The Champs are being held in southern Namadgi National Park and the area is "As Naas as Pi ".  There might be pies at the HH if you are lucky, but there is definitely a Naas River.  The area has many open grassy valleys and gullies, with a few handy fire trails for easy travel.  The course setters are keeping you out of most of the post-fire scrubby bits. With thanks to some excellent vegetation mapping by Ryan Stocks you'll be able to navigate around the dark green.  The area has some awesome boulders and rock slabs so expect some at the control locations!!

Don't be put off that it is a championship event. With catering for dinner, breakfast and lunch all included, plus an all-night cafe somewhere on the course, it's a great opportunity to explore as much or as little as you like of some awesome country, with a great camping site where you can sleep overnight. There are lots of historic huts to visit, beautiful forest and open grasslands. So get your team organised now for the 24 hour or 8 hour on the weekend 28-29 March.  It takes about 75 minutes to drive to the HH.

The event is also a selection for the Australian Intervarsity Champs with an ACT team getting travel paid to that event on 29-30 August near the NSW-Qld border.

Camping and parking are in a limited space so please share transport.  It will also save on petrol use !!

 

Final Instructions

Thank you for entering the ACT Champs 24 hour or the 8 hour event, As Naas as Pi,  in Namadgi National Park. Team leaders, make sure that everyone on your team reads this whole document carefully.

Important

Parking and camping spaces are limited so please share transport and bring the small tent!  There is a lot of wildlife along the road especially in the morning. Drive slowly.

Indemnity Form

Please bring to the event a printed and completed indemnity form located here. Check the team list for your relevant event on the home page for your team number and to ensure that all details for your team including category are correct. If incorrect, please contact the Event Contact prior to the event.

• Ensure that all team members sign a separate indemnity form. Parents or guardians must sign for people under 18. Also provide registration number(s) of your car(s) at the Hash House. Be sure to put your team number on the form.
• Present your completed indemnity form at the registration desk.
• Medical advice: All competitors should consider advising their partner of any pre-existing medical conditions (such as diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, susceptibility to anaphylaxis) that may require first-aid action on course. This should include a description of the symptoms, the required first-aid action, and the location in their bag of any medication (such as sugar, ventolin, epi-pen, anti-histamines).

How to Get There

Hash House is located at the southern ACT-NSW border on the Boboyan Road and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes from Canberra.  (One hour from the Conder shops in Tuggeranong).

Directions: Drive via Tharwa, Fitz’s Hill and take the Boboyan Road south.  Just after crossing the Gudgenby River, the road turns to gravel.  The first 400 m is very corrugated so drive slowly. There are a few other bumpy sections but no large potholes.  It is 19  km to the HH from the start of the gravel.

HH GPS Coordinates: -35.89282139744551, 148.97921947772508

Google link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/pDAgQ7ZjVXssA8wK9.

Direction signs will be put out on Friday 27 March.

Registration, Map Availability, Start Times

Both the 24 hour and 8 hour events will commence by way of a mass start at midday Saturday 28^th March, with a final briefing at 11:45am on Saturday. Registration will open at 9:00am.

To register, your team only needs one person to come to the admin tent and collect maps. That person will need to bring:

• first aid kit, so that it can be checked; see below for what it must contain; and
• Bring one completed indemnity form per team member.

Electronic scoring: As this event is using the Navlight system of scoring, each team member will be issued with a wristband and tag upon registration.

Each team member will also be given pre-marked maps, with control descriptions and course setter's notes on the map.  Each team will be given a small copy of the map to be used as a flight plan and a small correction for the map. We recommend that you arrive at least two hours prior to the start of the event to allow enough time for final preparations and route planning. Each team must mark their intended route on the flight plan and hand it in before starting. 

Bagging of phones etc: For 24 hour teams only.  We understand that you might like to track your course.  However, all GPS capable devices – phones, smart watches, GPS units etc – must be sealed in bags available at Admin.  You will also need to register the device with admin and one of the volunteers will seal the bag before the start and unseal it at the finish of your course.  If it is an emergency, and we don’t mean you are just lost, unseal the bag and use your phone.

Map and Course Details

There will be one A2 map (640x420cm), 1:25,000 with 10 m contour interval. Magnetic north lines are marked on the map. Out of bounds areas are marked in pink shading. It contains mainly native bush with areas of natural clearings.   The course setters notes have been printed on the back and the and control descriptions on the front of the map. The altitude ranges from approximately 1,060 to 1,350 m.

The map is printed on Teslin paper which is very tough and generally does not need to be covered in contact.

The vegetation ranges from grassy open plains and open forest to thick regrowth.  However, the course setters have placed controls so the routes are mainly avoiding the thicker vegetation.  The areas of thick vegetation (dark green on the map) have been created using Blaze software.  The course setters and vetters have found this to be quite accurate and it will help you to more easily avoid the areas of slow travel.  Gaiters and leg covering are strongly recommended. We also highly recommend eye protection, especially at night.

Water

Please bring enough water for Hash House (HH) use and for at least 6 hours on course. There is only one formal water drop on course. However, there are 6 locations where there are water tanks.  Taking and using water purification tablets is highly recommended.  Tablets will also be available for sale at the HH (one tablet per litre).  Taking an empty one litre water bottle is also recommended as the tablets take 30 minutes to work.  There is good flowing water in the larger rivers and creeks on the course, which we also recommend sterilising. 

Camping

Camping at the HH is available for Friday to Sunday nights inclusive.  Space is very limited so please bring your smaller tent and share transport. Teams competing in the 8 hour event, who would like to stay overnight on Saturday, might like to book a campsite at the Mt Clear campground about 5 km from the HH. https://www.parks.act.gov.au/find-a-nature-park/namadgi-national-park/mount-clear-campground  The campground is on the map so, sorry, no 24 hour teams are allowed to camp there on Friday or Saturday!!!

Other Information

Hartley Lifecare will provide the catering at the HH.  The main meals will be curry and rice, salad with some sausages and cheese toasties, fruit and cake.   Please bring your own plate, bowl, cup and cutlery. Here is a summary of the event timing. 

Saturday		Sunday
09.00	Maps available for all teams	06:00	Breakfast at HH available
<11:45	Seal and register GPS devices (24hr teams)	06.30	All-Night-Café closes (water still available)
11.45	Final briefing for all teams	12.00	Finish of 24-hr event
12.00	Mass START	12:30	Teams lose all points if not back!!
19.30	Hash House open	12:30	Presentations
20.00	Finish of 8-hr event	13:30	Hash House closes
21.00	All-Night-Café (ANC) open. Water and snacks available for the whole event.		Have a sleep before driving !!
			Control collectors go and have some fun.
16:30	Moonrise (~80% illumination)	02:54	Moonset
19:04	Sunset (Twilight ~ 30 minutes)	07:13	Sunrise

 

The All-Night-Café (ANC) will have potable water and snacks available before it opens (at 9:00 pm on Saturday) and after it closes at 6:30am on Sunday.  When it is open, there will be hot soups, food and drinks.  There will be some cups and plates at the ANC, but if you bring your own cup, you can also use it at water tanks and creeks.

NOTE: Snakes have been seen on the course particularly around water.  Please wear leg protection !!

Please Bring to the Event

• completed indemnity form
• map will be printed on Teslin waterproof paper with control descriptions on the front and course setters notes on the reverse side. Contact or map case optional.
• Coloured pens, pencils, scissors, highlighter pen, table and chairs or board for map preparation. The marquee will be available for planning.
• Some food for before and during the event.
• Your own plate, bowl, cup and cutlery for catering.
• Water for your use at the Hash House and for the start of the event with (there is no running water at the HH site).
• Portaloos will be at the Hash House. You may like to bring your own hand sanitiser.

Carry on Course

Mandatory Equipment

• Whistle (per person)
• Basic first aid kit (that includes 2 compression bandages for snake bites and 1 wound dressing) (per team)
• Thermal blanket (per person), head torch with spare batteries (per person), warm weather gear from list below.

Other items we recommend that you carry/wear

• food for the event
• water for up to 6 hours
• compass
• If you don’t have a PLB, teams with young children may borrow one from ACTRA at admin.
• gaiters – recommended for scrub and snake-bite protection
• long trousers – recommended for scrub protection
• watch – non smart type
• clear eye protection especially for night
• pen to write Navlight code if it fails to work
• head torch and spare batteries
• Mobile phone for emergencies (for 24 hour teams in a sealed bag– available from and registered at admin)
• Water sterilisation tablets and an empty one litre bottle
• Sunscreen, sun-hat, sunglasses
• Adequate warm clothes for the conditions (noting conditions can change quickly and it can be around 10⁰C cooler than Canberra):
  • raincoat, warm jacket
  • thermals + a spare if it is wet
  • gloves
  • beanie

Mobile Phone Coverage

Mobile phone coverage is poor to non-existent on most of the course, with the exception of the very higher parts of the course eg at the HH. You can take your phone on the course.  For the 24 hour teams, your phone, and any other GPS capable devices taken on the course, must be in a sealed bag (available at admin) and registered.  We recommend that you put your phone into aeroplane mode to save the battery life.  Please register your ‘devices’ before 11:45am.

The Hash House number will be 0428 489 874 using a Starlink and is printed on the map.

Restrictions

 Summary of Event Rules and Scoring

• The only navigational aids permitted are the map we provide together with your compasses.
• Teams consist of 2 to 5 competitors and must remain within earshot of each other at all times. All members must simultaneously get to within 5m of each control point.
• All team members must punch their Navlight tags at each control to score points.
• If a Navlight punch has failed, record the three letter code visible inside the end of the punch.
• Competitors must not enter out-of-bounds areas; gates must be left as found; stock must not be disturbed.
• The organisers may disqualify a team if it acts against these rules or against the spirit of the event.
• A team can retire a member at the hash house. This will finish that team's event. A new team can then form, but it must start with zero score.
• Late Penalty: 10 points per minute (or part) late. Disqualification if more than 30 minutes late.
• If teams score equal points then the first team home will have a higher rank.

Catering and Presentations

Food and drinks will be available at the end of the 8-hour event, during the evening, for breakfast and at the end of the 24-hour event. Please bring your own plate and utensils.

There will also be an All-Night-Café with hot soup and food, snacks and fruit.  However, it won’t “open” until after the 8 hour event has finished (and all the teams are back safely). Water and snacks will be available at the ANC site at all times.

Prizes will be awarded to the winners of each category and certificates to the place-getters of most categories. This is dependent on final numbers and will be announced on the day. Presentations will take place around 30 minutes after the end of each event.

Event volunteers

If you have queries contact the Event Contact listed below.

Event Contact	Ron Simpson, 0403 300 122, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Coordinator	Jeannie Douglass
Setters and Vetters	Jeannie, Ron, Keith Thomas and Peggy Douglass
First Aid	Kelvin Meng
General Help	Glenn Bridgart, Jon Glanville, Peggy Douglass, Bella Lilford, Keith Thomas, Harry Needham
Control Collectors	Jon Glanville, Peter Miller, Alison Inglis, Liz Woodgate, Fiona Croft, Mary Adams, Eamon Barrett