Hargate KOL

New to orienteering?

Please just turn up and enter on the day, and ask any questions to the volunteers at registration who are very happy to help. You don’t need to be a club member or have done orienteering before. You can compete on your own or in a group. Run, walk or jog at the speed you want.

You will need suitable clothing to walk or jog through the park. Full leg cover is needed in case of undergrowth. As this is an open area a waterproof top is needed if it is raining. For the easier courses, a compass is useful but not essential (you can use one on a smartphone, or we have a few spare to lend out).

The aim is to find the red and white flags marked on the map (controls), using your map to pick the best route. When you’ve found them, record your visit using the timing equipment (we call this ‘punching’), then return to registration to “download” your course time.

We will explain how the timing equipment works at registration, and let you look at a blank copy of the map to familiarise yourself at registration.

When you’ve registered, you can go to the start (near registration, look for the volunteer standing by the large Saxons sail banner).

If you are doing the yellow course, you will get given your course map at registration, otherwise you get your map at the start. If you are in a group you get a map each. The map is waterproof and it is yours to keep.

At the start, punch the start control, then each control on your course, then finally the finish control (marked by a finish banner). Then return to registration to download your time and return your timing equipment. This is also our safety check so it’s really important we know you’re back OK. Please do give us any feedback, good and bad, about the course.

Location

Nearest town: Tunbridge Wells

• Grid Ref:
• Postcode: TN2 5PE
• Latitude: 51.11615
• Longitude: 0.24383
• Google Map
• Streetmap (OS 50k)
• Bing Map (OS 50k)
• OpenStreetMap

Directions / Parking

Please park on Broadwater Down, near the A26. Nearest postcode for the Hargate Forest entrance is TN2 5PE. Please park on one side of the road only, the right-hand side if you entered Broadwater Down from the A26. This road has a few driveways, please be considerate of local residents.

Once you have parked, please walk to registration, use the entrance to the forest nearest the A26 on Broadwater Down. The walk to registration is about 500 metres and will be signposted and marked with red and white tape.

Public Transport options

The nearest train station is Tunbridge Wells, approx 2.3km from the entrance to the forest.

Registration & Start Times

Registration from 10:30 to 12:00

Start times from 11:00 to 12:30

Courses close 14:00

Course Information

Five courses available:

Yellow. Controls (checkpoints) are very easy to find, mostly on main paths, ideal for younger children and complete beginners. Approximately 2 km

Orange. Moderate, controls are on or near paths with more route choice. Good for progressing juniors and beginner adults who are reasonably confident reading a map. Approximately 3km.

Light Green: Harder. Controls away from paths giving more challenging navigation. For those with some experience. Approximately 4km.

Short Blue. As technically hard as we can make it, for experienced orienteers. Approximately 6km.

Score. No set distance, but a 60 minute time limit. Find as many controls as possible in the hour. Good for adult beginners, those progressing from orange to light green, and those that want to be back in a set time.

Explanation of colour courses

• White are very easy with all controls on paths. They are mainly used by 6-10 year olds and family groups.
• Yellow use simple linear features like paths, walls and streams. They are mainly used by under 12’s and family groups.
• Orange progress to basic use of the compass and route choice. They are ideal for novice adults or experienced youngsters.
• Light Green are ideal for improvers as the navigational difficulty begins to increase and uses simple contours and point features.
• Green are used mostly by experienced under 18’s and adults wanting a short but challenging course with a very hard navigational difficulty.
• Blue are a longer, more physically demanding course in comparison to the green. The distances are more varied between controls and the course attracts experienced orienteers.
• Brown & Black are very physically demanding and have a very hard navigational difficulty. They are for experienced orienteers only.
• Score means visiting as many controls as possible in any order in a specific time, like 45mins.

Entry Details

Entry on the day.

Adults: £5 (members of an orienteering club) £7 (non members)

Juniors: £3 (members of an orienteering club) £5 (non members)

Groups: £10 (club members and non members), includes 1 dibber hire.

This price includes loan of electronic timing equipment (aka dibber) if required, and a waterproof map per competitor (yours to keep after the event). Dibbers are expensive and a £35 charge will be due if the dibber is lost.

Juniors are registered separately, compete in a group containing at least one adult, or be ‘shadowed’. Shadowing is explained below.

Juniors and Shadowing:

Whilst many juniors will initially complete a course as part of a group, some juniors may want to progress to be able to run on their own. We understand that many parents/guardians will want to ensure their child’s safety by completing the course with them, or following a short distance behind. We call this ‘shadowing’ and there is more information here. Parents shadowing juniors will be given an extra map at no charge. The entry fee will be the junior entry fee. Alternatively, juniors are also welcome to compete in twos or threes, and will be entered individually.

Terrain Description

Compact and detailed woodland on the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells. The majority of the forest is runnable with a good path network, but there are plenty of denser forest with lots of features for controls. Don’t forget to look out for the half buried antique tractor! There is a small river which crosses south end of the map, the river has many streams feeding it.

Facilities

There are no toilets at the event, the closest facilities are in Tunbridge Wells high street approximately 1.5km away.

After orienteering

After your course, you are very welcome to try another if there is time. ‘Score’ is a good course to do as extra practice (you don’t need to be out for a full hour).

Dogs allowed?

Yes. Dogs on leads near registration and download please.

Contacts / Officials

Organiser/Planner: Andrew Derrick

Organiser/Planner: Samantha Pror