Berkshire Orienteers, Swinley East (Buttersteep)
Saturday 7th March
Entries close 23:59 on 2nd Mar
Entries close 23:59 on 2nd Mar
Click here to sign up and enter. If you have already entered click here to view and, if necessary, amend your entry.
| Entered: | 16 |
Berkshire Orienteers (BKO) invites you to our orienteering event at Swinley East on Saturday 7th March.
All are welcome to come and try orienteering at this event
Yellow 2.6km
Entered: 1
Orange 3.6km
Red 4.1km
Entered: 1
Light Green 4.4km
Entered: 2
Short Green 3.6km
Entered: 7
Short Blue 5.3km
Entered: 5
Five courses are available: Yellow, Orange, Light Green, Red, Short Green and Short Blue.
Map size is A4
All distances subject to final controlling.
Yellow is suitable for beginners, including juniors. You can go round solo, in a pair or as a family. The course is mainly on forest paths, although controls can be just off a path on a feature in sight of the track. Controls are marked by orange and white kites.
Orange is good for juniors developing their skills and for adults starting out in orienteering. You can get between the controls using linear features (paths, ditches, earth walls) but it can also be quicker to head direct through the forest taking shortcuts.
On the Light Green course all of the controls are in the forest off paths and you will need to navigate accurately to find them.
The Red course is a long course but with easy navigation. Suitable for adult runners who would like to give orienteering a try.
Green and Short Blue courses are intended for experienced orienteers and visit most of the forest area.
Main
Senior: £9.00/£11.00
Senior Novice: £4.00
Senior Chip hire: £2.00
Junior/Student: £4.00
Junior/Student Chip hire: £0.00
From 2nd March:
Late
Senior: £11.00/£13.00
Senior Novice: £6.00
Senior Chip hire: £2.00
Junior/Student: £6.00
Junior/Student Chip hire: £0.00
Juniors are under 21 on 31st December. Seniors - BO members £9 / Non Members £11
Juniors £4
SI cards are £2 to hire for seniors and free to juniors. Please take care of them as we must charge £70 for any lost card.
Swinley East 7th March 2026 10.30-12.00
Local (Level D) Orienteering Event
Car Park opens at 10.00am and closes at 14.00
Starts opens at 10.30am last start 12.00pm
Courses close at 13.30pm
Directions
Signposted from the A332 Swinley Road at GR SU904657, post code SL5 8AY,
What 3 Words ///grid.loved.guard. There will be Orienteering signs directing you into the car parking entrance.
Drive slowly and take care when driving along the forest road to the Car Par. Our future permission to use the area is dependent on us driving slowly. The area is popular with members of the public. Please give Runners, Pedestrians, and dog walkers plenty of room.
Newcomers: Orienteering is an exciting adventure sport for all ages. If you are new to orienteering you are very welcome to attend this event. When you arrive please come along to enquiries and we will help you get started. Newcomers will generally enter yellow and orange courses which are shorter and technically easier. You can compete alone or in a small group e.g. family. Inexperienced juniors must be accompanied by an adult. If you wish to go round together in a group, you only need to make one entry on RaceSignUp.
Orienteering involves navigating a course on a special orienteering map. Along the way there are a number of control points which you ‘punch’ using your electronic SI dibber (chip). Many orienteers own their own dibbers but they are also available for hire.
The organiser will be happy to answer any questions you might have about the event. Please contact events@bko.org.uk
Terrain
Swinley East is a flat and fast area of mixed terrain with a distinct network of forest rides and paths. The area is a commercial forest operated by Crown Estates with separate blocks of runnable forest, felled area and new plantation. Bracken is a significant feature of Swinley Forest. But at the beginning of March it is expected to have only little impact on fine navigation and running speed. Within the individual blocks of terrain there are a variety of point features to challenge your fine orienteering skills.
Toilets: there will be no toilets provided at the event
Water: Please bring your own water to drink after competing - especially if the weather is hot. We will not be supplying water at the finish.
Conduct:
You must adhere to the British Orienteering Participant Code of Conduct
Please note that smoking or vaping is not allowed at the event.
Dress:
This event takes place in forest - full leg and torso cover is required
Personal Responsibility:
Competitors are responsible for their own personal safety and for assessing their own abilities to complete the course.
Use of personal data:
The personal data you give at Registration will be used by the event organisers and their agents for the purpose of processing and publishing entries and results, conducting safety checks and as required by our insurers to validate our cover. Your information will be managed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
