Bulletin 3

Dear participants,

We spent many and many hours in Novohradské hory preparing the map and situating the control points. Nevertheless, even after this long time we did not find the scenery dull. A demanding but beautiful race is waiting for you.                       

Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Organizers

The latest Bulletin number 3 you can download here.

Time schedule

Friday 26^th June

8:00

competition area closes both for competing teams and their companies

15:00

tent camp opens for competitors

12:00 – 24:00 

registration

Saturday 27^th June

9:00 – 12:00 

registration for 12-hour and 6-hour races, sealing of SI cards

24-hours	12-hours	6-hours
8:00–8:30 sealing of SI cards	10:15 distribution of maps	14:00 distribution of maps
8:45 distribution of maps	11:45 entry to start area closes	15:00 start
10:45 entry to start area closes	12:00 start	21:00 end of the race
11:00 start	24:00 end of the race	22:00 prize-giving ceremony

15:00

Hash House Opens

16:00

orienteering race/walk for children and spectators

Sunday 28^th June

9:30

games for children

11:00

End of the 24-hour race

11:30

deadline for protest submission

12:00

Hash house closes

12:30

prize-giving ceremony

17:00

tent camp closes

Event Center

Novohradské hory, Černé údolí, Hotel u pralesa

48.6965975N, 14.6721553E  http://www.mapy.cz/s/ihCj

 

How to get there

By Car:

From Prague: take R4 to Písek – České Budějovice (via 20) – Kaplice (via 3) – Malonty (158) – Pohorská Ves – Černé Údolí. Distance is 200 km, journey takes 2,5 – 3 hours.

By Train/public Bus:

There is a regular bus service to Černé údolí with a couple of buses stopping on the spot. For looking up the connections, see www.idos.cz. The proper name of the bus stop is Benešov n. Černou, Černé Údolí.

The organizers’ bus departs on Friday 17:00 from the Kaplice railway station (connection to train which leaves Prague at 13:33 arriving to Kaplice at 16:42) and stops 17:15 at the Kaplice bus station.

Bus returns to Kaplice on Sunday 14:30 from the Event center (connection to train to Prague departing 15:14). For details, see www.idos.cz

One-way bus ticket is charged 50 CZK / 2 EUR, paid in cash to the bus driver. Please confirm your interest on email: entries@erc2015.cz

Parking

Parking is possible in the event center next to the Hotel u Pralesa. In order to support environmentally friendly modes of transport, parking will be charged 50 CZK / 2 EUR.

Accommodation

The Event center and the Tent camp is located in the former military barracks in Černé údolí. From Friday 15:00 to Sunday 17:00, sleeping in tents is free of charge both for competing teams and their companies. Drinking water, showers and WC are available. Electric power will not be available.

Please bring your own camping equipment (tents, sleeping bags, etc.), communal tents are not available. Camping is permitted only in designated tent area. Camping and parking areas are close to each other, however due to limited parking space it is not possible to put your tent next to your car. Lighting fires at the event center is strictly prohibited!

In special cases, sleeping from Thursday to Friday or from Sunday to Monday is possible for 100 CZK (4 EUR) per person.

Please keep the event center tidy by depositing all rubbish and food scraps in the bins.

All the beds in the competition center are already occupied from Friday to Sunday. (For additional accommodation besides the term of the Championships, please contact directly the Hotel u Pralesa: http://www.hotelupralesa.cz/)

Eating

There is no grocery shop or restaurant in Černé údolí.

We highly recommend ordering your meals directly from the Hotel u Pralesa, available from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch. (Participants accommodated in the hotel can order more meals according to the length of their stay.)

Menu:

Friday 26^th June

Dinner – available from 18:00 to 22:00

Beef broth – 25 CZK / 1 EUR
Schnitzel with potato salad – 80 CZK / 3 EUR

Saturday 27^th June

Breakfast – buffet open from 7:30 to 9:30 – 80 CZK / 3 EUR
Lunch – soup 25 CZK / 1 EUR, main course 80 CZK / 3 EUR
Dinner – soup 25 CZK / 1 EUR, main course 80 CZK / 3 EUR

Sunday 28^th June

Breakfast – buffet open from 7:30 to 9:30 – 80 CZK / 3 EUR
Lunch – available from 11:00 to 13:30
Sherpa stew – 25 CZK / 1 EUR
Risotto with meat and cheese – 80 CZK / 3 EUR

Please send your orders to entries@erc2015.cz until Wednesday 10^th June in recommended format: Name of the team – number of particular meals – total price – method of payment.

It is possible to pay in cash at registration, or via bank transfer.

(IBAN: CZ3520100000002400694848; SWIFT/BIC: FIOBCZPPXXX; Bank name and address: Fio banka, a.s., V Celnici 1028/10, 117 21 Prague 1, Czech Republic; Account owner name and address: Martin Zacek, Zahradnickova 26/28, 150 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic)

Event office and distribution of event materials

Event office will be open on Friday 26 June 2015 from 17:00 to 24:00.

On Saturday 27 August event office will be open from 9:00 to 12:00 only for 12-hour and 6-hour races.

All members of team are sufficient to visit the event center. All team leaders are asked to look up their Start number in a list at the event office (the Start number is different from the team ID used during the entry process).  

Process of registration:

• Settling up of all debts: At the registry desk each team has to set up their debts (SI chip rental fees, non-paid starting fee, meals…) first. Please try to pay with certain amount of money (5€ per a chip) – we won’t be able to return cash for a million banknote.
• SI chip verification: All participants who entered with their own SI card have to show the SI card at the registry desk.  
• Team envelope hand-out: Finally each team will receive an envelope containing Start numbers, safety pins, SI borrowed from organizers, wristbands for SI cards fastening..  
• SI card fastening: Teams shall choose the appropriate queue corresponding with their Start number. Bring your start number with you.
• Event maps and course-planning maps distribution: Please send only one representative to collect the maps for the whole team. Bring your start number with you.

Instructions for competitors

Scoring system: Controls are marked in the map and control descriptions with a number code. The value of the control is indicated by the first digit of the control number multiplied by ten (32 = 30 points, 86 = 80 points etc). Controls can be visited in any order. Final score of the team is determined by the points gained; in case of equality of points, team with shorter finish time is ranked higher.

In case of exceeding time limit, 20 points will be deducted for every started minute. Teams exceeding the limit by 30 minutes of more will not be classified.

Controls: Each control point is marked with 3-sided orange and white orienteering flag of size 30 x 30 cm. They are not reflective. The control point is equipped with a SI-unit to register your visit.

Meals during the competition: During the event, competitors can eat and drink at the hash house tent, open from Saturday 15:00. Hot and cold meals are available (soup, pasta, tea, coffee, cereals, chocolate, bananas, oranges, raisins, glucose, pastries and wafers).

Other refreshment possibilities: It is allowed to visit restaurants and shops in the competition area. 

Drinking water: Sources suitable for replenishing water during the race are marked in the map with a symbol of a cup.

Obligatory equipment: Each competitor must carry a whistle and an ID or passport during the whole race.

Start

All competitors shall enter the start area 15 minutes before start time of their category. Each competitor will clear his/her SI chip in a „CLEAR“ station first, then will punch a „CHECK“ station when entering the start area. Punching the „CHECK“ station serves as a proof that the competitor passed through the start area.

If the start is delayed for any reason the finish time will be 24hrs after the start time (12 or 6 hours for 12/6 hour race).

Punching system

Electronic punching system SportIdent (SI) will be used. Each competitor has to have own SI card during the entire race. Competitors may use their own SI cards of appropriate version or they can borrow one from the organizers. Organizers will attach SI cards to each competitor with a non-removable wristband. In case the electronic recording device (SI card) gets lost or the wristband breaks during the race, the team is obliged to return to the event office and report it to the event officials. Failure to do so will result in disqualification of the team. The organizers shall provide a replacement electronic recording device or wristband and the team shall be admitted to continue in the competition. Points will be credited only for checkpoints visited after the replacement.

Whenever entering the Hash House area during the competition, all team members shall punch the SI station labelled “Check-in”. Upon leaving the Hash House area, all team members shall punch the SI station labelled “Check-out”.

Finish

After finishing the course (all team members punch SI station ”FINISH”), the organizers will remove their wristbands and read out their SI cards. The point penalty for exceeding the limit is 20 point per each minute or part thereof. Teams finishing more than 30 minutes late won’t be classified.

Results

After the finish, each team gets a printout of the reading SI cards, indicating all controls visited, the total time, punch time at each check points and the sum of points collected. The individual SI printout shall be considered as a preliminary, and not a final result. Preliminary team results will be revealed at the event center after the finish. Final results will be published on the ERC 2015 website.

Protests

Within 30 minutes from the end of the race a team may submit a protest about any team thought to have breached the rules, about the preliminary results of the team or about any actions of the organizers that they consider made the competition unfair. Protests shall be submitted written down in English and handed in to the Vetter Miroslav Seidl.

Extremely Important:

On no account are you to leave the ERC without reading the SI card at the Finish area. This is our check that you have returned from the course. If we do not have your SI card read we will begin a search involving specialized Search and Rescue teams and, if necessary, the Police of the Czech Republic.

Wildlife

Competitors may encounter deer, roe deer and fox. Other wild animals are seen rarely, but these include wild boar, badger...

The only venomous snake in the race area is a viper/adder, and it is encountered rarely. Its bite is not life-threatening, but still requires immediate medical attention and application of anti-venom.

Hazards and annoyances

Main hazards: impassable marshes, electric fencing around some pastures and ticks. Some ticks may carry tick-borne encephalitis or Lyme disease. It is advisable to check the whole body after the race. Some insect repellents are also effective against ticks.

Impassable marshes shall be avoided, all they are inside of out-of-bounds areas. Care shall be taken when crossing electrified stock-proof fences, wires are about 50–70 cm from the ground. If you cross electric fence, you will probably encounter cattle. Take care when crossing or running on the gravel roads as there may be some traffic.

Recommended Equipment

Recommended equipment and clothing is:

• Thermal top and long trousers
• Waterproof and windproof jacket
• Survival sheet or blanket
• Strong footwear with a good grip
• Water bottle or Camelback
• Compass, watch
• Food
• Headlamp or torch and batteries
• Basic first-aid
• Reflective garment for road safety at night

Rules

Competition follows the official IRF rules: http://www.rogaining.com/attachments/article/300/IRF%20Rules%20of%20Rogaining%202015.pdf

B5. Novohradské hory is a natural park. All littering and leaving trash or belongings in the race area is strictly forbidden.
B6. Competitors shall not enter the course until the official start is signalled.
B7. The only orienteering equipment allowed during the race is a compass and the official competition map. It is strictly forbidden to use other maps or special navigational devices (GPS, watches and smartphones with GPS, etc.)
B8. Using of computers, smartphones and software/apps is forbidden in route planning.
B9. Competitors shall not use any vehicle during the race.
B12. A team shall not accept assistance from, nor collaborate with, other people during course and planning.
B13. No food or equipment shall be left on the course before the event for a team’s use, and no food or equipment shall be discarded on the course unless retrieved by the team during the event. Using restaurants and shops is allowed.
B16. Members of a team shall remain within unaided verbal contact of one another at all times whilst on the course. All members of a team shall record a visit to the checkpoint by using the electronic recording device within 1 minute.

Important notice

Competitors are obliged to follow the instructions of the organisers and all the legal standards valid in the Czech Republic and Austria.

All the competitors participate at the event at their own risk and are responsible for their safety. Every participant must confirm this by signing a statement at the registration office.

Organisers are not responsible for any damage caused by the participants.

Jury

Jan Tojnar (CZE)
Sergey Yashchenko (RUS)
Valters Kaminskis (LVA)

Protests

Protests may be submitted until 30 minutes after the end of the race together with deposit of 100 CZK / 4 EUR.

Map

Rogaining special, scale 1 : 40 000, equidistance 10 m. Contour lines are generated form the new digital topographic model (DMR of 4^th generation, © ČÚZK 2014). Maps will be printed on the water-resistant material Pretex. Size A2.

Control Descriptions

Control descriptions will be available on separate sheets both in Czech and English.

Terrain: 

Submountain to mountain, elevation 650 – 1100 m above sea level

Compared to other central European terrains, the competition area offers a wild and distinctive terrain. Mountain meadows alternate with deep forests, marshes with moorlands. Abandoned villages and remains of the closely watched border contrast with new guesthouses for tourists. 

Sun and Moon for 28^th June 2015

Sun		Moon
Beginning of civil twilight	04:19	Moonrise	16:13 on preceding day
Sunrise	05:01	Moonset	02:31
Sun transit	13:05	Moonrise	17:16
Sunset	21:08	Moon transit	22:14
End of civil twilight	21:50	Moonset	03:07 on following day

Next full moon on 2^nd July 2015

Weather

Average temperature in June is 15°C. Weather is affected by so-called summer monsoon which reduces the average temperature of the month of June.

Temperatures above 20°C can be expected during the day, temperatures around 8°C during the night. Nights might be even colder with temperatures dropping to 0°C. For detailed forecast, see http://www.yr.no (Černé údolí)

Categories

1)      Open European Rogaining Championships and Czech Rogaining Championships with 24-hour time limit
(Until the competitor limit, every team composed of 2–5 members can enter the race according to its category.) Categories M (men); W (women); X (mixed team with at least one woman)
Youth (23–) – MY, XY, WY (on the day of the race, no team member must be older than 23 years)
OPEN – MO, XO, WO
Veteran (40+) – MV, XV, WV (on the day of the race, all team members must be older than 40 years)
Superveteran (55+) – MSV, XSV, WSV (on the day of the race, all team members must be older than 55 years)
Ultraveteran (65+) – MUV, XUV, WUV (on the day of the race, all team members must be older than 65 years)

2)      Rogaining with 12-hour limit – Czech Rogaining Championships
(Until the competitor limit, every team composed of 2–5 members can enter the race according to its category.) Categories M (men); W (women); X (mixed team with at least one woman); no age restrictions
OPEN – MO, XO, WO

3)      Rogaining with 6-hour time limit
(Until the competitor limit, every team composed of 2–5 members can enter the race according to its category.) Categories M (men); W (women); X (mixed team with at least one woman)
OPEN – MO, XO, WO

Entries and fees:

1)      Open European and Czech Rogainig Championship with 24-hour time limit
Until 20th June – 70 Euro/person
5 Euro/person for borrowing SI card from the organizers

Suitable SI cards:
SI-6 no. 500001 – 999999 64k
SI-10 no. 7000001 – 7999999 128k
SI-11 no. 9000001 – 9999999 128k

2)      Open Czech Rogaining Championships with 12-hour time limit  
Until 20th June – 40 Euro/person
5 Euro/person for borrowing SI card from the organizers
Suitable SI cards: SI-6 and higher

3)      Rogaining with 6-hour time limit
Until 22nd June – 20 Euro/person
On the spot 30 Euro/person
5 Euro/person for borrowing SI card from the organizers
Suitable SI cards: SI-6 and higher

Payment

Entry fees together with fees for SportIdent card should be sent by bank transfer to Bank account:
IBAN: CZ3520100000002400694848
SWIFT/BIC: FIOBCZPPXXX
Bank name and address: Fio banka, a.s., V Celnici 1028/10, 117 21 Prague 1, Czech Republic
Account owner name and address: Martin Zacek, Zahradnickova 26/28, 150 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic

Please don't send any payment by bank transfer after June 17^th! You can pay during the registration at the Event center.

Contact:

web: http://www.erc2015.cz/
visa: visa@erc2015.cz
info: info@erc2015.cz
entries: entries@erc2015.cz
Ondřej Skripnik (event director)
E-Mail: ondrej.skripnik@fhs.cuni.cz
Mobile: +420-737-372-573