Riders Make Plans for 2005

The question of avoiding winter conditions was considered and rejected; the months of December, January and February have too many alternative demands, and a two-part season was not favoured. Areas more suitable in wet conditions could be scheduled for winter. But the following suggestions were endorsed.

• More score events. The age-group competition would continue to be a mixture of score and fixed-order events, according to the decision of the planner. The recreational "competition" would always be a score event available to individuals, pairs or groups or any age. We wouldn't keep points for "Rec" but prizes might be awarded subjectively, especially for kids.
• More events. In theory there are enough areas for 7 series events and a Wellington Champs. This requires some more hands to go up to run them, if that doesn't happen it can easily come back to this year's 6 or even 5. Organising events is easier in pairs, you do have to check every track and some areas have the possibility of extensions.
• To reward those who put in this work, a score of "best other score" will be awarded to up to two course planners.
• Training. Those at the meeting wanted to maximise series events, but the model used at Waitarere last year is possible on some areas: a short "try-it" course early in the day followed by the points-carrying courses.
• Publicity. Yes we can always do better, if we can firm up the venues earlier (not always easy). We would expect some of those not involved in on-the-ground organising to plan and carry out this work:-)).

The draft programme is as follows:

Date	Venue	Planner 1	Planner 2
19 Mar	Tunnel Gully
16 Apr	Maungakotukutuku	Steve Meeres
21 May	Long Gully	Steve Betts	Mike Dalton
18 Jun	Belmont Reg Pk	Tom Clarkson
16 Jul	Waitarere
20 Aug	St Pats Forest	Graeme Silcock
17 Sep	Mt Vic (Series end)	Jill Ford	Jenny Visser
15/16 Oct	Ngaumu Forest (Champs)

If you are interested in co-organising any of these, please contact OHV Programme Coordinator Ph 04 566 2645.

PLUS the long-talked-of northern version of the Cyclic Saga may kick off in November. Talk of a mega-score event in the Akatarawa Forest has been spurred by getting the contours into the computer. The topo map (as used in Canterbury) is woefully inadequate, and we need to have a map we can change. Thinking is for a one-day event initially. Draft date is 19 November, but it will be necessary to coordinate with the club's rogainers and adventure racers who would be interested; this was the time of the Southern Traverse this year.

There's a huge job exploring the area. It looks like plenty of time, but experience suggests that unless exploration is done progressively over the first half of the year the date will rush up on us and the job will become impossible. Explorers should approach Michael to obtain a basemap and instructions on how to classify tracks.

There is no news of a NZ Champs in 2005 yet, we may have to adjust our programme to suit. But another club in the area, Palmerston's Red Kiwis is planning a MTB-Rogaine (long score event) in Santoft Forest near Bulls on 3 July. It will be great to have another club contributing to events in the area.