Greater Manchester Orienteering Activities

Permanent Courses in Greater Manchester

Locations

Permanent Orienteering Courses are available in all ten boroughs.
Trail-O is currently available in Oldham MBC, at Dove Stone Reservoir and Strinesdale and Rochdale MBC at Bowlee Community Park. Further courses are gradually being developed.

For useful information on each park visit the Index

The following details are given:

Date of last map update/reprint
Ordnance Survey grid reference
Indication of technical course standards available
Where to purchase map packs
Telephone number for information or group use
Whether course is maintained by GMOA (see below)

Course Maintenance
GMOA undertakes periodic maintenance checks at some courses. Some parks, however, choose to do their own maintenance. Should you encounter a problem, such as a missing post, please either contact us or the park concerned as appropriate.

Map Information
It is important to be aware of various issues in relation to orienteering maps in order to understand their limitations.

They are not produced with sophisticated surveying equipment. The time involved in such techniques would make the cost of map production prohibitive in relation to the number of people who use them.

Maps are usually produced by orienteers, often on a voluntary basis. They use a large scale OS map to provide a basic outline of the area. Detail is added by pacing measurements and by eye.

Orienteering maps will never be absolutely accurate but they are remarkably good and more than adequate for the job in hand.

They show considerable detail but it is not always possible to show everything depending on the scale.

A map is usually out-of-date as soon as it has been produced. Development work by parks and the constantly changing nature of vegetation mean that maps never truly reflect exactly what is on the ground. GMOA undertakes to update its maps from time to time in order to keep pace with changes.

Should you feel that there is a genuine problem with any of our maps by all means let us know. With modern computer-based cartography it is becoming easier for local enthusiasts to make minor amendments.

Organised Groups
Group leaders are requested to telephone the relevant park in advance of their planned visit. Whilst permission will normally be granted, some parks occasionally hold major events which may make it impractical to use the orienteering course or some areas of it. It is possible that a park may be undertaking maintenance or development work which makes access to some areas unavailable. Leaders can also be made aware of other groups which may be present.

New Courses
GMOA aims to promote and develop orienteering courses in Greater Manchester through setting up permanent courses. Interested parks or organisations are invited to contact us to discuss options and costs.

	Permanent Courses in Greater Manchester
Locations	Permanent Orienteering Courses are available in all ten boroughs. Trail-O is currently available in Oldham MBC, at Dove Stone Reservoir and Strinesdale and Rochdale MBC at Bowlee Community Park. Further courses are gradually being developed. For useful information on each park visit the Index The following details are given: Date of last map update/reprint Ordnance Survey grid reference Indication of technical course standards available Where to purchase map packs Telephone number for information or group use Whether course is maintained by GMOA (see below)
Course Maintenance	GMOA undertakes periodic maintenance checks at some courses. Some parks, however, choose to do their own maintenance. Should you encounter a problem, such as a missing post, please either contact us or the park concerned as appropriate.
Map Information	It is important to be aware of various issues in relation to orienteering maps in order to understand their limitations. They are not produced with sophisticated surveying equipment. The time involved in such techniques would make the cost of map production prohibitive in relation to the number of people who use them. Maps are usually produced by orienteers, often on a voluntary basis. They use a large scale OS map to provide a basic outline of the area. Detail is added by pacing measurements and by eye. Orienteering maps will never be absolutely accurate but they are remarkably good and more than adequate for the job in hand. They show considerable detail but it is not always possible to show everything depending on the scale. A map is usually out-of-date as soon as it has been produced. Development work by parks and the constantly changing nature of vegetation mean that maps never truly reflect exactly what is on the ground. GMOA undertakes to update its maps from time to time in order to keep pace with changes. Should you feel that there is a genuine problem with any of our maps by all means let us know. With modern computer-based cartography it is becoming easier for local enthusiasts to make minor amendments.
Organised Groups	Group leaders are requested to telephone the relevant park in advance of their planned visit. Whilst permission will normally be granted, some parks occasionally hold major events which may make it impractical to use the orienteering course or some areas of it. It is possible that a park may be undertaking maintenance or development work which makes access to some areas unavailable. Leaders can also be made aware of other groups which may be present.
New Courses	GMOA aims to promote and develop orienteering courses in Greater Manchester through setting up permanent courses. Interested parks or organisations are invited to contact us to discuss options and costs.