Damians Belcoo report

Ivan asked me if I’d do a report on the Fermanagh Trailquest from a planner’s point of view. I’ve been avoiding it studiously, even cleaned the oven! Nevertheless, here goes.
I did enjoy the process of seeing it all come together as my previous experience of bike based score ‘o’ is nil. Those of you who are dyed in the wool orienteers might recognise elements of setting this up and foot orienteering are where I’ve gained my ragged knowledge.
We’re pretty fortunate in Fermanagh that Northern Ireland forestry went mad with tree planting and track laying forty years ago. This legacy meant that any number of locations might have suited the event but I was drawn to Ballintempo and Belmore by virtue of a reasonable local knowledge and what I’m calling ‘good’ shapes that is the number and layout of line features, the variety of slope aspects and their steepness. To be fair I also wanted to showcase the area, which I consider to be a fantastic landscape and the mountain biker in me wanted it to be sufficiently taxing as to reward confident bike handling on the 4 hour course. Feedback from earlier events suggested that 2 hour competitors would welcome a greater percentage of overall points accessible in their event so I felt the area chosen could fulfil this. A recce spin with a local MTB guru (not Robbie) confirmed initial thoughts but before proceeding with a single control site the big bogeyman of access had to be placated. Luckily our forester is a pretty approachable character and was willing to hear me out. For all you would be planners out there it’s worth emphasising Trailquest as big O small bike, the parity with foot orienteering and the not for profit fledgling club scene have a strong bearing on whether the forestry allow the activity on a permit basis which is free of charge or under a licence, potentially£500!
The banner of TCA insurance and being conversant with risk assessment considerations is also important. Having said all this we were quickly granted a permit with a brief site visit. Some local landowners were approached and were very amenable except where being stomped by cattle was likely.
Surprisingly at this stage of planning I hadn’t actually taken part in an event so had little idea of profile of competitor and did all my rough course times from how long it takes me less a percentage….lets call it a Robbie factor! The actual sitting of controls was decided by a skeleton of cross country loops and subsequent tweaks but I wanted to avoid too many dog legs. I was also conscious from the outset that route choice on the move was limited and that competitors success would depend on how they planned around the need to negotiate steep climbs and the direction they committed themselves to completing certain loops in. This seems obvious but the apparent close proximity of some controls belied their height difference or state of track surface I allocated points on this basis mostly but wasn’t overly analytical. Some sites I had hoped to use to provide more choice and variety of cycling were ruled out by forestry felling, vicious homicidal cattle and being too lazy to check it out, I have a life you know.
My biggest achievement in my eyes was a rudimentary grasp of OCAD and finally printing out a map! You may have remarked the use of an earlier version OS map as a template this was because track definition was better and more accurate than the new map. I called in all manner of tech support from the FermO laptop to Raymond Finlay’s time and endless unsuccessful emails to the long suffering Ivan. Eventually a little known but reliable informatics technique, the He mail was employed. That is Ivan and I met in a lonely lay-by miles from home and confirmed the courses. Isn’t technology amazing!
Finally, the bit I know how to do, slogging around putting out controls. I enlisted the help of novice orienteer and expert brother Pete to do a milk float style layout from my van. Projected time 3hours….actual time 5, all done Saturday afternoon except 3 placed by bike on Friday.
Now I get to Sunday, event day. Out 8am, caution cyclists, direction arrows, make up goodie bags, chase cows off road. Set up table. Greet hardy competitors. Wait, wait some more. Express amazement about weather. Ignore Ivan and hope he won’t ask opinion on how to get printer working. Express amazement when he does. Watch competitors trickle back. Wonder if expressions on faces means displeasure with course or extreme localised chaffing. Vow to go round to Robbie’s and fill his bike frame with concrete…not that it would make a difference, also note to self, recalibrate Robbie factor for future events. Chase loitering adventure racer types and check for any £20 notes on ground… none found.
Accept kind and in Ivan’s case ill advised offers to pick up controls. Crank up the Barbie while everyone else tidies up the loose ends .Thanks Billy and Pete.
Welcomed home with open arms by wife and small kids until close enough to smell 2 day helly. Beer, shower trough bed. Now, what day is it?