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Hi folks,

NIOC this year is hosted by NWOC, on Saturday 13th October.

They\'ve commissioned a shiny new map, Pomeroy Forest, outside Cookstown - just a smidge west of Lough Neagh.

Championship courses are pre-entry, with 5 non-championship courses to choose from if you prefer to turn up on the day.

Full details online    https://nwoc.info/events/n-ireland-open-orienteering-championships/

Pre-entry open until 7th October - that\'s this Sunday.

And to whet your appetite:

\"...the useable areas of the forest are mainly coniferous, undulating and with an abundance of old boundaries and drainage ditches. A few areas of rough open parkland with mature isolate trees are reminders of the former Demesne. There are a number of paths and trail loops varying from heavily used stone blinded paths to less distinct trails used only by the more adventurous walker. The courses have been planned within the runnable areas, visibility is generally good. Only some legs will encounter mixed scrubby seasonal vegetation depending upon the route chosen. Whilst runnability is generally good, the momentum is often broken by ditches, ridges and furrows associated with the lines of planting. The area is very compact, so in order to keep path running to a minimum expect courses with lots of twisting and turning with higher numbers of controls than usual.\"