Summerhill Country Park is on Summer Hill Lane, off Catcote Road in Hartlepool.

Parking will be in the (free) car park at grid reference NZ 489316.  The postcode is TS25 4LL and the What3words reference for the entrance to the car park is ///shops.buck.adding.

Click on the link to see a map.  You can zoom in (and, optionally, switch to Satellite mode) to see the details of the final approach to the event.  You can also get directions if you specify your starting location.

Enquiries and Download will be in the Visitor Centre.

Summerhill Country Park has changed considerably since it was last used for a CLOK event.

The majority of the area is mature trees, with fences enclosing the original areas of plantation.  Some of these fences are no longer easy to see.

Most of the fences are lower than about 1m high and consist of chicken wire mesh topped with a single strand of wire (not barbed).  They are broken down in places.  These have been mapped as gaps in the fence, and some of the gaps have been highlighted as marked crossing points.  You should aim to use these gaps, stiles or gates rather than planning to climb fences.

There are also some very low 'fences' about 30-40cm high which are mapped as a thin black line with no tags.  They may be overgrown and not very visible, so beware of tripping over them!

Vegetation has been very hard to map because it is very variable.  The edges of vegetation screens should not be used for fine navigation, but only to give an indication of general runnability in the area.

The vertical screen of close green lines represents areas which are more or less impassable, either on rough open (with or without scattered trees or bushes) or in forest.  The obstacle to progress is mostly brambles, which can be up to 2m or more in height.  You have been warned!

The wider spaced screen of vertical green lines represents lower undergrowth which is passable but may not be pleasant to cross.  Again, the screens should not be used for fine navigation but only as a general indication of runnability.

Many of the trees were originally planted in straight lines, which means that in some areas the runnability is still considerably better in one direction than at right angles to this.

Some smaller paths are currently hard to see because they are covered in leaves.

The BMX track (in the middle of the northern part of the map) occasionally has bikers on it, but there is no organised event on the day of the orienteering competition.  Please be aware of the possibility of encountering bikers in this area.

Please note the two different sizes of black dots denoting boulders and posts.  The climbing boulders are very large and must not be climbed on during the competition.

Clearings in wooded areas have been mapped using the open ground (darker yellow) symbol rather than rough open (pale yellow) symbol in order to make them easier to see on the map when you are running.

Finally, please note that work is always ongoing to maintain and manage the country park, so vegetation and forestry can change quickly.

This is a Team Score event with a difference.  The event is for teams of 3, but all entries are welcome – we will make up ad hoc teams from single person and pair entries.  This team event is suitable for all ages.

There are three courses, and each team will need to select one of their members for each course.  The courses are 30, 40 and 50 minutes score courses.  (If you are not familiar with score courses, see below for an explanation.)

As shown below, the 30 minutes course will attract a higher points value per control than the 40 minutess course which, in turn, will attract more points per control than the 50 minutes course.  Teams will need to evaluate the best use of their members to maximise their final points total.

• 30 minutes course – 15 points per control
• 40 minutes course – 12 points per control
• 50 minutes course – 10 points per control

All competitors will use the same map (showing all the controls) and will have the option of visiting the same set of controls BUT, as explained above, the number of points earned by visiting each control will depend on which of the three courses you're doing.

Penalties will be incurred in the form of a loss of 20 points for each minute or part minute for each late finisher in your team.

On completion of their course, each competitor should punch the Finish and go straight to Download.  There is no need to wait for your other team members before punching at the Finish.

Fancy dress is encouraged.  Extra points will be awarded for fancy dress.

Note:  In a Score event there is no pre-defined sequence of controls to be visited.  The aim is to collect as many points as possible by visiting controls in any order that you choose.  You lose points if you take longer than the specified time limit, so deciding which controls to visit and in which order is an important element of the event.

The following prizes will be awarded:

• 1st team
• 2nd team
• 1st all-female team (which has not won one of the other two prizes)

1:4,000 scale.   2.5m contours.

Control descriptions will be printed on the map, and loose copies will also be available.

SPORTident electronic punching will be used at this event.

The control boxes will be activated to enable SIAC cards to operate in touch-free mode ..... but please note that you will need to punch the conventional way at the Start and Finish.

If you need to hire an SI-card, please reserve it via Racesignup when you put in your entry.  There will be a £1 hire charge.  Please collect your hired SI-card from Download before your run and return it as you download after your run.  Take care of your hired SI-card, as there will be a £20 charge if you lose it.

A limited number of SI-cards will be available for hire on the day, but please pre-book your hired SI-card via Racesignup if you can.

Please note that there will not be mass starts.  You will need to punch at the Start (and the Finish, of course).

If you can, please pre-enter via the Racesignup online entry system as a three-person team.

If possible, please enter by midnight on Sunday 29‑Dec‑2024.  After that, the online entry system will continue to accept entries until midnight on Thursday 2‑Jan‑2024 while maps are available.

If you are entering a full team, please specify a team name.  And please decide before the day which course each team member is running, as this makes things so much easier for the on-the-day computer team.

You can enter an incomplete team with one or two runners.  The Organiser will make up "ad hoc" teams.  Please make sure that you put your entry in against the course that you would like to run (50, 40 or 30 minute score).  We'll try to arrange things so that you're running your preferred course, but we may need to ask some people to change to another course to make up complete teams.

There will be very limited entry on the day, subject to the availability of maps, but please pre-enter via Racesignup if you possibly can.

Toilets in the Country Park Visitor Centre.

First Aid at Download (in the Visitor Centre).

Daisy and Bea's cafe will be open in the Visitor Centre from 10 a.m.

Full leg and body cover must be worn.

A risk assessment will have been carried out by the Organiser, but please remember that competitors take part at their own risk.  Orienteering is an adventure sport – your safety while orienteering is your own responsibility.

Please make sure that you download even if you do not complete your course.

CLOK recommends that you carry a whistle while participating in this (and every) orienteering event.

If you have a relevant medical condition, please add this to your competitor details in Racesignup.  Any information provided will be treated in strict confidence and will only be used if you need medical treatment and are unable to communicate at the time.