Any questions? - Email Andrew Nicoll on andrew@nicollxxx.co.uk (take out the xxx)

Welcome to the home page of the Montane Phoenix Long O. This page contains general information about the event.

28/06/10 - 2010 Phoenix Long O cancelled

It is with great regret that we announce the cancellation of this year's Phoenix Long O. We are now a week away from the closing date and have only 31 entries. We've never had such few entries at this stage and unfortunately can see no way that the event can remotely be viable. We thought it better to cancel now rather than at the last moment.
To those who have entered, thank you for doing so and please accept our apologies for the inconvenience involved. We shall make a complete refund of your entry fee.
We don't know why the entry has been so low. Perhaps the change of date has not helped. We had to move to July to get permission for the area we wanted to use. Perhaps there are many other outdoor events now taking place and diluting the potential entry.

Click here for the 15th Montane Phoenix Long O, 17th/18th July 2010

General Information
The Phoenix Long O is a 2 day 'long orienteering' event which takes place in the Cheviots, a range of hills straddling the border between Scotland and England and is run by Newcastle and Tyneside Orienteers (NATO).
The first event took place in 1994 and it has been held every year since except 2001 and 2007.

Unlike its Mountain Marathon cousin where competitors have to carry with them sufficient for 2 days including camping and cooking equipment, in the Phoenix you return to your base after the first day and need only take with you the essentials for the day.

It is a 'long' orienteering event and as such, competitors do need some map reading and navigation skills. You are required to visit a set of control points in a given sequence, the route between the points being your decision. It is a competitive event but you can decide how competitive you want to be (subject to finishing by the specified closing time). We hope it is a friendly event and we try to be flexible.
Entry is not restricted to orienteers. The event attracts a range of people from fell runners and orienteers to those who enjoy a day out in the hills and like the idea of a navigational challenge using map and compass (but not GPS systems!). Participants range from those who will even run uphill to those who will enjoy walking round the short course. It is a physical event - paths may sometimes be useful but you are often likely to find yourself taking cross country routes over rough terrain - newcomers to the event should not under estimate this.
Differences with more traditional orienteering events include a greater distance to be covered and a larger height to be climbed during the course. Distances between controls are significantly greater and there is often a larger element of route choice between the controls with less emphasis on fine navigation near the control site. A long O event requires a much larger area and this means that those who are accustomed to the accurate fine detail of a specially prepared orienteering map must adjust their expectations. We use commercially available maps (normally Harveys) on a completely different scale and these are unlikely to be 100 percent up-to-date so you must be prepared for the unexpected - new tracks (e.g. for grouse shooting), new paths, paths on the map which no longer exist, new fences, fences on the map which are not there any more, woodland which has been newly planted or has matured or been cut down or blown down since the map was made and so on.

There are always several courses on offer. The A class has the longest and toughest courses and will cover a distance of around 50km over the two days - it is for the seriously fit! At the other end of the scale, the D class will cover a total distance of about 18km over the two days and is a more suitable choice for those wanting to walk round or for those who are new to this type of event (but run, jog or walk is entirely up to you!!).
Most people take part as individuals but it is possible to enter as a pair. There are 2 pairs competitions (over the same courses as the C and D classes).
For reasons of safety, there are age limits for the event and these will be/are explained on the entry form and on the web pages for this year's event.

Usually, the event centre is at a convenient Camping/Caravan park and many participants choose to camp or park at it. Others prefer the luxury of B&B or boarding house or hotel and those living locally can even enjoy the ultimate luxury of their own beds!! Whatever you choose, overnight accommodation is the competitor's own responsibility and is not included in the entry fees.