Vidrike Rogain – Thoughts from the Course Setter
This upcoming Saturday marks the end of the four-stage STIHL x SH Rogain series. The final stage takes participants to the beautiful landscape of Southern Estonia in Vidrike. The area is essentially a map segment right next to Kääriku, showcasing the typical nature of Otepää – hills, forests, thickets, and stunning views. All we can do now is hope that the weather will be kind to us on Saturday and keep us dry!
We don’t predict the weather, but we do plan the course! And by “we,” I actually mean one person. This time, the course setter is Arvi Anton, who spent several days out there exploring and pondering:
“With Vidrike Rogain, we continue the tradition of making the autumn rogain a proper forest rogain. The central part of the map offers excellent views of the lakes at the bottom of a valley in Southern Estonia. However, most of the course follows a more forested theme. The terrain includes forests in various stages of development: dense thickets, young forests, mature woods with thick undergrowth, forests with excellent runnability, and of course, clear-cut areas.
We’ve tried to keep the map as accurate as possible, but we can’t rule out that a few fresh clear-cuts might be missing.
In terms of relief, it’s not particularly challenging for orienteering. The key will be planning the right route and finding the fastest way through different forest types. At times, it might be easy to move along the edge of a clearing, on an old path, or along the edge of a bog, but the next moment, that could be the slowest route. While planning the course and moving through the terrain, I had to shrink the competition area several times because the movement speed seems to be quite slow, similar to last year’s Kääriku.
There is a wider stream near a couple of checkpoints, which is also mentioned in the checkpoint legend. You definitely won’t be able to cross it with dry feet, so please keep that in mind when planning your route! Of course, this likely won’t bother the faster participants… Additionally, there is an old bridge near one checkpoint. I managed to cross it calmly, but crossing is entirely at your own risk!
Most of the cultivated fields have also been marked with a purple hatch, so please pay close attention to those and other prohibited areas! The prohibited areas are primarily marked on the map as a result of agreements with landowners – some allowed access, some didn’t, some had a dog in the yard and preferred that participants didn’t pass too close to the farm, etc. Please respect this!
In conclusion, I believe it will be a great day in nature/forest for everyone! You’ll get to see beautiful views, diverse nature, old farmsteads, and even some new grand homes nestled between the hills of Southern Estonia.”
See you in the forest!
