We are Club of orienteering by Club of Czech Tourists (KCT) Ash. Our main activity is orienteering and things connected with orienteering - participation in races home and abroad and giving races in Ash too.
History:
The history of orienteering in Ash district is rich and old. The oldest event, which has been given by our club, is the race "Ash's Shield", first given in spring 1957. It was a real tour de force in epoch of socialism, epoch of ideological limitations and in neighbourhood of political fence with ideological enemy. This race has become a tradition and with a little pause (years 1969, 1970 and period 1981-1983) has proceeded to these days. It is possible to say, that this race is the oldest race of West Bohemia, and maybe the whole Czech Republic too.
Orienteering maps looked different than today's maps. They come from tourist maps, they have scale 1:50000, which didn't permit to plot so little details as today (holes, cleared boundary lines, cribs, high seats etc.). The racers had to plot the positions into map themselves and in first races the racers ran in couples of racers.
During all the period from 1957 to 1980 our Club was coming under support of "TJ Jiskra Ash", the town's sports organization. At master place of club were a few leaders: until year 1970 leader of club was Mr.Sulc, then until 1976 club was managed by Mr. Fris, who was changed by Mr. Podhajsky up to 1980. The year 1980 was a fault year, the club's activity went down, and the number of members went down too. The town's sports organization stopped financial support and in club only Mr. Pilar remained. This unflattery situation lasted until 1984.
In the year 1984 club came under support of aluminium foundry "Metaz", which reflected in the name of the club - our abbreviation is MAS, which means Metaz Ash. There was the help from Mr. Sulc, at that time the headmaster of 3rd Basic School in Ash, too. He supported the training over winter with providing the gym. Mr. Pilar stayed the manager of club. The number of members went up (even 50 members) and some members had good results in races.
After political changes - "Velvet revolution" - the aluminium foundry "Metaz" which financial support of our club depended on changed its owner. Our club had to search new sponzors and found Club of Czech Tourists (KCT). The number of members stayed about 25. The little town, as Ash is, doesn't provide many opportunities to young people, who are members of sports club. When young men or women start to study at secondary schools or universities, then they usualy relocate into another town.
Maps, maps, maps ...
Orienteering fully depend on maps. Our club has made some maps too.
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I haven't been able to find the oldest maps in scale 1:50000. This is
the oldest map, which I has found. This map covers the territory of maps "Haj" and part of the territory maps
"Halstrov" and "Nebesa". I want to thank Mr. Podhajsky, who lent me this map.
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The oldest map with new generation of IOF map's key is "Halstrov"
(1 : 15000), which covers the territory of the source of the brook Halstrov and adjoining forest.
The map was made during meeting of cartographers in 1984, and have many locations with a lot of mistakes.
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The next map in order (1987) is "Haj" (1 : 15000),
the territory of which is the hill "Haj". But at that time of political and ideological limitation we had to
omit the most interesting territory with rugged topography. The map was made by Mr. Lejsek and a little
territory by Mr.Pilar too.
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When after "Velvet revolution" political and ideological limitations went
out, the members of our club (Mr. Karel Pilar, Mr. Dan Had, Mrs. Lenka Dlouha and Mr. Jan Chotetický) made
a map of the territory between localities Stitary and Studanka. This territory was up to that time unaccessible
boundary zone. The map took its name after the hill, which is at this territory - "Loupeznik" (1 : 15000).
This map was notoriously famous for a hard relief with many marshes and for bad work of the printing office.
The blue print is displaced 1 mm out of the right position. The usage of this map ended because of woodcutter's work.
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Very rugged topography is in the territory between towns Ash and Hazlov.
There is a nature reservation "Goethovy kameny" (Goethe's Stones) - the little rock town. The map was made
by father and son Hejna. The map obtained its name from locality - "Nebesa" (1 : 15000) (=Sky).
The northern part is popular, the southern part with marshes is as notoriously famous as the map "Loupeznik".
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The year 2000 was a year of new birth of the territory of the hill "Loupeznik".
Radioorienteeringers completely remade the map "Loupeznik" to a new map "Studanka" (1 : 15000). It
was helpful, that there was only one topographer (Mr. Jelinek). The printing office didn't repeat its mistake with blue
color.
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The newest map is a remake of the map "Halstrov" with a very original name
"Halstrov II" (1 : 15000). Compared with the old map made by typographer Mr. Karel Rambousek jr.
it omits some interesting reliefs. But we got a promise of making a new version including these interesting places.
So there is something to look forward to.
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