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ACT ROGAINING ASSOCIATION BULLETIN‍

ACT Champs and 8 hr Entries Open 20-21 April 2024

The championships are coming up on the 20-21 April and we are returning to the Black Ridge (Ridgy Didge) for Barkley’s 12th birthday!  Come and help him celebrate before he turns into a teenager.  There will be the 24 hour plus an 8 hour event. The course area is a dry eucalypt forest, clear underfoot, beautiful spurs and gullies and gentle hills.  You may even spot some of Barkley’s cousins sleeping in the treetops as you ponder the route to the next control.  

The area is mostly privately owned but not farmed and the owners have very generously given access for the weekend.  Most of the area has been used for events in 2012 and 2017. There are some historic gold mines, a few fire trails and plenty of controls to test your navigation skills. Free camping at the HH.  Please note this event will be ACTRA self-catered, and we are welcoming any volunteers who like food (all-you-can eat for 24 hours!), cooking and a cheese-toastie of a team. Please contact Jean or Ron at rogaine.mail@gmail.com. 

Signup via the link below! 

Volunteers need for ‍Champs

We're returning to a favourite area of open dry eucalypt forest south-east of Canberra with our star course setters Jean Douglass and Ron Simpson. We are also putting the call out for more volunteers as we are in need a of a few more for the event. If you're injured or just want a relaxing weekend in the bush then we would really love to hear from you as we have to both run the rogaine and do catering. If you are able to help, please contact Jean or Ron at the email above!

Intervarsity Selection Event

The 2024 Australian Intervarsity Rogaining Championships are being held in Western Australia on 7-8 September 2024, in association with the Aus Champs. This event is a chance for teams from universities across the country to compete.

We know it can be expensive to get to events, particularly so far across the country. The Nigel Aylott Memorial Sports Foundation helps one team from each State or Territory with entry fees and travel to the event. ACTRA are using the ACT Champs as a selection race. If you are keen, all you need to do is put your university team (you must be at the same uni) together, enter the ACT Champs and let Julie know. If you can't go to the ACT Champs but are keen, send Julie an email and tell her why you should be selected.

Who Was Nigel Aylott? 

Nigel Aylott (pictured) showed some talent as a long-distance runner at school but at university got into the full range of outdoor activities available through the Monash BushWalking Club, which included skiing, kayaking, and rogaining. As his endurance and navigation skill developed, so did his success at rogaining, eventually winning the World Rogaining Championships in 1998 and the Australian Rogaining Championships in 2000 and 2001.

As adventure racing developed, Nigel saw it as the natural progression from long-distance running and rogaining. He loved experiencing the different locations in which the adventure races were set. Nigel competed in several Southern Traverse and EcoChallenge events before teaming up with Tom Landon-Smith, Alina McMaster, and Matt Dalziel to form the successful team AROC. Nigel was tragically killed in the 2004 Primal Quest race after being hit by a large boulder dislodged at the top of a gully.

Nigel was highly regarded in the community and friends encouraged Nigel’s family to set up this foundation to leave a legacy by supporting the sports Nigel loved and gave so much to.

2025 Australasian Champs - ACTRA are hosts: setters, helpers needed

ACTRA are 2025 hosts for the Australaisan Champs‍. We are planning on hosting these 15-16 March 2025, less than a year away. We'd like to hold these in northern Kosciuszuko National Park, subject to receiving permission and checking out the site and HH location.

David Baldwin is keen to hear from rogainers who would like to help with this event. We need people to help set, vet and generally orgainise. There are roles that don't require you to be out on the ground and still allow you to compete, such as website, merchandise, catering etc. Along with David there are a couple of experienced people to help guide the organising but we can't do it alone.

Paddy Pallin 6 hr Event at Googong Foreshores

The Paddy Pallin 6 hr event was held at the Googong Foreshores on 3 March. A sunny, warm day suited the couple of paddling teams but was challenging for the majority on foot. New course setters Tim Cochrane, Michael Reed and Emily Stewart-Reed set a great course with most teams exploring the western foreshores and the more adventurous heading to the east. 

Congratuations to overall winners of the foot event Xanda Kolesnikow and Ivan Koudashev and winners of the multi-sport category Clare Lonergan and Kieran Macdonell who on bikes only narrowly beat kayakers Jean Douglass and Ron Simpson. Photos from the day are in the photo gallery.

‍Remote Area First Aid Course - Call for Participants - 15-16 June

‍Would you like to be trained in Remote Area First Aid and know what to do in the case of sickness or injury in the field? If yes, here is your opportunity! At each of our events, ACTRA has a qualified First Aid Officer on the event administration team (you may have spied the green armband on volunteers at past events). We rarely have any serious injuries or incidents, but it is an essential part of ACTRA’s event safety planning that we have a dedicated First Aid Officer at each event.

To ensure we have an adequate number of accredited First Aid Officers to draw on for our upcoming events, ACTRA is hosting a Remote Area First Aid course on 15-16 June 2024 (8.30am to 4.30pm each day). The trainer is Margot Hurrell who has extensive outdoor experience and teaching in remote first aid. The course will be held at Corroboree Park in Ainslie. 

We are seeking to train up to 15 ACTRA members in Remote Area First Aid (with costs borne by ACTRA).  Everyone who attends is expected to volunteer to be the First Aid Officer for at least one (preferably two) ACTRA events over the next three years.

This training not only helps out ACTRA, but will provide you with excellent knowledge and skills to have in the field for all your outdoor pursuits!

Participants will get the national accreditation Statement of Attainment for the following units:  

• HLTAID009 (Provide CPR) (valid for 1 year)
• HLTAID011 (Provide First Aid) (valid for 3 years) and
• HLTAID013 Provide First Aid in a Remote or isolated area (valid for 3 years)

There will be 2 hours of on-line information to be completed before the course starts.

If you would like to attend, please email Benita on bcsomm@yahoo.com.

‍Presidents Soapbox

‍Just as the weather starts to cool down things are heating up in the rogaining world. It’s championships season and exciting to have entries open for a return to 24-hour competition. If you’re up for it, remember to bring enough warm clothing and water to keep yourself sustained out on the trail; and if overnight is too much then consider either the 8-hour version or volunteering to hang or collect controls or help out at the Hash House. All offers gratefully received. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those outgoing members of the 2023 committee for all their hard work and welcome the new members to the committee for 2024. Looking ahead, your newly elected ACTRA committee has plans already under way for the annual Virtual- and Metro-gaines so start spreading the word.