Entries Open for LAMM 2010

Entries are now open for the 2010 annual, two day mountain orienteering event, known as the LAMM: Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon.

Held every year in Scotland since 1994, LAMM is a trail running and orienteering event for pairs, with overnight camping at a remote location. To ensure fair competition and add an air of mystery the location is always kept secret until the last minute!

LAMM 2010 is to be held on Saturday 12th to Sunday 13th June 2010. The cost is £80 per team. In addition you must have a Sports Ident card. To enter the 2010 LAMM event and buy a Sports Ident card, click here.

Martin Stone and all at the LAMM team recommend entering the mountain marathon as soon as possible to avoid disappointment:

We have another great area lined up in one of the classic mountain areas of the Scottish Highlands with a scattering of big hills. Our planner this year is Andy Spenceley, who planned the excellent routes at Inchnadamph 2006, Glenfinnan 2008 and was our controller at Kintail 2009. Competition for places in the LAMM is now very keen and the event is always oversubscribed.

To cater for differing abilities there are several different courses: Elite, A, B, C, D and score course.

• Score course – Saturday 7 hours, Sunday 6 hours
• Elite and A courses will be similar to previous events
• B course will be positioned mid-way between 2008 B & C courses
• C course will be positioned mid-way between 2008 C & D courses
• D course will be positioned mid-way between 2008 D & Novice courses, with less technical controls than the other courses.

The score course is limited to the number of hours shown above, and competitors choose which orienteering controls to collect.

Lowe Alpine Outdoor Gear

Unsurprisingly, the main sponsor of the LAMM event is outdoor gear manufacturer Lowe Alpine, whose gear highly regarded by adventure racers, hill and mountain runners and participants of many other outdoor sports. If you need any trail running gear, a rucksack, waterproofs, thermal wear or any other outdoor kit, it can be found at CheapTents.com!

Although the event takes place in June, event organisers warn competitors not to be complacent about the weather and how serious the Scottish Mountains can be. Taking enough trail running outdoor gear is vital, since the freezing level can be at between 800 and 1000 m, even in the summer. It can still snow!

Please bring a selection of heavier garments to the event so that you can choose appropriate clothing/tent before you start. Please don’t make the same mistakes as in 2004 and come to the LAMM with only Summer equipment.

Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon 2009 – Kintail

The 2010 LAMM Mountain Marathon will follow a similar format to previous years events, with big mountains being the order of the day. The 2009 event took place in Kintail, starting at Morvich, Shiel Bridge, on the main A87 road between and Kyle of Lochalsh and Invergarry. The mountains known as the five sisters of Kintail are a famous landmark in the area. Those in the elite section had the pleasure of orienteering checkpoints at either end and either side of the five sisters!

The Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon 2009 took place around the Five Sisters of Kintail. Source: Flickr by Graham Lewis (Grinner).

Around 1000 competitors took part in the mountain marathon, which took place in the mountains north of Glen Shiel. Many of the hills there are very steep with lots of rock, so there was more climbing than usual, however the courses were made a little shorter to compensate. There was even an orienteering checkpoint at the summit of a Munro.

The prize for the leading Elite team was more punishment: a free entry to the Swedish Bjorkliden Arctic Mountain Marathon (BAMM), inlcuding flights and accommodation. This was won by Andy Symonds and Jethro Lennox.

Mountian Biking at iROC Photo credit: © Ryan Edy / iROC™

There was universally superb feedback from competitors after the 2009 iroc event, with the fell race route being described as “worthy of a British Championship course” by elated competitors and the MTB Enduro circuit being described as “the toughest Enduro circuit in the UK” by many (rather tired) competitors.

The weekend of racing kicks off with the Night Orienteering race and competitors will be able to start whenever they want after 10pm on the Friday night. The course will be open for four hours, allowing competitors travelling from further afield sufficient time to complete the first race. Best of all,  free meals will be provided to all competitors as they finish each night race and also at the MTB Enduro.

Saturday daytime will be given over to a series of fun “Come and Try It – Adventure Races” for kids and spectators, whilst the competitors get the opportunity to test ride the Night MTB Course and experience labyrinth orienteering! Saturday night marks a change in tempo for the competitors with the races coming thick and fast thereafter. The night Fell Race and MTB Time Trial promise to be visually spectacular experiences for both competitors and spectators in the valley, with the courses being way marked with hundreds of glowsticks and many kilometers of reflective barrier tape.

Sunday’s Orienteering Race will be incredibly exciting as well, with competitors having to navigate through a complex labyrinth maze as they start and finish the race. The combination of the labyrinth maze, rapid fire block starts and gaffling, which all take place in the event village, will ensure an action packed experience for everyone.

The MTB courses for both the Night Time Trial and Enduro are being upgraded with a significant new section of uphill single track in the forest. The downhill single track section that literally induced nightmares for some competitors is also having a makeover, becoming faster, smoother and more ridable than before. The Enduro Race is being increased from four hours to six hours, but with a flexible start time, so that competitors can choose the amount of riding they want to do.

iROC™ will once again be held at Eastgate in the Durham Dales, an amazing venue exclusive to this event. The venue is surrounded by stunning moorland and on the boundary of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site itself is largely hidden from view but is complete with a large quarry, steep hillsides with complex contour features, forest and a perfect event village location with self-contained campsite at the bottom of the valley. With a prize giving ceremony after each race and an event village featuring a great campsite, fire barrels, BBQ’s, music, a bar, atmospheric lighting and activities for the kids, it’s a brilliant venue for a memorable weekend for all. Set in a beautiful and quiet area of the Durham Dales it will be well away from the Bank Holiday crowds.

have a look at the events schedule below:

If you are thinking of signing up and want to manage to make it to the finish line why not have a look at some of our training tips.

Entries have just opened and are limited to 400 competitors for more information and to register visit wwww.iroc-race.com

iROC finish line Photo credit: © Ryan Edy / iROC™

World Champion Orienteer Graham Gristwood will be representing the UK. In an interview with CheapTents.com in March this year, he told us that

In 2009 there will be 3 major championships, starting off with the Nordic Championships in June, which are being held in Finland. That will be a really tough competition taking on the scandinavians on on their own patch.

Salo is located on the coast of south west Finland, about 110 km west of Helsinki. The terrain around Salo is well known for its good for orienteering, comprising of forest land with bare rock, moderate slopes and some marshes. There will be long distance and middle distance races as well as relays.

There will also be an urban area 12 -15 minute sprint in the centre of the town Salo.

The distances for each of the long, medium and relay races varies according groupings of M21, W21, M20 and W20. The longest of the races, i.e. the M21 long distance race is 15.2 km with a climb of 520 m, it has 29 controls and will take approximately 85 minutes to complete. The middle distance races have a distance of between 3 and 6 km, depending upon the group, whereas the range for each leg of the relay is from about 4 to 6 km with total climbs from 95 to 140 m. Further details can be found on the official Nordic Orienteering Championships website, www.noc2009.fi

The main orienteering events are scheduled to take place as follows:

Friday 05.06.2009
- Model event, Long and Middle distance and Relay
Saturday 06.06.2009
- Long distance (NOC 2009) and public event day 1
Sunday 07.06.2009
- Relay (NOC 2009) and public event day 2
Monday 08.06.2009
- Model events: Middle distance and Sprint
Tuesday 09.06.2009
- Middle distance (NOC2009 & WCup Event 1)
Wednesday 10.06.2009
- Sprint, Qualification and Final (NOC2009 & WCup, Event 2)

General information about this exciting outdoor sport can be found in our introduction to orienteering.

Orienteering World Champion!

Born in 1984, Graham Gristwood lives in the UK and Sweden. He is a member of the Great Britain Orienteering Squad and also runs for IFK Lidingö SOK.

In the Czech Republic at the 2008 Orienteering World Championships, Graham Gristwood, Jon Duncan and Jamie Stevenson won a gold medal for Great Britain in the Men’s Relay Event.

Graham Gristwood, Jon Duncan and Jamie Stevenson Gold Medal Winning Orienteers

Graham Gristwood Interview

CheapTents.com: What inspired you to get into orienteering?
Graham: I started orienteering before I was old enough to understand, when my father started as a way to get a bit fitter. He used to carry me round, then when I was old enough to walk, then as I was old enough to do it myself, I ran myself. I loved the sport since I can remember!

CheapTents.com: What has been your biggest sporting achievement?
Graham: Summer 2008, when I was part of the Great Britain relay team that won Gold at the World Orienteering Championships! It was the first time that GB have won the relay competition, coming second in 1993 and third in 2003.

We (myself, Jon Duncan and Jamie Stevenson) went into the races as underdogs, but knowing that all 3 of us were in peak condition, and if we performed well on the day we had a chance of a medal. None of us dared to hope it would be gold, but as the race panned out, we all did our job, and one by one the other teams fell away until it was just Jamie appearing alone coming out of the forest. Running into the finish together, and the next couple of hours was the highlight of my sporting career, and possibly my life.

I am also very proud of my junior european record, with Gold, 2 silvers and 2 bronzes, and my individual 9th place in the World Champs in 2006.

CheapTents.com: What is you biggest weakness?
Graham: I don’t always manage to perform at my best in the biggest competitions. I have near perfect performances, but usually let one or two errors slip in which take it from being a great result to being disappointing.

CheapTents.com: When did you feel like you ‘made it’ in your field of outdoor sports? And do you feel like you’ve satisfied your goals?
Graham: I made the senior World Champs team when I was still a junior in 2004, and definitely felt out of my depth.

That 9th in the World Champs in 2006 in Denmark (when I was 22) made me realise that the dream of World Champs medals was definitely reachable, and even that it would be disappointing if I didn’t reach it!

CheapTents.com: What do you find most challenging about training?
Graham: Pushing yourself hard when the weather is rubbish, your training partners are slacking off that day, you are tired from previous trainings and you would rather just lie on the couch and watch tv, but those trainings are also the most rewarding once you get out the door. I don’t find it hard to motivate myself to train.

CheapTents.com: What has been your worst injury (if any) from outdoors sports and how did it happen?
Graham: In 2003 I severely damaged the membrane between the bones in my lower leg just above the ankle. I was running in rocky terrain and put my foot down a hole. My body tried to keep going, but my foot was stuck. I had about 9 months rehab and recovery including one minor surgery, and a few weeks on crutches.

Graham Gristwood Orienteer in Action

CheapTents.com: What will be your most challenging event for next year?
Graham: In 2009 there will be 3 major championships, starting off with the Nordic Championships in June, which are being held in Finland. That will be a really tough competition taking on the scandinavians on on their own patch.

Then in July its off to Chinese Taipei [Taiwan] for the World Games (the equivalent of the Olympics for sports that aren’t but want to be included). That is only for 40 selected athletes, so will also be a really tough competition.

August brings the Orienteering World Championships, which are being held in Hungary this year, and we will be attempting to retain our title, and also hopefully win some individual medals!

CheapTents.com: Where would you like to be in 5 years time? Main Ambitions?
Graham: My main goal in sport and in life is to enjoy myself and achieve my potential. I hope that means that I will be successful and win medals, but realistically I want to be as good as I can be and not look back with regrets that I missed opportunities.

CheapTents.com: For other budding outdoor sports enthusiasts, what tips can you provide to help other compete at a higher level?
Graham: Almost without exception, the more you put in, the more you will get out. Make the most of the opportunities that arise, and don’t do things half-heartedly.

CheapTents.com: What are your favourite bits of gear, and why?
Graham: Orienteering is not really a gear heavy sport, it’s just a man, a map and maybe a compass. Apart from that I have favourite running tops (my current GB top, some Hilly kit), favourite running shoes (including Walshes). Recently I have bought a gps watch to analyse my performance and help monitor and record my training.

CheapTents.com: Any people or sponsors that you’d like thank?
Graham: Ultrasport, the leading orienteering (and outdoor) kit supplier in the UK has been supporting me for a few years now, helping me out with shoes, and other kit.
Since the world champs medal last year, I have been lucky enough to be supported by Walsh, who produce great trail and fell running shoes, as well as casual shoes;
Buff have also supported me with some cold weather gear – ideal for the outdoors!
Hilly Clothing have also started to support me in a big way. They predominantly produce really high quality socks for runners and outdoor enthusiasts, but they also have a range of clothing and accessories. It really is the best kit, and I train in it all the time now! They are also sponsoring the British Orienteering Championships this year.

CheapTents.com: Anything else you would like to say?
Graham: Orienteering is a fantastic sport which is on the up and up. Despite common misconceptions, it is a demanding endurance sport requiring high fitness, an ability to make complex decisions under pressure, and an ability to navigate at speed. Having said that, it really is a sport for all ages and abilities. Which other sports can you take part in as a novice 40 year old, a 12 year old schools orienteer or a 70 year old who has been orienteering for 50 years, and all compete in the same event (in age group categories), side by side with the top elite runners in the world?

There are clubs all over the country, and most are very receptive to newcomers providing help, advice and coaching when required. Check out www.britishorienteering.org.uk to find out what is going on in your area, and what your local club is.

Whether you are a walker, a runner, or you just like the outdoors and going to exciting beautiful places, orienteering could be the sport for you!

I also have a website with attached blog news page, at www.grahamgristwood.co.uk.

CheapTents.com:Thank you very much Graham, for taking the time to answer these questions and sharing your enthusiasm for orienteering with us!

Good luck, Graham, in the Nordic Championships, World Games and Orienteering World Championships later this year.

If you found our interview with Professional Orienteer Graham Gristwood exciting, then you will enjoy our interview with endurance runner Sam Thompson. Sam Thompson was the first person ever to run 51 marathons in all 50 states of America (plus D.C.) in 50 consecutive days!

Not Much Outdoor Gear Required!

All the outdoor clothing that you need for orienteering can be found at the CheapTents.com outdoor gear shop, including running shoes, baselayers, waterproof jackets, windproof jackets and softshells. We also stock Silva Compasses!

The British Orienteering Championships 2009 are being held this weekend in the New Forest. It is nearly 30 years since the British Championships were last held in the beautiful countryside of the New Forest. The weather forecast for the weekend is currently for cloud and a maximum temperature of 10 °C.

If you would like to find out more about the sport of orienteering, please see our Introduction to Orienteering.

Orienteering World Champions

Orienteering World Champions. Source: Soren Andersson.

Orienteering Long Distance Championships

On Saturday 28th of February the British Orienteering Long Distance Championships, UK Cup, Future Champions Cup Race and Veterans Home International Selection Race will take place at Hampton Ridge and Islands Thorns Inclosure.

Parking is in a level field off the B3078 at Grid Ref SU167141, the nearest postcode is SP6 2JJ. Please see the map below. Start times for entrants are from 09.30 – 13.00.

The area through which the orienteering championships will be taking place is varied and attractive. The terrain is dominated by the broad east-west Hampton Ridge in the south. The ground itself consists of heathland covered mostly in low, runnable heather and some gorse.

The wide valleys to north and south have extensive areas of marsh, with natural and man-made drainage ditches. The terrain also includes mixed conifer plantations and deciduous woodland, the latter being particularly open and runnable.

There are also areas of typical New Forest natural woodland interspersed with, and merging into, clearings. The area was a World War 2 practice bombing range and it has numerous bomb craters! There are lots of tracks and paths with many possibilities for route choice on and off the path. Generally the whole area is very runnable and high speeds are anticipated.

The map above shows the location of the car park near Godshill. Hampton Ridge can be seen to the east south east.

Detailed information about The British Orienteering Championships 2009 can be downloaded in a pdf file, from the British Orienteering website.

British Orienteering Relay Championships

On Sunday 1st of March the British Orienteering Relay Championships will take place at Beaulieu Estate and Beaulieu Heath.

The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu is a major tourist attraction and is well signed posted.

The estate land, owned by Lord Montague of Beaulieu, has not been previously used for orienteering. The shorter courses will remain on the Estate land whilst the longer courses will extend onto the heath. The Estate land is gently undulating and the vegetation consists of a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees, with intricate areas of rhododendrons. The heath land is mainly flat and very runnable.

Good Luck Orienteers!

We would like to wish all participants the best of luck for all of the British Orienteering Championships events that they are taking part in!

And Finally…

Please be aware that many New Forest roads are not fenced and you may encounter ponies, donkeys or cattle on the road or roadside at any time. The animals are not road-savvy, so drive cautiously and adhere to the 30/40mph limit in the New Forest.

According to British Orienteering, the National Governing Body for the sport of orienteering in the United Kingdom,

Orienteering is an exciting outdoor adventure sport which takes place in varying terrain over various distances. The aim is to navigate in sequence between a set of control points marked on a unique orienteering map and decide the best route to complete the course in the quickest time. The standard orienteering distance is known as a ‘classic or long distance’ race however modernisation of the sport has introduced the ‘middle distance’ race and ‘sprint distance’ race.

Orienteering can take place over any kind of terrain, urban or rural, from your local park or forest to remote wilderness, on tarmac or open countryside.

Orienteering Control Flag. Source: Flikcr by Glutnix

Control points are normally marked with a special white and red flag. Attached to the flag is a hole punch which is used to stamp a hole in a competitor’s record card, confirming that the competitor has been to that point. Electronic devises are also used for the purpose.

What Outdoor Gear do I need for Orienteering?

This will depend upon the exact nature of the orienteering race that you are taking part it. Generally speaking you will need cross-country running shoes or trainers, shorts or lycra tights and T-shirt or baselayer. For orienteering races in the open country you might wish to take a lightweight waterproof, windproof or softshell jacket.

You will also need a map and compass. It is also a good idea to take an emergency whistle and a high energy snack.

For more information on choosing outdoor gear see our trail running advice page.

Are there any Organised Orienteering Events?

Yes, there are many local orienteering clubs whose contact details can be obtained from the British Orienteering website. In addition to organised events, local orienteering clubs may be able to provide orienteering maps for permanent orienteering courses in your area.

National Orienteering Events

The 2009 British Orienteering Long Championships and Relay Championships will take place in the New Forest on 28 February / 1 March 2009. Entries for these events are now open. These events are organised by British Orienteering and more information can found on the British Orienteering Championships website.

The iRoc race is an adventure race relying on competitors to run, mountain bike and find their own way around a course.  We think this is great news considering how it will put a prominent race towards the end of what is known as the trail running season.

More about the race from iRoc and inov-8:

Uniquely each of the races will have a mass start and will pass back through the event village at least once before finishing. This will ensure that iROC offers the best adventure race spectating ever seen in the UK.

Each race will be between one and four hours long. They will be as hard as you make them… intense, or just challenging experiences that will contrast hugely with the relaxed, chilled-out atmosphere of the event village.

iroc-race.com

iRoc Race Dates and Times:

The very first iROC race will take place on the 18th & 19th of April 2009.

Running, mountain biking and navigation is a great way of testing your skills in some of the most beautiful UK countryside there is.  There will be 5 quite different and exciting races, of which will test you as an all rounder as much as they will test you during each race…most competitors will be taking part in all 5 races, but only the best all rounder will win.

iRoc Race Entry Prices

Prices depend on whether you are entering as an individual or a team of three, but bear in mind there will be an early bird discount for all entries received before the 31st December 2008.

The entry fees, as quoted above, will also include:

• Cash prizes for the winners and runners up!
• Organised, high quality adventure racing including your choice of 2 mountain bike races, 1 trail race and 2 orienteering races of which will test your endurance and wide variety of  outdoor skills.
• An amazing goody bag… actually a special edition inov-8 rucksack that’s never been seen in the shops before, and stuffed full of freebies from the race sponsors.
• Five Friends & Family race passes for those who want to do a little more than just spectate.
• Free weekend camping to include Friday and Saturday night.
• Free car parking over the weekend.
• Friday and Saturday (latenight!) bar, along with entertainment on Saturday.
• Accurate, pre-marked and waterproof maps for orienteering around the course.
• SportIdent electronic timing.
• On site catering for the duration of the weekend to help keep your energy levels up!
• Online results and reporting at the iroc-race.com website.
• Online purchase of action pictures at the iroc-race.com website.

iRoc Race Scoring

Everyone who completes an iRoc race will score points. The points that will be awarded are based on the number of competitors.  So if there are 500 starters competing in the race, the winner will score 500 points, second place 499 points, third place 498 point all the way to 1 point for the last finisher. After all five of the iRoc races, the person / team with the highest number of points will win. Rather than using cumulative time to determine the winner, this scoring system is designed so the overall winner will need to score highly in every races rather than just dominating one or two races.

iRoc Race Prizes

There will be CASH prizes for the winners and runners of the mens and womens races, as well as exclusive inov-8 rucksacks full of goodies from the sponsors too.

Race Competitors

If you are planning on getting involved in the race or supporting as a marshal, please feel free to get in touch and share your excitement!  If you’re taking part to raise funds or awareness to a charitable cause, let us know and we’ll be more than happy to plug your charity on our site!

More details to be announced soon!

Following our recent blog article about the Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon, it is now possible to submit entries for the 2009 event. This can be done using the SPORTident Online Entry System which can be found via the LAMM website.

The LAMM event will be taking place in the Scottish Highlands on 6th/7th June 2009. It is a two-day Mountain Orienteering Competition for pairs with overnight campsite. The location is secret but it is expected to be 3½-4Hrs Drive North of Glasgow/Edinburgh!

The entry Fee is £40 per person. This includes parking for the weekend, camping facilities at the Event Centre and midcamp, payment for use of the land, 2 specially made maps, a meal after the event and fun & games!

Further Details

Full LAMM event details, useful information, finding a partner, booking transport by coach and car sharing can all be found on the LAMM website.

The Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon is an annual event that has been running since 1994. It is sure to be both fun and challenging!

Shameless Plug…

And don’t forget to visit our outdoor gear shop for any equipment and clothing you need to take with you! Among many things we stock Lowe Alpine rucksacks, beltpacks, waterproofs, baselayers and of course, the ubiquitous Lowe Alpine Mountain Cap.

The Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon (LAMM) is an annual two day mountain orienteering event for pairs, with overnight camping at a remote location. It is held in the high mountains of Scotland, at a secret location.

Next year’s LAMM event will be held in the Scottish Highlands on the weekend of 6th/7th June 2009. It will be possible to register for this event in early November, via the LAMM website. Competition for places in the LAMM is keen. The organisers strongly recommend an early entry to avoid disappointment.

Previous Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathons

The Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon LAMM has taken place at:

Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon Glenfinnan 2008. Copyright © Felicity Martin www.felicitymartin.co.uk

• Arrochar 1994
• Isle of Mull 1995
• Lochaber 1996
• Isle of Jura 1997
• Ardgour 1998
• Black Mount 1999
• Glen Shiel 2000
• Loch Laggan 2001
• Braes of Balquhidder 2002
• Spittal O’ Glenshee 2003
• Glencarron 2004
• Isle of Mull 2005
• Inchnadamph 2006
• Glen Lochay 2007 and
• Glenfinnan 2008.

These LAMM events have provided unique challenges and unforgettable experiences for participants and organisers alike. Teams run in pairs and carry lightweight camping equipment, outdoor clothing and food to sustain themselves for 36 hours. There are six courses to choose from, ranging from Elite to Novice depending on ability and fitness. The aim is to visit each of the checkpoints on the course and the times for both days are aggregated to find a winner.

LAMM Organiser and Sponsors

The LAMM Event Organiser is Martin Stone and the sponsors are Lowe Alpine, SPORTident and Sidas. Lowe Alpine make outdoor equipment and clothing, e.g. rucksacks, fleeces and waterproofs. SPORTident equipment is used to identify, time and score competitors in many different types of event. Sidas manufacture insoles for everyday footwear as well as specific footbeds for skiing, walking, running, cycling and golf.

Share Your Experience!

Have you entered the LAMM or any other mountain marathon? If you have any stories or advice please share it, click on the “comments” link below!