Thursday 01/01/2026 – New Year’s Day Score – Lightning Tree Hill

Traditional Forest of Dean mixed woodland, with a matrix of larger tracks dividing the the central part of the forest into rectangular blocks, some of which are fenced and impassable. There is a belt of heavily worked and pitted woodland along the Western edge of the map, and steep slopes on the Eastern side, though there are few control on that side. The Edgehills Nature Reserve runs along the top of the main forest ridge. It is fenced, and usually houses a few cattle, but these are docile and normally out of the way in the rougher parts of the reserve. If you come across them allow them space and pass them wide and slow. The Reserve may only be entered and left via the marked gates; the fence, although not high, is not to be crossed anywhere, and is marked with a heavy purple line.

We are grateful to Forestry England for giving us permission to run in this area.

A4, 1:10,000, with 5m contours, printed on waterproof paper with controls descriptions on the front.

The Start and Finish are close to Assembly, and the car park. They are located in the woods to the West of the school, the left as you turn in. There is a gate at the far end of the spur of parking on the extreme left (West) end of the parking area.

This is a standard 60 minute Score race, with a near-mass start. You will dib the start box, be issued with a map, and set off, and we will process people through this sequence as fast as we can.

There are 30 controls and these will have varying points value – either 10, 20 or 30. The points are shown on the map and in the control descriptions, with higher points for higher numbered controls. The penalty for late return is 10 points per minute or part minute.

The course includes a number of easy controls, of Yellow standard, for young runners and those looking for an easy morning perhaps after a heavy New Year's Eve.

As mentioned in our welcome paragraphs, a bounty - 40 points - can be earned if you can find and get close enough to the Abominable Snowman to 'dib' him! A further bounty is available to anyone who identifies and visits the control located at the tree after which the map is named (hint: it's a very old tree!), and states the control number when downloading.

We will use SI Timing, in punching and touch free modes. The Start and Finish must however be punched.

There will be a mass start at 11:00, consistent with a punching start and map issue. Allow plenty of time to get to Assembly/Start and do not be late.

Fees

Fees are unchanged from last year.

SI dibber hire: Standard dibber £1 Adults, Juniors free

Entries are now open on Fabian4.co.uk: enter by midnight on Monday 29th December.

Entry on the day is possible only while maps last, but note the premium price to discourage this. We should by then be able to accept credit/debit card payments, but this is not guaranteed so bring cash just in case.

The standard Fabian4 terms and conditions offer an automatic refund up to 2 months before the event date, and we do not normally vary this specification. That means that in most cases no refunds are possible, as we do not publish details until less than 2 months before the date of the event.

However, for all except large events we hold entries open until only a day or so before the event, so you can delay entry if unsure whether you can run, until very close to event day.

Allowed, under control, especially so in the Nature Reserve.

The NGOC cafe will be present. We charge a small amount using an honesty system for drinks and snacks at the cafe, simply to cover the costs of providing it. Please make sure you bring some change to pay for your refreshments, although you may also be able to pay via the card machine at registration, subject to a minimum charge of £1.

For logistic and security reasons there will be no toilet provide at Assembly. There are, however, public toilets nearby, at 24 Heywood Rd, Cinderford GL14 2SF, or W3W trio.helpless.advancing. We will check whether these are open or not nearer the event. Sadly such public facilities tend to be much abused, and so may not be in good order.

• Orienteering is an adventure sport. All runners take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety.
• The ground is likely to be wet and slippery, and care should be taken on steeper slopes. It is also unwise to step on fallen branches and logs on slopes, as they are usually extremely slippery.
• A risk assessment will be carried out
• First aid support will be available at Assembly