Long Mynd, West Midlands League, Saturday 14 February 2026

The event will take place in the Long Mynd area surrounding and including Carding Mill Valley. Thanks to the National Trust for access and assistance.

As always in this area, please be aware of the nature of the terrain and the hazards it brings. There is more information below, but ultimately, you are responsible for your own safety.

Facilities: key-drop, registration and enquiries. Wrekin help point for newcomers. Public toilets and NT cafe

Dogs: dogs allowed on leads and kept under control and leaving no trace of their presence. 

Officials:
Organiser: Adrian Pickles
Planner:  Mike Goldthorpe
Controller: Andy Hemsted(HOC)

Terrain: a large steep sided valley and surrounding hill summits. The vegetation is a mix of rough grassland with bracken and low shrubs. Tracks are rocky and need care. Courses 1-5 (White to Very Short Green) are planned to avoid the need for wet feet, but everyone should be careful when crossing streams which may be very small or raging torrents. Slopes can be extremely steep with some crags and scree. The terrain is particularly treacherous when it has been frozen.

Map: 1:10000, 5m contours

Punching: Sportident electronic punching, SIAC enabled but manual punch needed at Start and Finish. For anyone without a dibber, they are available for hire (£1.00). Lost dibbers will be charged at £40 

Start and Finish: in Carding Mill Valley 250m from NT Chalet 

Start times: between 1030-1200 
Courses close at 14.30 

Entries:  Enter online at fabian4.co.uk (open now).
Closing date on Fabian4: 9 February 2026. Late entry may be possible depending on map availability. Please enter before the closing date if possible!

Fees: Seniors £12 (£10 for BO members); Juniors £5.

On the day entries will be accepted subject to map availability and a £2 surcharge.

Safety: Orienteering is an adventure sport. Competitors take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety. The event will take place on high, steep ground in February. There is much more ascent and descent than normal on courses for events like this. Please compete on a course you are confident you can complete in less than two hours. Whistles must be carried. 

In case of bad weather FRA (Fell Runners Association) standard waterproofs will be compulsory (waterproof top, bottoms, hat, gloves)

Please remember to download after your run, or a search will take place for you. 

In the event of extreme weather please check the Wrekin Orienteers website or Facebook page to check the event is still happening. 

Horses – there are ponies grazing unattended on the Long Mynd. They are used to the presence of passers by but it is best not to run through closely gathered groups of ponies.

TRAFFIC DANGER Be aware of the presence of cars in the car park and on the road up the valley. 

Emergency phone number: 07846 301251

Courses: the following courses are planned. The details below are subject to final controlling

Course	Classes*	Controls	Distance (km)**	Climb (m)**
1. White	M/W10S	8	1.5	50
2. Yellow	M/W10L M/W12S	8	1.8	60
3. Orange	M/W12L M14,70+S W14, 60+S	8	2.1	75
4. Light Green	M/W14L M/W16S	7	2.3	100
5. Very Short Green	M80+L W75+L	7	1.8	70
6. Short Green	M70,75L W60-70L M60,65S W40-55L	7	2.6	115
7. Green	M16,60,65L W16,40-55L M18,45-55S W18-35S	8	3.0	200
8. Blue	M18.45-55L W18-35L M20-40S	12	4.1	300
9. Brown	M20-40L	12	6.5	350

* The classes listed are those allocated for points to be scored in the West Midlands League: they are not mandatory and you may enter any course you wish.
** Distances are “as the crow flies”. In practice you will run significantly further. Climb will depend on your route choice – there may be opportunities to reduce climb by taking a longer route, for example.

INSURANCE

Participants who are not members of British Orienteering are not covered by British Orienteering’s public liability insurance. By entering this event, you acknowledge that you are taking part at your own risk. For example, if you were to accidentally injure a member of the public or damage property during the event, you would not be covered.

Medical information

If you wish any medical information to be available to a practitioner in the event of an emergency, please fill in the British Orienteering medical information form, place it in a sealed envelope with your name on it, and deposit it at Enquiries. It will not be opened unless we have reason to believe you may have suffered a medical emergency and will be shredded after the event if you don’t collect it.