RT editor, Lucy Hawthorne, interviewed Veteran rogainer, Nick Bowden, who is a long-term committee member and former president of Rogaining Tasmania.
Lucy: How did you first get involved in rogaining, and what attracted you to the activity in particular?
Nick: As a keen orienteer, I had heard about rogaining and thought it would be a combination of that sport and bushwalking, two of my favourite outdoor activities. This certainly proved to be the case. My first event was the Bangor Picnic in 1998. I teamed up with Geoff Baxter and Rod Bilson, also both new to the sport. We knew so little about what was involved that we did not allow enough time for course planning, and had to plan “on the run” after the start. My next event was the Bay of Fires in 1999. I loved the steep(ish) terrain because it makes navigation relatively easy. At the finish of this event Liz Canning had a sign asking if anyone was interested in making up a team to organise the next one. This resulted in Liz, Hugh Fitzgerald, Barry Windridge and me setting the Rheban event later the same year. I discovered setting an event is just as enjoyable as competing in one. The same team, with the addition of Jeff Butt and Sarah Boyle, organised the Midland Manoeuvres, which was the 2003 Australian Championship event.
Lucy: Rogaining is known for its blend of physical endurance and mental strategy. What do you think are the main attractions of the sport?
Nick: Rogaining can be enjoyed by people competing at many different levels: from elite athletes who can travel 100 km during a 24-hour event, to families taking their children on a bush walk. We hold a variety of different events: metrogaines, paddlegaines and mountain bike events. Who could ever forget the metrobusgaine? Because bush events are usually held on private property, you get to enjoy areas you would not normally have access to. Having events fully catered is popular. The events are well organised, and while there are minor hiccoughs, most competitors would not be aware of them.
Lucy: What has changed since you first started participating, and how has the community of rogainers changed over the years?
Nick: The number of competitors coming to an event has more than doubled. Thanks to LIDAR the quality of the maps has improved out of sight. The community used to be mostly orienteers, but it has now widened a lot, helped by a greater variety of events, mountain biking in particular.
Lucy: Can you share a particularly memorable or challenging rogaining experience, and what did you learn from it?
Nick: Rod Bilson and I competed in the 2006 Australian Championship held in the Warrumbungle National Park in NSW. The weather was unseasonably hot, so we did not push ourselves too hard and treated ourselves to a good sleep at night time. The memorable experience was getting up at first light, walking along a valley floor and watching the early morning sun shining on the tops of the enormous sandstone cliffs that surrounded us. Our score suffered from the amount of time we spent sleeping, but we did win the trivia competition that was held in the bus during the trip from Sydney!
Lucy: Are there specific opportunities or events that newcomers should be aware of if they want to get involved?
Nick: It’s best to start by competing in a metrogaine, but not essential. Learn how to use a compass and read a map and have a go. Navigate within your level of comfort and extend yourself as your confidence increases. Careful planning is essential: estimate how far you can travel in the given time and plan a route that can be shortened if necessary or lengthened if things go better than expected. Calculate the times you expect to reach to reach each check point, or at the very least, the half-way point. Finishing late will cause you to lose hard earned points and be a worry for the event organisers. Once you have competed in a couple of events, don’t be backwards in coming forward to assist experienced members organise one. I guarantee you will enjoy it, and it will help you improve your navigation. There are many tasks you can help with and compete as well.
Lucy: What's your favourite rogaining map of all time, and why is it so memorable?
Nick: My favourite was the Highland Fling, the 2006 Tasmanian Championship organised by Bernard Walker. I competed with Barry Abbott, my long-term rogaining partner. It was memorable because of the beautiful undulating central highland terrain, with light forest and areas of open button grass. It was also one of the few events where were we were able to extend our planned course because we were ahead of our anticipated time.
If you'd like to get involved as an organiser based on Nick's positive experience course setting, get in contact with the RT committee. Mentoring and mapping assistance is available.