Rules of the event
All rules carry equal weight but recent changes have been underlined for your convenience.
- Participants must compete in teams of two: entries must be made in pairs who must maintain contact with each other throughout the entire competition.
- Teams must be independant and not help each other. Anyone "tagging along" with a team might be construed as giving them an unfair advantage and that team could be penalised or disqualified.
- Minimum age in all classes is 18 years on the day of the competition.
- In order to ensure safety and fairness in the event, equipment checks will be made at both the start and finish on a large number of teams. Teams found not to have all the required equipment or who have dumped ANY equipment ANYWHERE in the event will be disqualified. This includes all clothing and camping equipment. A skip will be provided at the overnight camp for disposal of waste food, litter, empty gas cartridges ONLY. This will be monitored closely - if in doubt please ask.
- Cut-off times at certain locations throughout the two days of competition will be imposed; competitors will be notified of these at the start of each day's course.
- All teams must check in at the overnight campsite on Saturday night; teams arriving later than 22:00 hours may not be allowed to start on the following day.
- On arrival at the finish competitors will be 'timed-in'. The winning team in each class will be the team with the lowest aggregate time for the two days. Any team which fails to visit any control marker on its chosen course will be deemed not to have completed their course and retired from the competition.
- The country code must be observed at all times.
- Competitors unable to finish their chosen course must report their retirement to the finish or other race official.
- In no circumstances will a team member be allowed to continue along the course either alone or with any person other than the team member with whom they started the course.
- Individual Clothing/Equipment
Every competitor must carry or wear the following:
- Wet weather gear including full length over trousers and anorak or cagoule with hood and long sleeves
- Sleeping bag
- Torch capable of giving operational light for at least two hours
- Whistle
- Pencil or biro
- Team Equipment
Every team must carry the following equipment:
- Tent with sewn-in groundsheet: it must be manufactured as a tent and not as a bivy or something else
- Survival bag (not a space blanket)
- Cooking equipment - with enough fuel to provide both people with at least one hot meal
- Food sufficient for 2 people for 36 hours
- First aid equipment consisting of a minimum of adhesive dressings and one full roll of two inch bandage
- Compass
- Mourne Map 1:25000.
- Forbidden Equipment: GPS and any Satellite Navigation device - altimeters are allowed.
