50 Years after the first orienteering event in NSW, a couple of Bennelong Northside members celebrated the occasion by using the inaugural event map to attempt the original course.

Much has changed for orienteers since 1971:

• the original map had an imperial scale (2 inches = 1 mile)
• contour intervals were massive (50ft), and
• alignment was to true north (requiring adjustment for the declination of 11 degrees while on-course).

Needless to say, it was a challenge.

Map: Katoomba Mt Hay

Start: Mt Hay Road cnr Fortress Ridge Trail

Organiser: Peter Hopper

Setter: Ake Persson (in 1971)

Participants: 2 = Peter Hopper & Sharon Lambert

Result: DNF

Report: Driving to the start was possible, but we parked at the National Parks information bay (about 5km from Leura) and walked 5km along Mt Hay Road to the start. Conditions were very windy with gusts over 75 km/hr blowing us around. No control descriptions and missing tracks made following the 50 year old map even more difficult than it already was. We eventually found the location for control 1 and nearly made it to control 2 before abandoning when blustery afternoon showers began blowing in from the west.

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