Dear Editor,

I read with interest your article on the Connacht Championships in Issue 89 of TIO and fully agree with your comments. It is disappointing when an event does not live up to expectations. However poor technical standards is one issue, but an apparent disregard for safety issues is quite another.

Can I suggest a rule of thumb? There are 5 factors which can cause safety concerns with an event:

1 Poor visibility

2 Extremes of temperature

3 Precipitation

4 High winds

5 Open terrain

Having one or two factors rarely presents a hazardous situation eg. poor visibility on a cold day is not a problem if it is dry and calm. However having more than 3 together indicates a potentially difficult situation and over 4 factors means that there will be problems. At Connacht there was a hazard factor of between 3 and 4; the visibility was good, but it was cold, there were heavy showers of rain, hail, sleet and snow, it was fairly windy and the terrain was very exposed. Add to that the difficult underfoot conditions and the excessive climb on most courses.

As you rightly state such conditions could not be unexpected in February, yet down in the registration area the situation looked different. There was the odd shower of rain, but otherwise it was sunny, sheltered and it looked like it could be a nice day. Even looking at the OS map of the area with a maximum height of 240m did not indicate just how exposed the open area where all the competition would take place would be. Yet the organisers knew exactly what was ahead. Did they even think to recommend the carrying of cagoules?

The only advice that was given was at the start. When it became apparent that the courses were going over open terrain, one junior female in the start box, wearing a T shirt asked the start official what the conditions were like at the top. The start official told her that it was very windy with snow and hail showers. At the look of disbelief on her face he said, "Well you did ask!"

I had chosen to wear a thermal top and an O top, but there were many others in just O tops, or even T shirts or sleeveless tops. Nevertheless I was badly caught out. I took a cramp in my leg and was moving slower than normal. Slipping and sliding over the rough terrain I began to lose body heat and then co-ordination. I knew that I was suffering from the initial symptoms of hypothermia and must retire but I had to stay particularly focused to get back to the finish. It was not a pleasant experience.

When I orienteer I do take responsibility for my own actions, but I do so with the assumption that the organisers will adequately advise me. However, advice at the start line with seconds to go is just too late. In my opinion cagoules should have been recommended, if not compulsory.

The results make sorry reading indicating that a staggering 42% of starters did not complete the course. The results list in very small print the names of 9 competitors who were omitted from the results "due to the loss of their SI card on the course or because of other reasons it did not get returned to the registry". As I read the results on the Wednesday after the event I couldn’t help think that there may be bodies lying at the foot of crags at Ballygawley. Without stubs did the organisers have a simple and fail safe system in place to check which runners were not back?

Electronic punching does not remove the desirability for manned controls. Several years ago I was planner for an event on Slieve Croob which had to be rescheduled for December, on a crisp winter’s day with snow on the ground. We had a manned control in an emergency shelter common to all courses on high ground. We had a cagoules compusory rule in force but one junior, who somehow started without a cagoule, had to be intercepted at the manned control, given a hot drink, warm clothing and escorted off the mountain.

Yes, perhaps this was Connacht’s last chance. But maybe a wise sheriff from the east could rescue the wild west, if next year Connacht choose to invite an experienced controller from another Province.

Stephen Gilmore

LVO