2024 Nav-X MAP TREK #6 @ Shell ridge

Quick Info

• In-person event!

• Date: Sunday, November 17

• Location: Shell Ridge Open Space, Walnut Creek

• Courses: 2h & 4h Map Trek

• REGISTER

INTRODUCTION

We are wrapping up the Nav-X Challenge 2024 season with an in-person event at Shell Ridge Open Space on November 17. Shell Ridge is a vast wild area with oak studded hills,. Using a quality map specifically designed for navigation sports, course setter Gavin Wyatt-Mair will be treating us to a Map Trek adventure sure to please any navigation sports enthusiast, whether you are looking for a scenic 2-hour hike in the hills, or a 4-hour endurance race against some of the best in the West. This event is being held concurrently with a regular BAOC Orienteering event.

EVENT INFORMATION

• LOCATION

  • Assembly and sign-in will be at Indian Valley Elementary School, Walnut Creek, CA.

  • GPS coordinates are 37.90160, -122.03197.

  • Follow signs from Indian Valley parking to get to the assembly area.

• BATHROOMS - There will be portapotties at Indian Valley Elementary School

• GEAR REQUIREMENT - you must carry the following on your course

  • Compass

  • Whistle for safety

• GEAR RECOMMENDATION - We also recommend participants bring the following:

  • Cleated shoes - you may be traversing steep slopes

  • Long pants and gaiters for the grasses and thistles

  • Snacks & Water

• TRASH - While on the course, practice Leave No Trace (LNT) - bring all trash back to the picnic area.

Price

REGISTRATION

• Sign up for this course here.

• See who else is registered here.

• Discounts for orienteering club members (BAOC/GCO/etc...), $3 for adults (no member discount for juniors). Discount applied during the online registration process.

• For family teams, 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. No e-punch trade-ins allowed (ie. to get a higher punch count e-punch).

• Day of Event Registration is cash or check only.

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

  Courses and divisions

  There will be two courses offered: 2h Map Trek (Sport) and 4h Map Trek (Endurance)

  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 (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 2024 Series Championship.

COURSE NOTES

• Welcome to Shell Ridge everyone! It’s nice out there. The rain has softened the ground nicely, and also tamped down the thistles and stickers. Footing is good, although it’s still wise to wear grippy shoes with studs, since Shell Ridge is quite steep. You will have fun – be sure to check out the views and the nature!

• Terrain: Shell Ridge features undulating grassy oak-studded hills, with a fairly extensive network of trails. Visibility is excellent. Rock features are abundant. Hills are often steep, but can readily be traversed. A few areas have undergrowth that will slow you down.

• Course: Touchless SIAC Air punching is enabled; first person at a control will have to insert to wake it up. There are around 50 controls (checkpoints) for you to find, in any order. Each checkpoint has a point value that is shown boldly on the map. Each control also has a code that is shown on the map, so you know you found the right checkpoint when you get there. The point values are what count towards your score. Checkpoints that are physically and/or navigationally hard are worth more points, whereas easier checkpoints are worth fewer points. Point values vary between 10 and 100.

• Route choices: Since the park is steep, you will be wise to read the contours on your map carefully and take account of the climb when estimating how far you can go and what route to take.

• Hazards: Poison oak is dormant and easily avoided. Never saw any ticks. Steep slopes covered in leaves can be slippery. If it rains heavily, paths will be muddy and slippery, in which case it’s often better to travel off-trail. There are cows. They are quite timid and will not be a problem – just don’t get between a cow and her calf. There are some barbed wire fences to cross – it’s usually simple and safe to go underneath. Don’t argue with any skunks – if you come across one, back off!

• Map: The map is good. There are some unmapped mountain-bike trails. The mountain-bikers create new trails far faster than we can plausibly map them. Generally, if a trail is on the map, it is on the ground. But if a mountain-bike trail is on the ground, it may not be on the map. In general, you may find mountain bike trails are useful to travel on, but don’t use them for navigation!

• Animals: There are coyotes, big birds like owls, little birds too, skunks, squirrels, cows, salamanders, and more. Occasionally you might see a horseback rider – please be courteous, be still, and let them pass safely.

• There is no drinking water provided on the course – please carry your own water, and don’t get dehydrated.

• We will have snacks available at the finish but not the usual full lunch options.

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTES

• YOU ARE DOING THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK - WE TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY INJURIES OR DEATH. HAZARDS INCLUDE STEEP HILLS, LOOSE ROCKS, CLIFFS, OCCASIONAL DENSE AND SHARP BRUSH, POISON OAK, RATTLESNAKES. THE BIGGEST HAZARD IS PROBABLY HEAT EXHAUSTION AND DEHYDRATION. There are some water points on the map, but you may or may not reach them, so DON’T FORGET TO BRING WATER

• CELL COVERAGE - There is cell phone coverage at most points in the park. Coverage may disappear in low valleys.

• WATER - Bring enough water for the duration of the event. A minimum of 2 liters is recommended for the 4-hr event. There will be water at the assembly area. There are some water points on the map, but you may not reach them, so plan to carry your own water. There is no potable water in any stream or pond on the course.

• FENCES - Do not try to climb over fences, ONLY go under. Leave any gates closed if they were closed when you approached them.

• FOOTING – May be slippery on steep slopes if it has rained heavily.

DIRECTIONS TO PARKING:

• From San Francisco

  • Take Bay Bridge then Highways 80, 580, 24 towards Walnut Creek and 680 north towards Sacramento. Exit Interstate 680 at Ygnacio Valley Road, and proceed 1 mile east to Homestead Avenue. Turn right and proceed southeast on Homestead for 300 meters and then turn left on Marshall Drive. Proceed 1.1 miles east to the end of Marshall Drive and Indian Valley Elementary School.

• From South Bay

  • Take Highway 680 north toward Sacramento. At Walnut Creek, exit Interstate 680 at Ygnacio Valley Road, and proceed 1 mile east to Homestead Avenue. Turn right and proceed southeast on Homestead for 300 meters and then turn left on Marshall Drive. Proceed 1.1 miles east to the end of Marshall Drive and Indian Valley Elementary School.

• From Marin

  • Take Highways 580 East, 24 toward Walnut Creek and 680 north towards Sacramento. Exit Interstate 680 at Ygnacio Valley Road, and proceed 1 mile east to Homestead Avenue. Turn right and proceed southeast on Homestead for 300 meters and then turn left on Marshall Drive. Proceed 1.1 miles east to the end of Marshall Drive and Indian Valley Elementary School.

• From North Bay

  • Take highways 80 West (South), 780 east and 680 south towards San Jose. Exit 680 in Walnut Creek at North Main Street and stay right to go South on North Main Street. Proceed 0.75 miles south and turn left on Ygnacio Valley Road. Turn left and proceed 0.75 miles east to Homestead Avenue. Turn right and proceed southeast on Homestead for 300 meters and then turn left on Marshall Drive. Proceed 1.1 miles east to the end of Marshall Drive and Indian Valley Elementary School.

• From Sacramento

  • Take Highway 80 West, then 680 South towards San Jose. Exit 680 in Walnut Creek at North Main Street and stay right to go South on North Main Street. Proceed 0.75 miles south and turn left on Ygnacio Valley Road. Turn left and proceed 0.75 miles east to Homestead Avenue. Turn right and proceed southeast on Homestead for 300 meters and then turn left on Marshall Drive. Proceed 1.1 miles east to the end of Marshall Drive and Indian Valley Elementary School.

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 GeoCaching.  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 some easier checkpoints near the start and finish location.