restaurant. We will likely go to one of these extremely conveniently located restaurants. Both Club Ilia and Himilayan restaurant were sponsors of previous GVOC WJR and have tasty food.
If you arrive early, nummy snacks can be gotten at Nature's Garden and Nester's who were also generous sponsors of a previous GVOC WJR at SFU (remember those really tasty muffins and all those granola bars, etc.). Renaissance Cafe is also a convenient place to pick up a nice latte before the start.
EVENT REPORT:
The weather ended up being very nice for the event; partially cloudy, no precipitation. Because of the overnight and daytime snow, running conditions included snow, slush, ice, wet ground. The event was well attended with a large proportion of newcomers to the club. Most of the newcomers are SFU students, from the SFU Outdoors Club -- which is extremely fitting!
Newcomers were greeted, signed up to the club by Karen LaChance who is in charge of managing GVOC Memberships and dues. Meghan Rance and John Rance followed by providing the newcomers an introduction to the basics of park orienteering, map reading, and use of control descriptions.
The event used the multi-level map of SFU, and included two options for Courses (Course A/Course B) on a single map (see map thumbnail 'Course A' for both maps), through use of a 'butterfly/hub' control. The event focus was on route choices and use of control descriptions (key for a number of control points). Both courses involved many route choices.
There was active discussion regarding mapping conventions and route selection after the event at Club Ilia where a large group of participants (~14) convened for dinner. At the same time, approximately eight of the new members went to a simultaneously scheduled social of the SFU Outdoors Club, where the discussion and socializing continued.
Thanks to all who came out and made this extremely well attended and successful winter-time WET.