When?
O-Fest 2026 will take place on May 9-10, 2026, after all the snow has melted and before the bugs emerge from their slumber. Pre-registration is required. See the Registration Info page for further information about registration.
Where?
The Ark is located at 285 chemin de Farrellton, Denholm, QC. Google Maps link It is 55km north of central Ottawa, or roughly 45-50 minutes by car.
From Ottawa: Cross into Quebec and follow Autoroute 5 north to the north side of Wakefield. Turn onto Route 105 north and proceed to Farrellton. Turn right and cross the Gatineau R. on a small bridge. After crossing the bridge, turn left onto Ch. de la Riviere (gravel) and proceed 1.1km, then turn left onto Ch. Kelly (gravel). Proceed 4.1km north on Ch. Kelly, then turn right onto Ch. de Farrellton (gravel). The Ark is 2km ahead on your right at 285 Ch. de Farrellton.
Parking is available on the shoulder of the gravel road near to the Ark. Kindly park only on the west side of the road facing south.
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Schedule
The following schedule is provisional and may be revised.
| Friday May 8 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 17:00 | Camping opens | Ark |
| Saturday May 9 | ||
| 10:00-13:00 | Arrival check-in and info desk open | Ark |
| 12:00 | Middle distance, first start | Ark |
| 15:00 | Middle courses close | Ark |
| 12:30-15:00 | Lunch BBQ | Ark |
| Sunday May 10 | ||
| 8:30-11:00 | Info desk open | Ark |
| 10:00 | Long distance, first start | Ark |
| 14:30 | Long courses close | Ark |
| 12:00-14:30 | Lunch BBQ | Ark |
| 14:00 | Awards | Ark |
Participation Options
The 2026 O-Fest will offer competitive age classes for men and women from ages 10-and-under to 90-and-over, as well as non-competitive recreational classes. Small prizes will be awarded to top finishers (based on total time over 2 days) in the age group classes (except for short classes). Participants in the competitive age classes will be pre-assigned start times for both days a few days before the first start. The pre-assigned start times will be posted on this website.
Two recreational courses at the novice and intermediate levels will be available on both days for those who are new to orienteering or do not wish to compete. The novice recreational course will follow trails or distinct hand-rails, while the intermediate course will require participants to visit distinct features some distance away from a trail. Participants in recreational classes will be allowed to start at any time, from 12:15 to 13:00 on Saturday and from 10:15 to 11:00 on Sunday. Participants in recreational classes may go out on course as a group or team, though each participant must be registered separately and have their own SI timing stick. Timing sticks can be rented for the day as part of the online registration process. No prizes will be available to those in recreational classes.
Note that pre-registration is required for this event. Choose your preferred class when you pre-register online. See the Registration Info page for further information about registration
| Competitive Age Classes | Recreational Classes | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Options | Male or Female age classes from 10 and under to 90 and over on courses from the Beginner to Expert level | Novice or Intermediate courses |
| Starts | Pre-assigned start times | Start on your own or as a group at any time within the defined start time window |
| Awards | Based on Total time for both Middle and Long | No awards |
The Ark
Welcome back to the Ark, home of the famous "Mad Trapper" series of snowshoe and trail running races. For more information on Mad Trapper races, click here
Mapper's Notes
Coming in at 3 square km of pristine mature forest ‘The Ark’ consists of a mix of crown and private land including the eponymous property ‘The Ark’. While the terrain does have some large glacial erratic boulders and plenty of large cliffs it is not the super rocky terrain of Gatineau Park and elsewhere that Ottawa is known for. What rocks are on the map are generally quite large or significant. In fact, while the terrain is quite physical, this is due primarily to the steep slopes and large hills that dominate much of the forest. The footing is gentle and the vegetation is very open forest. With the exception of some old logging history in some corners of the map, the forest is all old growth deciduous and hemlock forest and there is little green on the map. In those sections that were logged (clearly many decades ago) the forest is a little bit slower. Vegetation has been lightly mapped though so even the areas mapped as white are not always 100% speed. Scattered light green is a good indication the forest in the area is generally a little bit slower and visibility a little bit lower. There are a number of single-track trails, ATV trails, and old logging cuts throughout the map. These are all minimally used and therefore may look different at different times of the year depending on whether someone last went up the path the past week or several months prior. These tracks have been mapped to be representative of what they typically look like with the idea that the map can’t be updated every time a vehicle is driven through the woods. Bear that in mind when orienteering. Water features have been similarly mapped with many small pools of water being mapped as seasonal (a dashed blue outline) where there is water in the spring but they appear simply as low wet spots in the summer. The terrain is perfect Goldilocks terrain – not too technical, not too easy, on average not too steep but not too flat, nice open forests, and beautiful scenery. It should be a ton of fun.
- Jeff Teutsch, mapper
Terrain Photos
The following photos of the Ark terrain were taken in April 2026.
Previous Maps
The Ark map was developed by Jeff Teutsch at Navigation Sports and first used for orienteering competition in August 2023. It was used a second time in November 2023 for a local event. The old map and the 2023 O-Fest and B-meet courses can be viewed at the following links.
Use the drop-down box at these links to select a course. You can also view the routes taken by competitors who have uploaded their GPS tracks to Routegadget.
Lunch BBQ
Our hosts at the Ark will prepare and serve a BBQ lunch for hungry orienteers on both Saturday and Sunday. The menu for both days is shown below. Please support our hosts by enjoying a hot lunch after your run both days! You must select your food choices and pre-pay during event registration via Zone4. Visit the Registration Info page to register.
| Price (includes tax) | |
| BBQ Meal (choice of burger, sausage or veggie burger; includes chips, brownie and a drink) | $13 |
| Hot Dog Meal (includes chips, brownie and a drink) | $10 |
| Burger | $8 |
| Veggie Burger | $8 |
| Sausage | $8 |
| Hot Dog | $4 |
Orienteering Vendors
O-store.ca will be set up at the Arena on Saturday and Sunday. The O-Store is the only specialty orienteering store in Canada and has a wide range of orienteering shoes, clothing, compasses, control description holders, SPORTident timing sticks, safety and bifocal magnifying glasses, and everything else you need for orienteering. They also provide equipment for clubs and race services. A big thank you to the o-store for supporting the 2026 O-Fest.
Accommodation
Rustic Group Camping at the Ark
The group campsite at the Ark has flat ground suitable for approximately 20 4-person tents. The camping area is located a 3-5 minute uphill walk from the road and is not accessible by car. If desired, our host at the Ark (Mike) can haul your camping gear to the campsite using his ATV. The camping area is designed to model a true backcountry-style experience, while remaining accessible and inclusive for all. The campsite is serviced by a four-room outhouse and clean drinking water is provided. Electricity, indoor toilets with running water and showers are not available. The cost for group camping at the Ark is $10 per person per night.
Other Accommodation Options
A range of indoor accommodations are available in the communities of Wakefield, Chelsea and Ottawa-Gatineau. There are also numerous lakeside or riverside cottages available for rent near the Ark. Unfortunately, the serviced campground at Lac Philippe in Gatineau Park will not be open this weekend.
