"Love is in the air, what better than an orienteering event to celebrate!" (Said no poet ever.)
Tharu and Rishi, two of our club members, are getting married, and wanted to have an orienteering course for their guests. We decided to make this an official BAOC event, so everyone can participate.
We encourage beginners to attend, no experience is necessary. The UC campus has many distinctive landmarks, such as the Campanile, so anyone should be able to navigate the course.
The conditions of our permit do not allow us to serve food at the event, so we will not be able to supply the usual snacks. Thus, this event will be BYOS (Bring Your Own Snacks).
We look forward to seeing everyone at what is always a fun venue!
Note: We try to plan the BAOC event schedule to avoid overlaps with events from other clubs in the area. We point you to the GCO schedule for another event that day at Sierra College in Rocklin, CA. Our thanks to Ryan and Mats for their understanding.
Schedule
The standard BAOC event schedule will be followed:
9:00 AM – 11:59 AM: Registration open
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Beginner clinic instruction (free)
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Starts are open
2:00 PM: Course closes, checkpoint control pick-up begins
Note: At on-site registration, all juniors must be accompanied by parents or legal guardians, or bring with them a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian (the registration form is available here [12KB PDF]).
Note that you can register and start on the course anytime during the open times above. Thus, for example, you do not need to be "punctual" at 9:00 (you can if you want, but please don't show up earlier and expect to be served).
Beginner clinics are 15–20 minute, repeating sessions that introduce the sport of orienteering, and provide enough instruction to be able to complete the course at this event.
Note that you must return to the Finish by 2:00 PM, and then go to the download table, even if you have not finished your course. Please do not leave without checking in! We need to have everyone accounted for so checkpoint pick-up can start on time so those volunteers can get home.
Costs and Registration
The following fees apply at this event:
$5 for each junior
$15 for each adult club member
$20 for each adult non-member
$1 for a compass rental (optional)
$5 for an electronic fingerstick rental (optional, but each team will need one to complete the course)
$15 for the lowest-cost individual one-year BAOC membership (optional)
Notes:
- You can register at the event, and possibly online before the event (see below).
- At the event, we can accept payment by cash, check, or credit/debit card (but no electronic payments).
- Juniors are age 8 through 20 (under age 8 is free).
- Members of other orienteering clubs can pay the "member" fee. (We hope your club does the same for our members. 🙂)
You can print and fill out the standard entry form (12KB PDF) in advance to save some time at the event (but you'll need to "adapt" the form to this special event). You will need one entry form for each group of people going on the course together.
Optional Online Registration
Online registration has closed, but you can still register at the event.
Notes:
- Online registration is not required — you can register at the event.
- Compass rental cannot be arranged during online registration, but you can register online and rent a compass at the event.
- E-punch fingerstick rental can be arranged during online registration.
- You can see who is registered here (but keep in mind that others will register at the event.
Location on Campus
Registration will be held at the courtyard of the Social Sciences Building (formerly Barrows Hall), which is located on the south side of the campus, near Bancroft Way, and near Sather Gate and Sproul Plaza.
This is the same location we have used for the last several events.
Venue Facilities
Water and restrooms should be available inside the Social Sciences Building. If it happens that the building is closed that day, there will be open restrooms at Sproul Hall about 150 meters away.
As mentioned above, no snacks will be served at this event. There are many food opportunities just steps away on Bancroft Way.
What to Bring
Running attire and running shoes are fine. Comfortable outdoors attire and walking shoes are fine for those who will walk their course.
A compass is not necessary, but can be helpful. We have compasses available for a $1 rental fee.
We time courses with the SPORTident system, so a SPORTident fingerstick is required for each team — they rent for $5. (Use of the "E-punch" system is easy. You can learn how at the event, or read about it here.)
Course Details
In keeping with the special nature of this event, there will be only one course. Here are the details:
4.3 km, 40 m climb, 23 controls
Note: The distance is measured along the "best-route", not the sum of the straight-line distances.
The Start and Finish will each be about 400 m from the assembly area.
Start intervals will be 1 min, reduced to 30 sec if it gets too busy.
Note: The north lines on the map are not parallel to the edges of the paper. Don't let yourself be tricked by that (i.e., as others have done).
Be sure to read the Course Setter's Notes below for more information.
Important Note:
This event will observe Sprint rules, which means there are strict interpretations of some of the symbols on the map. In particular, some symbols indicate features that must not be crossed (i.e., even if it's physically possible to cross them), and areas that are out of bounds (i.e., must not be entered). If you don't know about those symbols, be sure to ask somebody before going to the Start.
In addition to being against orienteering rules, violating those restrictions could jeopardize our ability to hold events on the campus in the future!
Volunteers
For all of you who enjoy orienteering, help us help others catch that joy. Although this is a "pruned-down" event, we will still need the normal volunteers:
- Setup
- Registration
- Beginner Clinics
- Hospitality/Greeters
- Starts (2 one-person shifts)
- Checkpoint Pickup (need 4 or more people)
- Take Down
- Take equipment to the club locker in Fremont after the event
Parking
Parking, although always tight, is free on Sunday along the roads south and north of the main campus (Bancroft and Hearst, respectively). Arrive early to secure space on Bancroft near Telegraph (closest to the Social Sciences Building). More free Sunday parking is available on the streets south of Bancroft. There are many pay spaces around the campus and in nearby garages, such as the Upper and Lower Bancroft Garages, and Telegraph & Channing Garage. Suggested streets and garages are shown in the map to the right (click on the map to see a larger image, and click on that image for an even larger one).
Parking tip for Downtown Berkeley: Drive to the North Berkeley BART station, park your car there for free (on weekends), and take AC Transit 52 (schedule) to the stop at Bancroft & Telegraph (11-minute ride), then walk to the Social Sciences Building. Alternatively, you can take BART one stop south to the Downtown Berkeley station and walk from there.
Public Transit
Public Transit is highly encouraged! The Downtown Berkeley BART station is one block west of campus, and from there it's a pleasant 0.5-mile walk through campus to the Social Sciences Building (see the map above).
Local buses are also available at Telegraph & Bancroft/Durant. AC Transit routes 6, 36, 51B, 52, 79, and F stop here, and connect with Downtown Berkeley BART, North Berkeley BART, Rockridge BART, Telegraph Ave, University Ave, etc. Please refer to the map above, and check Google Maps and AC Transit for more information.