Orienteering Basics
By Sue Earle
Although the term “orienteering” generally carries connotations linked with competitive sport, these days the activity stems from basic map and compass skills that any outdoors person would do well to possess.
Orienteering as a sport refers to the practice of using a detailed map and compass to locate checkpoints or “controls” on a course. The course consists of a start and finish point with a route of controls in between. In competition a card listing controls is issued to each person and a punch with a unique hole pattern is located on each control to mark the card once the location has been found.
There is no pre-determined route on an orienteering course and this is where the fun comes in. Using only the compass and map as navigational aids, the orienteer must locate each control as quickly as possible. In some cases trails may exist connecting one control to another, in other cases bushwhacking from one point to another may prove to be a faster route. A skilled orienteer can read the map and make decisions about whether the faster route will be a more direct un-established path that may make for difficult travel or an easier trail which might be longer. Features in the terrain such as boulders, swamps, and hills may also figure in the decision about how to get from one control to another.
These terrain differences allow for different types of competitors to choose routes that put them more or less on equal ground. For example, a person who is accustomed to speed such as a runner may find a longer less technical route to be the fastest while a person with good endurance but not much speed might choose the more direct technically challenging route. The map becomes a tool not only for finding the controls but also for choosing the most suitable way to get there. This adds an intellectual and strategic component to orienteering that many sports lack.
At an orienteering event different formats may be followed depending on the organizer’s preference. In many cases the map will not be issued until the start time, however that is not always the case. Each control is marked on the map and a clue sheet accompanies the course, which gives topographical clues as to the exact location of each checkpoint. In some races competitors will start one at a time to avoid having competitors copy each other’s routes, while in other events the competitors start en masse.
Orienteering is frequently done on foot, however it is not uncommon for courses to utilize other forms of self-propelled travel such as bikes, cross-country skis, snowshoes, canoe or kayak. Orienteering is an important element of adventure racing which ties together a mixture of these disciplines on a course of orienteering controls, usually over a longer period of time. Some adventure races last days and run through day and night.
Whether you choose to compete or not, orienteering skills can make any wilderness activity more enjoyable. With a decent map and good compass skills, an orienteer is free to explore regions that most people never see because they are bound to the direction of the trail. There are orienteering clubs all over the world and they are the perfect venue to start learning the skills of the orienteer in a safe and controlled environment. They will also help ease your way into competition with small friendly local meets and pointers on how to make the most of your orienteering experience.
Once you can navigate confidently in untraveled territory, the world really does become your oyster. And if you can do it fast enough to win a race…what a bonus!
Orienteering as a sport refers to the practice of using a detailed map and compass to locate checkpoints or “controls” on a course. The course consists of a start and finish point with a route of controls in between. In competition a card listing controls is issued to each person and a punch with a unique hole pattern is located on each control to mark the card once the location has been found.
There is no pre-determined route on an orienteering course and this is where the fun comes in. Using only the compass and map as navigational aids, the orienteer must locate each control as quickly as possible. In some cases trails may exist connecting one control to another, in other cases bushwhacking from one point to another may prove to be a faster route. A skilled orienteer can read the map and make decisions about whether the faster route will be a more direct un-established path that may make for difficult travel or an easier trail which might be longer. Features in the terrain such as boulders, swamps, and hills may also figure in the decision about how to get from one control to another.
These terrain differences allow for different types of competitors to choose routes that put them more or less on equal ground. For example, a person who is accustomed to speed such as a runner may find a longer less technical route to be the fastest while a person with good endurance but not much speed might choose the more direct technically challenging route. The map becomes a tool not only for finding the controls but also for choosing the most suitable way to get there. This adds an intellectual and strategic component to orienteering that many sports lack.
At an orienteering event different formats may be followed depending on the organizer’s preference. In many cases the map will not be issued until the start time, however that is not always the case. Each control is marked on the map and a clue sheet accompanies the course, which gives topographical clues as to the exact location of each checkpoint. In some races competitors will start one at a time to avoid having competitors copy each other’s routes, while in other events the competitors start en masse.
Orienteering is frequently done on foot, however it is not uncommon for courses to utilize other forms of self-propelled travel such as bikes, cross-country skis, snowshoes, canoe or kayak. Orienteering is an important element of adventure racing which ties together a mixture of these disciplines on a course of orienteering controls, usually over a longer period of time. Some adventure races last days and run through day and night.
Whether you choose to compete or not, orienteering skills can make any wilderness activity more enjoyable. With a decent map and good compass skills, an orienteer is free to explore regions that most people never see because they are bound to the direction of the trail. There are orienteering clubs all over the world and they are the perfect venue to start learning the skills of the orienteer in a safe and controlled environment. They will also help ease your way into competition with small friendly local meets and pointers on how to make the most of your orienteering experience.
Once you can navigate confidently in untraveled territory, the world really does become your oyster. And if you can do it fast enough to win a race…what a bonus!
