BC Orienteering Championships - Larch O Fest Standard
October 10th 2025 6:00pm - October 13th 2025 1:00pm
Organizers: JP Buysschaert (Event Director), Jim Webster (Assistant), Hilary Anderson (Course Planner), Andree Powers (Course Planner), Karen Martino (Course Planner), John Rance (Controller)
Map: Cranbrook Community Forest
Registration is Now Open
Click HERE .... https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=39641
Meet Notes - including course distances
BC Orienteering Champs 2025 - Meet Notes v1.1.pdf
( Note: we will be adding more detail to this document over the coming week, such as directions - Possible Model Map etc. )
The BC Championships returns to the open forest and challenging terrain of Cranbrook Community Forest.. These maps are always fun.. This is the perfect time of the year to be in Kimberley and Cranbrook as the Larch colours will start to be in their prime..
Accommodation and camping will once again be available at the Mountainview Guide Camp in Wycliffe. The site contains a full kitchen, large dining area, bunk beds (22), showers, and plenty of room for tents. Conveniently located between Kimberley and Cranbrook.
We encourage everyone to carry water and bear spray on their courses. Whistles are also mandatory. Be familiar with its use.
Event Program :
1) Saturday October 11 - Long Distance Event - Ramparts Map (near Cranbrook) - Starts at 10am
The 2022 COC Middle distance was held on this brand new map to great acclaim. We're excited to bring you longer courses on it.
Scales will vary depending on class, from 1:7500 for junior courses, 1:10000 for courses 6-7 and 1:15000 for elite course 8.
Contour Interval 5m on all maps.
Course Planner : Andrée Powers / Controller: Eileen Charles
2) Sunday October 12 - Middle Event - Kettle Lake (Cranbrook Community Forest) - Starts at 10:30
This area was used many years ago for a 2007 championship event, HPP training, and as the model for the 2010 NAOCs. It has been remapped. Highly technical, it is a great complement to the map from the prior day. Map scale is 1:7500, 5m contours for all classes.
Course Planner : Hilary Anderson / Controller: John Rance
Sunday Afternoon: Biathlon Training @ Mountainview Guide Camp
This will be your chance to learn how to effectively use the Eco-Aim Optical Rifles that will be used on Monday. These rifles handle and operate just like regular biathlon equipment, but use optics to record hits and misses. We will also have a set-up of the range area so that you can become familiar with how the range and arena will work, including penalty laps for misses. If there are any young juniors wishing to participate, we will hold a youth biathlon-orienteering event this afternoon.
3) Sunday Evening October 12 - Dinner and Social - Bootleg Golf Club 5:30 pm
Grilled chicken breast with homemade BBQ sauce, macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob, Caesar salad and dinner rolls. Vegetarian Option. $40 inclusive of tax and gratuity. Order with your registration.
4) Monday October 13 - Monday - Biathlon Orienteering - Wycliffe Regional Park
This unique event is a reason by itself for you to come and experience the 2025 BC Champs.
Main Event - Start Time 9am
Each participant will orienteer two main loops (0.8-1.2 km each) with a round of shooting in the range after each loop, and then finish with a short fast sprint O-loop. There will be two possible levels you can decide to run. The Regular course will be about 2 km in total, the Advanced Course about 3km with a slightly higher degree of orienteering difficulty and more climb. If your shooting accuracy is missing on the day you could be running more than an extra 500m of penalty loops as well. Get your running legs ready!
Sprint Event - Start Time approx. 1045am
For those wanting more time on the course and in the range (and maybe doing more penalty loops) there will be a true Biathlon Sprint-O event following the main event. This will consist very short and fast O-loop to start (to get your heart rate up of course!), a round of shooting, a main sprint orienteering loop of about 1 km (fast again), another visit to the range then a full-on sprint to the finish. This will be a super-sprint event with accuracy being even more critical if you plan to come out on top!
*** Note this Sprint Event is not included in the main package as some people may need start their trip home early on Monday, or they may feel that one event on Monday morning is enough for them. For these reasons it is separated out on the registration - if you wish to participate please ensure you have it selected. There will be opportunity during the weekend to let us know you want to run the Sprint event too. Proceeds from this Biathlon Sprint-O will go to the Hi Performance Canadian Team! It will be fun to participate in and watch.
Wycliffe Regional Park is a 2-minute drive from the Mountainview Guide Camp - our base for the weekend. The map is runnable open forest - newly made in 2024/25.
Scale 1:4000 with 2m contours
Course Planner - Biathlon : Karen Martino / Advisor : Rich Pettit / Mapper: Hilary Anderson
**Course Planner Update Sept 29: Putting the final touches on the Biathlon-O loops. The orienteering is going to be fast with such amazingly runnable terrain. That should get your heart rate up! But will your fast running impair your shooting ability? The larches are starting to turn so should be so very pretty out there....if you take the time to look!
