CLOK logo Cleveland Orienteering Klub
invites you to an Middle Distance event at
Skelton Warren & Birk Brow
on Sunday 14th December 2025
CLOK logo
Newcomers to orienteering:
>>  Help and advice will be available at this event.  Just come along and ask!
>> Follow this link for information about orienteering events, including advice on how to select an appropriate course for your level of fitness and navigational experience.
Red Runners logo This event is participating in the Red Runners promotion.  Follow the link for more information.
Location:

Parking will be in the Margrove Park Old Shale Tip car park.  From the A171 Birk Brow Road east of Guisborough, turn east on to a minor road signed to Margrove Park and Boosbeck.  Go past the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and the car park will be on your left.  The postcode is TS12 3BZ and the What3words reference of the car park entrance is ///obsinate.jokes.helped.

Click on the link to see a map.  You can zoom in (and, optionally, switch to Satellite mode) to see the details of the final approach to the event.  You can also get directions if you specify your starting location.

Space in the car park is limited.  Please follow the directions of the marshal to make sure that we can fit everyone in.  If the car park is full, the parking marshal will direct you to overflow parking.

Terrain:

The area has two distinct parts, separated by a quiet road.

Skelton Warren is mixed woodland on the steep slope on the edge of the North York Moors.  There are scattered rock features in the woods, and the area has a good path network.  Please note that some of the many bike and off-road vehicle tracks are not mapped.

Above the quiet road at the top of Skelton Warren, Low Moor is a gently sloping area of heather moorland with patches of gorse and small areas of old quarry workings.

There are some wet areas in the woods.  Many slopes are covered in wet leaves, making descents/ascents very slippery, and rutted tracks have deep water in places.  Thinning has taken place in the area, and some of the small thickets have been cut down.  There are low-lying brambles in parts of the area.

The map has been updated to reflect the changes to the paths and thickets, but please note that some recent paths – especially the mountain bike tracks – may not be shown on the competition maps.

There is one dangerous pit in the area.  It will be taped off.

Courses:
Course  Length  
(km)
  Climb  
(m)
  Controls  
Brown4.010025
Blue3.710025
Green3.111018
Short Green   2.47016
Light Green2.78016
Red4.18524
Orange2.36015
Yellow1.76011
White1.33512

Please note that this is a Middle Distance event, so the courses are shorter than they would be at a Classic Distance event and involve lots of short legs with many changes in direction.

The course details are subject to final controlling.

The White, Yellow, Orange and Short Green courses stay in Skelton Warren and do not cross the minor road.  As currently planned, the Light Green course crosses the minor road (twice, once each way).  The crossings will not be marshalled.

Map:

1:7,500 scale   5m contours   A4 size

Control descriptions will be printed on the maps, and loose copies will be available at the Start.

Punching system:

SPORTident electronic punching will be used.

The control boxes will be activated to enable SIAC cards to operate in touch-free mode ..... but please note that you will need to punch the conventional way at the Start and Finish.

If you need to hire an SI-card, add the request to your entry in Racesignup.  There is a £1 hire charge.  Please collect your hired SI-card from Download before your run and return it as you download after your run.  Take care of your hired SI-card, as there will be a £20 charge if you lose it.

Entries:

If you wish to participate in this event, please pre-enter via the Racesignup online entry system.

The entry fees are:
Seniors:£10       £2 surcharge for non-members of British Orienteering
Juniors / students:   £3 
Adult beginners on the Whiute, Yellow or Orange courses:     £3 

The entry deadline is midnight on Sunday 7‑Dec‑2025.  After that, you will still be able to enter until midnight on Thursday 11‑Dec‑2025, but there will be a £2 late entry surcharge for Seniors and your choice of course may be limited by map availability.

There will be very limited entry on the day subject to the availability of maps ..... but please make every effort to pre-enter if you can.

Starts:

10:30 a.m. - 12 noon.       Courses close at 1:30 p.m.

The Start is approximately 20 - 25 minutes' walk from the car park.  The route to the Start involves crossing a road (that has light but fast-moving traffic) and then walking along a pavement and then a good forest track.  There is 50m climb.

You will pass the Finish on the way to the Start.

Facilities:

Portable toilet in the car park.

No drinks will be provided.  Please bring your own refreshments.

First aid at Download, which will be in the car park.

Dogs:

Well behaved dogs are welcome at this event, and can be taken out into the competition area, but if you do this then please be very careful not to cause a hazard for other competitors or members of the public.

We advise you to keep your dog on a lead in the car pare, because the entrance opens directly on to a road that has fast-moving traffic.

Officials:
Organisers:  Jeanette Downing
Caroline Mackenzie
Planner:  Stuart Fraser
Controller:  Patrick Smyth
First Aider:  Caroline Mackenzie
Photography: Anyone taking photos or videos at this event must do so in accordance with CLOK's Photography and Filming Policy.
Safety:

A comprehensive risk assessment will have been carried out by the Organiser, but please remember that competitors take part at their own risk.  Orienteering is an adventure sport – your safety while orienteering is your own responsibility.

Please make sure that you download even if you do not complete your course.

CLOK strongly recommends that you carry a whistle while participating in this (and every) orienteering event.

If you have a relevant medical condition, please add this to your competitor details in Racesignup.  Any information provided will be treated in strict confidence and will only be used if you need medical treatment and are unable to communicate at the time.

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