KOLAPORE OLD SCHOOL ORIENTEERING

November 4, 2023

10 am Start

Kolapore Uplands Parking Lot

 

 

Results

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We're celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Kolapore Wilderness Trails with a little history of our own! It's been 25 years since the last traditional orienteering event was held in the Kolapore Uplands but the area has a rich orienteering heritage. The first-ever World Masters Games in 1985 included an orienteering race in Kolapore and the Ontario Orienteering Championships were held there in 1983 and 1998.

The Kolapore Old School Orienteering event will have an 80s/90s theme to celebrate the 40-year and 25-year anniversaries of those provincial championships.

We're excited to welcome people of all ages, runners and hikers, novices and experienced navigators. We'll have something for all of you!

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SO... WHAT EXACTLY IS OLD SCHOOL ORIENTEERING?

• Novice and Regular orienteering courses have been designed using historic checkpoint locations from the 1983 and 1998 events.

• The 1998 version of the map will be used. (More detail below.)

• Control punches and punch cards will be used. We'll hang the results on a string like the good old days.

• One participant is bringing an 80s playlist to create the right atmosphere for the start/finish area!

• Optional: If you have orienteering "pyjamas" or neon outdoor clothing in the back of your closet, it will fit the theme perfectly. Bonus points if you can come up with an 80s or 90s hairstyle. Pro tip: Lots of "product".

• We know that some attendees of the 1983 and 1998 championship events will be joining us and we'd love to see more!

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MEETING LOCATION

 

Kolapore Uplands Parking Lot, 495445 Grey Rd. 2, Ravenna 

This is the main Kolapore Uplands parking lot on the east side of Grey Rd. 2, just north of Kolapore Church.

Google Maps

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TERRAIN

Kolapore is hilly, rocky escarpment terrain with a well-established trail network. There are large areas of mature deciduous forest, wetlands with coniferous forest, reclaimed farmland and cliffs popular with rock climbers.

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The Kolapore Wilderness Trails network consists of approximately 50 kilometres of marked trails that are managed for cross-country skiing in winter and biking and hiking in summer. The trails are located in a rugged, semi-wilderness area along the Niagara Escarpment in The Blue Mountains, about 20 km southwest of Collingwood. Trails are blazed but the network is complex and a map is recommended - even for trail users who aren't orienteering. The trails are managed by the Kolapore Wilderness Trails Association and maintained by volunteers.

 

KWTA receives no government support so the cost of managing the trails is covered by memberships, donations and proceeds of map sales. Users are encouraged to support the trails by joining the Association or making a donation. There is a donation box at our parking lot meeting place and we encourage orienteers to show their appreciation for the trails. Dontgetlost South Georgian Bay will also make a donation on behalf of the event.

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IMPORTANT MAP NOTES

 

Regular Course

Scale: 1:10,000   Contour Interval 5 meters

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Novice Course

Scale: 1:7,500   Contour Interval 5 meters

 

The original Kolapore orienteering map was made in the early 1980s by Dick and Pat de St. Croix. It was substantially revised for the 1998 Ontario Orienteering Championships by Event Director Lloyd Bishop, Cornel Parvulescu, Susan Ryans and Laddie Haines. In the spirit of Old School Orienteering, we are using the 1998 map, which is not available in digital format and cannot be updated significantly. This will be part of the challenge! Vegetation has changed over 25 years but the trail network has changed very little. A few trail closures are indicated on the map. In testing, we found the map very useable and we chose checkpoint locations that you can still find with the old map.

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COURSES AND CATEGORIES:

Both courses will be point-to-point with optional bonus checkpoints. For safety, participants are required to return within 90 minutes, whether or not they have completed their course. The Regular Course includes three options that allow participants to navigate a shorter or longer route back to the finish. This is an individual event but participants with less experience are welcome to go out together if they register on the same course.

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REGULAR COURSE

Participants will be given a map with numbered checkpoints to visit in sequence. This course is suitable for adults who are comfortable using a map and compass off-trail in rugged terrain and for juniors with a strong navigation background. Most participants will travel 5-6 km, much of which will be off-trail in rocky terrain with unreliable cell signal. For participants who have time for more challenge, there are extensions (Long Regular Course and Advanced Course) and optional bonus controls. 90-minute maximum.

 

Categories: Junior Women (Under 18), Junior Open (Under 18), Adult Women, Adult Open, Masters Women (50+), Masters Open (50+)

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NOVICE COURSE

Participants will be given a map with numbered checkpoints to visit in sequence. All required checkpoints are along trails or very close to trails. Please bring a compass but participants on the basic Novice Course may not need to use it. Most people will travel 3-4 km in rugged terrain, mostly on trails. There are 4 optional off-trail checkpoints for participants who want a little more adventure, making this course appropriate and interesting for adults wanting to do a shorter event. This course is suitable for hikers of all ages, adult novices, adults with time constraints or children accompanied by parents. 90-minute maximum.

 

Categories: Juniors (Under 18), Adults (18+)

 

Notes

• A Participant's age for this event is their age on December 31, 2023.

• Participants aged 12 and under must take part with an adult.

• A parent accompanying a participating child does not need to register for the race separately but will be asked to complete a participant waiver for themselves and their child.

• Children aged 6 and under may accompany a participating parent on the Novice course at no charge. The parent will need to sign a waiver on their child's behalf. Note that some younger hikers may find the Novice course distance too challenging.

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Newer orienteers may find the Learn Orienteering website useful. Start with the Orienteering Basics and Orienteering Maps pages, including the section on Orienteering Map Colours. Your map will have a legend and the Control Descriptions (Checkpoints) will be provided in English so you don't need to memorize symbols.

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REGISTRATION 

Please register online in advance to reserve a map for your desired event. We won't be able to accept entries on the day of the event. **Note that registration closes on Thursday, November 2 at 11:59 pm.**

 

Confirmed Registrants

 

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WAIVER

Before you participate in any Dontgetlost Adventure Running event for the first time in a calendar year, you'll need to sign our Waiver. It's valid for the rest of 2023 for all events hosted by DGL in any region so you don't need to sign again if you did one of our events earlier in the year. A Parent or Guardian must sign the Waiver for any participant who will be under the age of 18 on the day of an event. Thank you!

Sign the Adult Waiver

Sign the Minor Waiver (Parent or Guardian)

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ENTRY FEES