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28 November, 2009

Turlough NC1 Race Report, Sunday 24th August 2008,

Bright sun and blue skies surprised us all as we arrived at Glenmacnass Waterfall for the first race in this year's Navigational Challenge Series. Pre-race whispers around the carpark wondered why we were not starting from Wicklow Gap, controls around Turlough Hill being the most logical reason for calling this year's inaugural run, "Turlough". After much suspense, Joe was happy to reveal all. Turlough is the Irish for a disappearing lake, places where water will accumulate but soon seep away into limestone soils. Our first control was to be one such lake, visible only on the Harvey's, the OSI crowd having arrived too late to mark it on. Incidentally, Turlough Hill itself was not named after such a phenomenon, but after the architect's son who built the man-made feature.

Having happily resolved this question, all we had to do was go find the lake... before it disappeared. This was to be our first control, just west of Mall Hill. And so, a total of 18 day-trippers set off as the clock struck noon, climbing out of Glenmacnass, the leaders heading for the forest corner SSE from the start. From there, Alan Alying and the young Alexander Baklturin followed the fence line down, finding a well-worn track but losing height. Tony Doolin, Brendan Delaney, Paul Smyth and myself stuck to higher ground, aiming for the saddle NNW of the control. In the end, Alexander reached it first, with Paul, Tony, Brendan and I in hot pursuit.

Our second control of the day was the summit of Stoney Top. Trying to avoid the bog beside the stream, we stuck to high ground, climbing out of the valley to the saddle south of Lough Ouler. And from herein lay the dilemma. Do you climb up towards Tonlagee and catch the path to get the control? Or do you go down and around Lough Ouler and hit the saddle just south of Stoney Top? Tony and I voted for option a. Alexander went for option b. And like any good Carlsberg ad, Brendan made up his own option c. Wanting to neither go up nor down, he decided to contour through the crags west of the lake. The map said no. But Brendan found some deer had already said yes, and followed wisely in their steps. As I came off Tonlagee, where Brendan was previously behind me, now he was firmly in front. At the top, Paul Nolan egged us all on as we ran northward off the summit towards our final control a boulder on the 450m contour on the other side of Glenmacnass river, SW of Carrigshouk.

The descent was fast and furious, I nearly standing on a curled up fawn hiding in the heather from the heat of the racing fury. Alexander, Brendan and I all arrived at the boulder at the same time. The long haul home would decide the race. Joe was hoping to tempt a few into following the road, but we opted to follow the river flow and got 3k of grass and bog and wet and shite as thanks. Even the walkers path, so enticing on the map, was no more than marsh and mud.

In the end, it was the long and young legs of the 16 year old Russian, Alexander Baklturin that would take him home first. Brendan held on to take second, and I was happy to bring up the rear. All I can say is, if that is the excitement the 13k can create, roll on the 16 in 2 weeks time.


NC1 24th August ’08 12.5 km 555m

1. Alexander Bakhturin 1.29.35 MJ
2. Brendan Delaney 1.30.53 MV
3. Moire O'Sullivan 1.31.42 F
4. Alan Ayling 1.36.53 M
5. Tony Doolin 1.39.20 M
6. Paul Symth 1.42.25 MV
7. Pat Farrelly 1.42.34 MV
8. Zoran Skrba 1.46.54 M
9. Stephen Doorly 1.52.38 MV
10. Wayne Jenkins 2.06.23 M
11. Val Jones 2.06.25 MV
12. Justin Rea 2.07.25 MV
13. Peter Kernan 2.09.10 MV
14. Daniela Boehm 2.12.13 F
15. Ben Dromey 2.15.52 M
16. Niamh Ni Cholmain 2.23.32 F
17. Isabelle Lemee 2.37.06 F
18. Tommy Glavin 3.20.50 M
19. Sarah Heal 3.20.50 F
20. Mick Kellett 3.47.13 MV
21. Barry Tennyson 1week + 3.18.00 MV

Moire O'Sullivan

04 May, 2009

Bright sun and blue skies surprised us all as we arrived at Glenmacnass Waterfall for the first race in this year’s Navigational Challenge Series. Pre-race whispers around the carpark wondered why we were not starting from Wicklow Gap, controls around Turlough Hill being the most logical reason for calling this year’s inaugural run, ‘Turlough’. After much suspense, Joe was happy to reveal all – Turlough is the Irish for a disappearing lake, places where water will accumulate but soon seep away into limestone soils. Our first control was to be one such lake, visible only on the Harvey’s, the OSI crowd having arrived too late to mark it on. Incidentally, Turlough Hill itself was not named after such a phenomenon, but after the architect’s son who built the man-made feature.

Having happily resolved this question, all we had to do was go find the lake... before it disappeared. This was to be our first control, just west of Mall Hill. And so, a total of 18 day-trippers set off as the clock struck noon, climbing out of Glenmacnass, the leaders heading for the forest corner SSE from the start. From there, Alan Alying and the young Alexander Baklturin followed the fence line down, finding a well-worn track but losing height. Tony Doolin, Brendan Delaney, Paul Smyth and myself stuck to higher ground, aiming for the saddle NNW of the control. In the end, Alexander reached it first, with Paul, Tony, Brendan and I in hot pursuit.

Our second control of the day was the summit of Stoney Top. Trying to avoid the bog beside the stream, we stuck to high ground, climbing out of the valley to the saddle south of Lough Ouler. And from herein lay the dilemma. Do you climb up towards Tonlagee and catch the path to get the control? Or do you go down and around Lough Ouler and hit the saddle just south of Stoney Top? Tony and I voted for option a. Alexander went for option b. And like any good Carlsberg ad, Brendan made up his own option c. Wanting to neither go up nor down, he decided to contour through the crags west of the lake. The map said no. But Brendan found some deer had already said yes, and followed wisely in their steps. As I came off Tonlagee, where Brendan was previously behind me, now he was firmly in front. At the top, Paul Nolan egged us all on as we ran northward off the summit towards our final control – a boulder on the 450m contour on the other side of Glenmacnass river, SW of Carrigshouk.

The descent was fast and furious, I nearly standing on a curled up fawn hiding in the heather from the heat of the racing fury. Alexander, Brendan and I all arrived at the boulder at the same time. The long haul home would decide the race. Joe was hoping to tempt a few into following the road, but we opted to follow the river flow and got 3k of grass and bog and wet and shite as thanks. Even the walkers’ path, so enticing on the map, was no more than marsh and mud.
In the end, it was the long and young legs of the 16 year old Russian, Alexander Baklturin that would take him home first. Brendan held on to take second, and I was happy to bring up the rear. All I can say is, if that’s the excitement the 13k can create, roll on the 16 in 2 weeks’ time.