CheapTents Outdoor Gear Blog

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.

• A Brief Introduction to Orienteering
• iRoc Race: Run, Cycle and Orienteer on Durham Downs
• The Original Mountain Marathon: flood, gales and stranded runners…

The Adbu Dhabi Adventure Race, climbing in the desert.

Winter is upon us now in the UK. There was a frost this morning and there has been snow on some our higher peaks for some time now. Its time to put on lots of layers and maybe get out our winter accessories. You can’t beat hiking on a sunny winters day, seeing the snow in the trees and on the ground. The fresh, cold air invigorates your face, making your nose go cold. Best of all there is a log fire and a pint of real ale with your name on it, waiting in the country pub at the end of the walk. So why anyone would want to go to Abu Dhabi to take part in a gruelling adventure triathlon across the desert is beyond me…:-)

• Adidas Terrex Adventure Race
• iRoc Race: Run, Cycle and Orienteer on Durham Downs
• Strathpuffer 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race

Carl Loftus practising adventure running at the Winter Hill Fell Race.

We are always interested to hear from people of are taking on an outdoor related challenge to raise money for their favourite cause. We were recently contacted by tri-athlete Carl Loftus, of Warrington Tri Club, who is planning to do a bit of adventure running…

Running The Standstone Trail

The sandstone trail in Cheshire stretches from Whitchurch to Frodsham and takes in 34 miles of stunning scenery including Beeston Castle, Rawhead, Delamere and finally the Mersey view at Frodsham. And I’m going to run it all in one day!

• Ironman Triathlon 2010 Bolton
• The Marathon Des Sables Race, 2009
• Nine Edges Race Peak District

This coming weekend (6 to 10th of June) all the top orienteers will be turning their attention to Salo, Finland, for the 2009 Nordic Orienteering Championships. This event takes place in a different Scandinavian country every year. It is a highly competitive event with technically challenging orienteering races. The event also has races that are open to the public. It has been organised by the NOC2009 Organizing Committee and Finnish orienteering club Angelniemen Ankkuri.

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

• Exclusive Interview! Graham Gristwood Professional Orienteer
• iRoc 2010 Now Open for Entry
• iRoc Race: Run, Cycle and Orienteer on Durham Downs

Orienteering in the New Forest

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.

• Exclusive Interview! Graham Gristwood Professional Orienteer
• Adidas Terrex Adventure Race
• Ian Adamson: Worlds Most Successful Adventure Racer Interview

I thought to finish off my recent spate of posts on Mountain marathons I’d talk about what sort of outdoor gear is best. Most competitions provide a required gear list from which teams must carry everything. I’ve tried to briefly cover everything commonly found on these lists but they do vary.

Personal Gear

Top Baselayer
A good quality top, with either long or short sleeves is all that is needed. Make sure that the top is made of a high quality material with good wicking properties. If you’re running hard you’re not likely to be cold, but will get sweaty.

• Outdoor and camping advice is our thing…
• Cumulus test results and reviews…Ultralight 200
• What Outdoor Gear Do You Need to Take Up Scafell Pike?

What is orienteering?

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.

• iRoc Race: Run, Cycle and Orienteer on Durham Downs
• Warrington Tri Club to Run Sandstone Trail
• Exclusive Interview! Graham Gristwood Professional Orienteer

The iRoc Race is a new race set-up by inov8, a UK company specialising in trail running shoes for UK running conditions.

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.

• A Brief Introduction to Orienteering
• CheapTents.com enter the David Staff Fell Race!
• Nine Edges Race Peak District

Headlines over the weekend have been highlighting what has been some of the worst storms to face ‘The Original Mountain marathon’, causing it to be called off for the first time in it’s 40 year history.

The Original Mountain Marathon, near Keswisk, Cumbria

Each year several hundred people take part in this mountain marathon, a fell run over very challenging terrain in the Lake District.

It involves teams of two, carrying all clothing, equipment, tent, sleeping bag, and their food for 36 hours, during the run. They must also navigate their own route and camp out overnight.

• The Marathon Des Sables Race, 2009
• Nine Edges Race Peak District
• iRoc Race: Run, Cycle and Orienteer on Durham Downs

Sam Thompson is one of the most inspiring professional endurance runners in the world.  You can imagine the excitement when Sam agreed to be interviewed by CheapTents.com on his achievements, challenges and motivations.  For an insight into the life of a phenomenal ultramarathon runner, this is truly a great place to start…

Sam Thompson, Professional Endurance Runner

Sam Thompson’s Background

Born 24th October 1980, Sam is a native adventure runner raised in Mississippi, USA, but currently living in Seattle.

• The Marathon Des Sables Race, 2009
• Pro-Adventure Racer Mike Kloser Interview
• CheapTents.com enter the David Staff Fell Race!