ILKLEY Moor was lit up on Saturday night with over 300 orienteers competing in the national night championships. Despite a couple of inches of snow on the ground, there were very few retirements and a lot of praise for the courses.

The weather made life difficult, with paths hidden under snow and boulders disappearing in the white out. It was very easy to get lost if your map-reading was not spot-on.

Competitors came from across the UK for one of the highlights of the orienteering year. Ages ranged between 16 and 85. Local successes included Judith Powell of Otley (1st W80), Peter Haines from Ilkley (1st M65), Al Powell of Otley (1st M50), Emily Gibbins (1st W18), and Lindsey King (3rd W60).

The National day event the following morning was almost flooded out. But the pioneering spirit of planner Rob King and the fortitude of the competitors overcame the rain and the torrent pouring down Backstone Beck. Times were a bit slower than expected, but, again, there were surprisingly few retirements.

Organising club Airienteers masterminded the complex planning and safety provision for these events, with help from local groups including St Margaret’s Church, Ilkley Grammar School, Bradford MDC, Ilkley Town Council, the Bingley Moor Partnership and White Wells. Ilkley Town Mayor Mark Stidworthy bravely checked out some control sites as well as presenting the prizes.