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Croatia and Crathes are the latest sporting stops for members of Moravian Orienteering Club


By Craig Christie

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From a regional event in Aberdeenshire to international duty on the Croatian island of Brac, Moravian Orienteering Club have been busy.

Orienteering at Crathes. Grampian Orienteering Club Facebook
Orienteering at Crathes. Grampian Orienteering Club Facebook

Seven members of the club took in warm sunshine at a regional competition in Crathes last weekend.

Another seven made the longer journey to the more exotic location of Brac to compete in a three-day, four-event championship along with 350 competitors from 23 countries.

Moravian's younger and less experienced orienteers were the stars of the regional tourney at Crathes.

Relative newcomers Ali Parmenter and her husband Laurie came first and second on the intermediate course.

In the W12 (female 12-and-under) section, Anna Howard won convincingly on the step-up orange course, while in the same age category the equally-inexperienced Halszka Le Riche came second on the yellow course.

Liz Campbell and her husband Andrew led a family jaunt to Croatia for their first-ever overseas orienteering experience, along with club colleague David Ritchie.

The terrain could not have been much more challenging for the Moravian group.

A club spokesperson describes some of the hurdles experienced.

"Liz (competing at W55) struggled mightily with the technicalities on day one. Then, frightened of the long distance the next day in dense fog on the mountain, she took her phone with her so that she could be found when utterly lost.

"We watched in astonishment as she calmly went straight to controls that had had some of us losing tens of minutes and she was over the moon to finish in sixth."

"The last two events were sprints, one in the night in the alleys and beaches of a coastal resort, and the other in a very steep terraced village.

"Both were very complex challenging navigation and Liz finished in fourth, then ended up winning the final race and finishing the overall competition just outside the medals in fourth."

Liz's husband Andrew, competing in M55, also experienced a tough start, finishing day one over half an hour behind in 24th position.

However, he gradually improved his position over the remaining days and won the final sprint outright to finish in 13th place overall.

Eddie Harwood finished seventh on this class, one place ahead of club colleague Steve Smirthwaite.


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