2018 Nav-X Challenge @ Las Trampas

UPDATE: COURSE SETTER NOTES - CLICK HERE

Quick Info

• Date: Sunday, April 15, 2018
• Location: Las Trampas Regional Park
• Event Director: Andrew Peterson & Kyle Peter (contact)
• Course Director: Gavin Wyatt-Mair
• Courses:  2 & 4h Map Trek

List of Registered Entrants

Follow this link to an updated list of entrants.

Event Summary

The 2018 Nav-X Challenge's 2nd event brings us to a wild place a mere 40 minutes from downtown San Francisco (75 min from Sacramento).  Las Trampas Regional Wilderness is a vast wild area with oak studded green hills West of Danville in the East Bay. Using a quality map specifically designed for navigation sports, course setter Gavin Wyatt-Mair will be treating us to a Map Adventure sure to please any navigation sports enthusiast, whether you are looking for a scenic 2 hr hike in the green hills, or a 4 hr endurance race against some of the best in the West.

Schedule

New to Map Trekking or Rogaining?

Map Trekking 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 Geo Caching.  More specifically, Map Trekking is a time-based challenge, 2 hrs 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 value reflects 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.

Venue / Park Info

With its rolling, grassy hills and secluded, shady canyons, Las Trampas is a secret wilderness surrounded by the towns of central Contra Costa County. Las Trampas Regional Wilderness offers 5,342 acres of wilderness and an expanded trail system that allows hikers and horseback riders to enjoy its remote and rugged areas. The park's size and terrain allow visitors a feeling of privacy and escape from urban hustle and bustle.  Official park map. 

About the Map

The map we will be using for this Map Trek is a high quality Orienteering map produced by the Bay Area Orienteering Club.  It is scale 1:10,000, meaning that 1 cm on the map is 150 m in the terrain.  The contour interval (elevation between two contour lines) is 7.5 m (~24 ft).

Courses & Divisions

There will be two courses offered:

• 2 hr Map Trek
• 4 hr Map Trek

Participants can compete in the following divisions:

• Junior (19 & Under, 1-5 person teams)
• Open Female (20-49, 1-5 person teams, All-female)
• Open Male (20-49, 1-5 person teams, All-male)
• Open Mixed (20-49, 2-5 person teams, mixed Male-Female)
• Masters Female (50 and up, 1-5 person teams, All-female)
• Masters Male or Mixed (50 and up, 1-5 person teams, All-male)
• Masters Mixed (50 and up, 2-5 person teams, mixed Male-Female)
• Family - Adults (20+) + children (12 & under)

Results from this event count toward the 2018 Series Championship.

PRICE

Early fees (25% off) through April 1st (via online registration).  Regular fee is April 2nd - April 12 (via online registration).  Day of Event Registration is cash only.

Discounts for orienteering club members (BAOC/GCO/etc...), $4 for adults and $2 for juniors.  Discount applied during online registration process.

For family teams (2-hr course only), it is required to have at least one adult (20 & over) and at least one child (12 & under).  Children 12 & under race free.  Children must be registered and accompanied by an adult.

Additional fees to rent an e-punch ($5) and/or compass ($2).  Only one e-punch number or rental request is required per team.  On the registration page, please enter "0" for e-punch number if you are not the first person registering for your team.

REFUND POLICY

Refund policy: 100% refund up to 10 days before event. Future race credit 1-9 days before event. No refunds for no-show.

WHAT TO BRING

Wear what you would normally wear for a strenuous hike in Northern California.  Here are some tips:

• Sturdy shoes with a good tread
• Long pants or gaiters
• Visor hat
• Compass (you may rent one for $2)
• ePunch (SI stick with 50 control capacity - you may rent one for $5 if you don’t have one)
• Pen and maybe a highlighter marker (for marking up your map and making notes)
• Water (enough for the time you will be out on the course)
• On the go snacks (energy bar, gel, etc.)

MAP AND DIRECTIONS

From the north, east and south: Take I-680 to the Crow Canyon Road West exit in San Ramon. Go west on Crow Canyon to Bollinger Canyon Road. Turn right (north) and continue about 4 miles to the end of Bollinger Canyon Road. Follow the O' signs to the parking area on your left.

From the west: Take Highway 238 east from Highway 880, or Highway 580 southeast from Oakland. Shortly after the merge of Highways 238 and 580 (about 3 miles from 880 when taking 238), take the exit for Center Street and Crow Canyon Road. Turn left onto Center St, turn right onto Castro Valley Blvd, and turn left onto Crow Canyon Road. Follow Crow Canyon Road north several miles to Bollinger Canyon Road. Turn left (north) onto Bollinger Canyon Road and continue about 4 miles to the end. Follow the O' signs to the parking area on your left.