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Nav-X High Sierra Rogaine

2016 North American Rogaining Championships

First Annual Western N.A. Rogaine

Date: Aug. 27 - 28, 2016
Location: Sierra National Forest near Shaver Lake, CA
Event Directors: - 650.941.4184, - 510.681.6181
Course Setter: Dennis Wilkinson
Type: Rogaine; 4-, 8-, and 24-hour options; North American Rogaining Championships

Related Event Information

August 22nd Bulletin Course Setter's Notes Online Registration (https://www.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/c21/register/?event_id=240) Event Page on Attackpoint (http://attackpoint.org/eventdetail.jsp/event_31420) Event Results

Please note that fees and time limits apply. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.


In addition to being the 2016 North American Rogaine Championships, this event will also be part of the 2016 Nav-X race series (http://www.navxchallenge.com/#schedule). Race or trek in the Sierra Nevada mountains east of Fresno at elevations between 7000 and 9000 feet! The race area is primarily pine forest with low to moderate undergrowth, interspersed with some bare granite slab. Steepness is moderate by California standards, with some dramatic terrain and spectacular views mixed in. The map will be at 1:25000 scale with 10-meter contours and 5 colors, developed by the Nav-X team.

Come experience the true wildness of the Sierra Nevada mountains to challenge yourself, and the top North American navigators!

This event is sanctioned by OrienteeringUSA, and the 24-hour race is the North American Rogaine Championship for 2016. Top finishers in each division of the 24-hour race qualify for the World Rogaining Championships. Scores from the 24-hour race, as well as the 4- and 8-hour races, will also count towards the 2016 Nav-X Challenge Series (http://www.navxchallenge.com/#schedule). For safety, teams are required in the 8- and 24-hour divisions.

(This event will be the first annual Western N.A. Rogaine. With Rogainers from other western O clubs, we are developing a plan for an annual 24-hour event, rotating the hosting club.)

Be sure to read the August 22nd Bulletin and the Course Setter's Notes.

August 23rd Volunteer Update

We are still looking for a few more volunteers for control pickup. Rebate on entry fee is still on offer! We probably do have enough people helping out at the Hash House Saturday night and Sunday morning for now, but you're of course still welcome to spend the evening and night out there with us!

July 1st Update

With the snows receding we have been able to get up to the High Sierra Rogaine venue and do some scouting. We are also hard at work on the map.

First off, the map now has 10-meter contours and 5 colors at a 1:25,000 scale! It is also large enough to accommodate a course of substantial (unclearable perhaps) length. We are putting a good effort into making this map suitable for a championship race.

Secondly, the venue is excellent for rogaining, even better than we had hoped. The forest is truly runnable in most places, and the open areas include beautiful meadows and bare rock. There are quite a few roads and tracks, but not so many that you can't get lost out there. Deadfall and brush, while present in some areas, will not be a major factor​—​it's possible to travel in any direction on almost the entire map.

We highly recommend a trip out to this spectacular area. If you're coming from far away, you might consider combining the race with a trip to Yosemite or Kings Canyon, which are nearby.

Finally, if you can't race, or can and want more, we'd love to have more volunteers to help out! Contact or if you're interested. First come, first served!

Hope to see you out there,
Dennis

Schedule

August 26 (Friday)

Camping is allowed near the Start/Finish/Hash House area (permit not required per NF).

August 27 (Saturday)

06:22   Sunrise
08:30   Event center and Hash House setup begins
09:30   Map hand-out begins
10:40   Briefing, 8-hour division; 8-hour intention sheets due
11:00   Start, 8-hour division
11:40   Briefing, 4- and 24-hour divisions; 4- and 24-hour intention sheets due
12:00   Start, 4- and 24-hour divisions
15:30   Food service begins at Hash House
16:00   Finish, 4-hour division
16:30   Absolute deadline to finish, 4-hour division
16:40   Award ceremony, 4-hour division
17:00   Search operations begin if needed, 4-hour division
19:00   Finish, 8-hour division
19:30   Absolute deadline to finish, 8-hour division
19:40   Award ceremony, 8-hour division
19:33   Sunset
20:00   Search operations begin if needed, 8-hour division
20:01   Civil twilight ends

August 28 (Sunday)

05:57   Civil twilight begins
06:24   Sunrise
12:00   Finish, 24-hour division
12:30   Absolute deadline to finish, 24-hour division
12:45   Awards ceremony, 24-hour division
13:00   Search operations begin if needed, 24-hour division
13:30   Food service ends
19:31   Sunset
20:00   All personnel and equipment out of the Staging area

New to Rogaining or Map Trekking?

Map Trekking, also known as Rogaining, is a "Navigation Sport" that has elements of a few other sports and activities like Trail Running, Fell Running (XC hill running), Hiking, Orienteering, and Geocaching. More specifically, Map Trekking is a time-based challenge, two hours or more in length, where participants try to score as many points as possible within the time allowed, by visiting checkpoints scattered across a vast, wild landscape. Participants are free to decide which checkpoints to visit, and in what order.

Typically, a set time is allowed before the start for participants to study the map, and determine their route. Participants travel on foot and navigate their chosen route using the map and a compass (no GPS allowed, except for recording your track). A late finish comes with point penalties, adding another layer of challenge to the sport.

Checkpoints vary in difficulty and the point values reflect the same, so that easy ones yield a lower point value than difficult ones. To encourage beginners, course setters typically provide plenty of easy checkpoints near the Start and Finish location.

In longer Rogaines, participants may return to the "Hash House" to rest and eat. Hot food is provided, and some racers elect to lay down for a few hours. At this event, the Hash House will be located at the Start/Finish/Staging area. You are free to set up camp in the forest near the Hash House, to spend the night before the race, or if you think you might rest during the 24-hour event.

Venue Info

The Sierra Nevada mountains of California are world famous for their beauty and wildness. However, almost all of the upper elevations (High Sierra) is federally designated Wilderness, and therefore forbidden for organized group events or races. We have identified one of the last remaining large, permittable regions above 7000 feet, and are excited to bring you the 2016 North American Rogaine Championships in this dramatic venue! The race area has moderate undergrowth and steepness, by California standards, and is large enough that top 24-hour teams will find it difficult to clear the course.

Moderate (local) steepness aside, you will definitely need your climbing legs for this race. The event area is characterized by major canyon systems divided by ridges, with elevation differences of 2000 feet or more. The vegetation is largely pine forest, with some bare granite slab or open sandy ground on the mountaintops and some canyon sides. Undergrowth is patchy but will be a factor, so leg protection is suggested; deadfall can also be an impediment. You may also encounter limited areas of alpine meadow, talus slope, dense stands of young trees, or thick chaparral. You will not encounter poison oak, which does not grow at these elevations. There is a road network, although some of the smaller-use roads may not be well maintained or mapped.

There is currently legislation in progress that would convert around half of the terrain for this race into Wilderness designation, rendering it inaccessible for future racing. The timeline for this decision and change is the next 2 to 5 years. Come race in the Sierras while you can! If you'd like to take action to attempt to retain the ability to produce group events in this area, before or after the race, contact the event directors.

About the Map

The map for this race will be at 1:25000 scale with 10-meter contours and 5 colors.

Courses and Divisions

The course options are 4-hour, 8-hour and 24-hour. Solo racers are allowed only in the 4-hour division, although teams are welcome as well in that division. Teams of two or more people are required for the 8- and 24-hour divisions.

Be sure to read the Course Setter's Notes for more information about the course.

We will recognize the top finishers in the categories below. The 24-hour division is the North American Rogaining Championships, and men's, mixed, and women's teams will be separately ranked in the following age groups:

Teams qualifying for two or more of the above divisions will be ranked in each. The top two or three teams in each division qualify for the World Rogaining Championships according to IRF guidelines (see here (http://rogaining.com) for more details).

Finishers in the 4- and 8-hour courses will also be ranked and recognized according to the above scheme, although these durations are not Championship courses. Solos and teams will be ranked together in the 4-hour results.

Finishers will also receive points and be ranked in the 2016 Nav-X Series. The Nav-X divisions are:

Results from this event count toward the Nav-X Series Championship. However, recognition and awards for individuals and teams will be allotted according to the Rogaine divisions. So, for example, a 21-year-old male competitor in the 4-hour race will be ranked in the Youth Male division for this event, while his score also contributes to his total in the Open Mixed category of the Nav-X Series. Team members each receive the same number of (individual) Nav-X points.

Fees

The fees below apply for the 4-, 8-, 24-hour events in the 2016 Nav-X Series.

  Before Midnight
  7/31/16 – Online 		  4-Hour     8-Hour     24-Hour  
  Youth (under 23) $25 $44 $66
  Adult (23+) $41 $73 $110

  Before Midnight
  8/23/16 – Online 		  4-Hour     8-Hour     24-Hour  
  Youth (under 23) $27 $48 $75
  Adult (23+) $45 $80 $125

  August 27, 2016
  Cash or Check 		  4-Hour     8-Hour     24-Hour  
  Youth (under 23) $31 $55 No day-of registration
  Adult (23+) $51 $91 No day-of registration

Online Registration is available here (https://www.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/c21/register/?event_id=240). You can see who is registered here (https://www.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/c21/reglist/?event_id=240).

What to Bring

Because of the length and extreme terrain of this event, certain gear items are required for safety in this event.

Required gear for all divisions:

The following items are additionally required for the 8- and 24-hour divisions:

And finally, the following items are additionally required for the 24-hour division:

In addition to that required gear, we recommend the following items:

Race for Less — Volunteer!

Get a discount off your race fees if you help us out! 4- and 8-hour participants, stay and help us at the Hash House for a 20% discount on your entry. We'd especially love to find some night owls to keep us company in the small hours, and people to help set up or take down the event center.

We are also very motivated to find volunteers for control pickup after the race! This will happen on Sunday after 12:30, and during the week following the race (as required). Your discount, or rebate, for this will be 2×N% of the entry fee for N% of the total points that you pick up. For example, if you pick up 23% of the total points, you receive a 46% rebate on your entry fee (rebates not to exceed 100% for you extreme Rogainers).

Contact or if you'd like to volunteer. First come, first served!

Event Location

The Staging/Start/Finish/Hash House area will be just off the Tamarack Snopark lot on CA highway 168, 11.2 miles east of Shaver Lake, CA. Coordinates for this location are 37.162431,-119.201777. Overflow parking will be available 500 m north at the Coyote Snopark. The nearest large airport is Fresno, CA, around 60 miles away.

There's a map here that shows the location of the event.