NYMBO Winter Series – Darley – 8th November
29 riders turned out for the opening event of the 2025/26 NYMBO Winter League, held from the Wellington Inn in the heart of Nidderdale. For the first time, the event was organised in conjunction with CLARO Orienteers, who were running the first of their MapRun+ events. These score events are completed on foot and use a smaller map with a completely different set of controls to the NYMBO course.
MapRun results including tracks can be found here
The last time NYMBO visited the Wellington Inn was back in 2014, when the challenging terrain meant the top score fell below 400 points out of a possible 525 – despite the area being a similar size to other two-hour events.
When planning this year’s map, it was a challenge deciding how best to contain the area. South of the Nidd, the riding is deceptively tough: a dense network of quiet lanes and old drovers’ tracks criss-cross numerous tributaries, with very little flat ground. North of the river, the terrain is easier to interpret, rising steeply to the high point at Brimham Rocks. The river itself divides the area, forcing riders to make strategic choices about if – and how – to link the two halves via the limited crossing points.
Unlike the 2014 event, this year’s map included the bridleways north of Summerbridge and excluded Hampsthwaite to the East. Recent improvements to some of these northern tracks have made them more predictable in wetter weather and therefore more enjoyable to ride.
After a damp week, the event day began bright and mild, with mid-morning rain clouds thankfully clearing. Despite some recent rain after my recce of the area, the ground conditions were reasonable and the riding never felt too heavy. Most riders returned to the finish mud-splattered but smiling.
Topping the results table with 325 points was Andy Gregg, who chose a route focused on the southeast corner of the map, tactically dropping control 25 at Reynard’s Crag. The first lady was Carmen Elphick, who opted to stay south of the Nidd.
Reviewing the GPS tracks showed that most riders concentrated on the southeast, collecting the mainly tarmac controls around Kettlesing, Tang, and Birstwith. Others explored the southwest corner, while a few hardy souls pushed north to enjoy the long descent past control 27.
Clearly, this is a demanding area that would take more than a mere mortal to clear within two hours. It would be interesting to see how riders would fare in a three-hour version – perhaps a contender for a future summer event.
Finalised results including splits can be found here
The next event will take place on 6th December in [location TBD], planned by Tim Evans.
Menwith Hill
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