Claro Area Details

Within our overall area we have a number of mapped areas, which can be grouped into the larger locations of Harrogate, Ripon, Boroughbridge, Washburn Valley.

Whilst not detailing every area the following gives a picture of the main areas that CLARO currently have mapped and which we use to put on our events.

Swinsty and Beecroft - An area of woodland just on the west side of Swinsty and Fewston Reservoirs about 5 miles west of Harrogate. (SE 186538)

Timble Ings – An area of woodland on the west side of the unclassified road running from Otley to Blubberhouses, about 2 miles west of Swinsty reservoir. (SE 164529)

Askwith Moor – An area of open moorland, just south-east of Timble Ings. (SE 164529)

Brimham Rocks – The famous National Trust lands about 2 miles north of Summerbridge (B6165), between Pateley Bridge and Ripley. The area includes the complex rock formations as well as open areas and woodland. (SE 208646)

High Moor – An area of woodland about 1 mile north of Brimham Rocks. (SE 220660)

Guisecliff Wood – On the valley side about 2 miles south of Pateley Bridge. The area has a complex area of boulders and rocks, some open areas and some woodland areas. A highly technical area. (SE 167636)

Ellington Banks – 2 miles north-west of Ripon, a wooded area with a complex set of footpaths. (SE 275732)

Nutwith and Roomer – A very runnable wooded area, about 1 mile north of Grewelthorpe. (SE 225785)

Angram – Open moorland by Scar House Reservoir at the top of the Nidd Valley. (SE 044764)

Lindley Moor – A new area (2002). Fairly dense woodland and a better Western area with some complex rock formation. Situated about 4 miles West of Harrogate, just off the B6451. (SE 225505)

The following additional areas are too small for open events and we use them for smaller CLARO only family and club training events :

Harlow Hill – The Pine woods plantation and Birk Crag woods on the western edge of Harrogate, just off Otley Road. (B6162)

Plumpton Rocks – An interesting wood land area surrounding a lake, with some good rock formations. About 1 mile out of Harrogate on the Wetherby Road A661. (SE 356537)

Conyngham Hall – A small area of woods surrounding the River Nidd, where the A59 crosses the river at Knaresborough. (SE 345572)

Hell Wath – Open, rough open and clumps of woodland, on the banks of the river Skell about 1 mile south-west of Ripon. (SE 299699)

Laver Banks - Rough open, with scattered woodland on the banks of the river Laver, about 1 mile west of Ripon off the B6265. (SE 292715)

Scott Gate Quarries – A set of disused quarry workings, high on the hillside just outside Pateley Bridge on the north side of the town. (SE 161665)

Yorkshire & Humberside regional information

CLARO is a member of the Yorkshire and Humberside Orienteering Association (YHOA), which is the body representing the sport in our region. The association consists of 6 open clubs and 2 closed (university) clubs. The other open clubs are :

AIRIENTEERS - which covers the Leeds, Bradford and Craven district.

EBORIENTEERS – which covers from Selby in the South, through York and along the Southern fringe of the North Yorkshire Moors, covering Thirsk, Pickering and Scarborough i.e. North Yorkshire east of Dere Street.

East Pennines Orienteering Club (EPOC)- which covers the East Pennines (Wakefield, Huddersfield and Halifax).

Humberside And Lincolnshire Orienteers (HALO) - which covers Humberside and Lincolnshire, from Bridlington in the North through Hull, Scunthorpe and Grimsby.

South Yorkshire Orienteers (SYO) - which covers South Yorkshire including Barnsley, Doncaster and Sheffield.

The closed clubs are Sheffield University (ShUOC) and Leeds University (LUOC).

Together the clubs of the YHOA put on a wide variety of Orienteering events over the whole year. The basic events are colour coded, which any BOF member can go to. More technical events are Badge events of which there are fewer. Score events, relays and even National events are also a feature of the annual programme.

Each year the YHOA championships are held as part of a normal badge event with awards in all age classes.

An annual Galoppen is held every year, with competitors gaining points from a series of nominated badge events held in the region. Depending on the number of events, a competitor’s best results in a proportion of the total (e.g. 6 out of 9) will count towards their final result.

The association also runs a YHOA night league with each club putting on one night Orienteering event during the winter months.

A regional junior squad is supported, with the aim of providing a progressive coaching programme for those youngsters who are M/W14 and above and who are regularly achieving ‘gold’ standard at Badge events.

Most of the events put on by the clubs of YHOA are within one hour’s drive from Harrogate. For many CLARO club orienteers these represent the huge majority of events which they attend, only travelling further for special occasions and to represent the club. The YHOA programme usually means that within the main orienteering season (September to May) a keen orienteer can usually find an event within reach on most weekends.

A further advantage for CLARO members is that the Cleveland Orienteering Club (CLOK) which is in the North East Association (NEOA) puts on a number of events on the North part of the North Yorkshire Moors. These events are also within fairly easy reach of most CLARO members, so extending the choice of events.