Orienteering - Where is my compass?

[Lola]

Two weeks ago, DH and I tried orienteering for the first time. I must say, I found it very interesting. Are there any Divas who orienteer? We have tried a white course and are considering moving on to a yellow course. I'd love to hear other thoughts on this sport, since I am such a newbie at it.

 

[SnowHot]

I haven't heard of orienteering, so I looked it up after you posted this.

Wiki:
Orienteering is a family of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain. Participants are given a map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points.[1] Originally a training exercise in land navigation for military officers, orienteering has developed many variations. Among these, the oldest and the most popular is foot orienteering. For the purposes of this article, foot orienteering serves as a point of departure for discussion of all other variations, but basically any sport that involves racing against a clock and requires navigation using a map is a type of orienteering.

It sounds interesting. How, or where, do they set up Orienteering?
When they set it up, is it a permanent course or is it occasional?

 

[Lilgeorg]

I want to try! You know, this is a skill I really need to develope.

 

[altagirl]

I haven't done any actual orienteering since I was in the Army, but it's fun. I still feel comfortable reading maps and such when we're out finding trails though.

 

[RachelV]

Oh, that sounds awesome -- I didn't realize there were actual courses. I should see if there's anywhere to try it out around here.

 

[ski diva]

I've never tried it, but it sounds like fun.

 

[Lola]

OK - So, I let you know what I know.

When you go orienteering, you check in at the start. There are usually several different courses set up by the volunteers, from easy to hard, as you can see below:

• White, beginners (2-3km)
• Yellow, advanced beginners (2-3.5km)
• Orange, Intermediate (3-5km)
• Brown, short advanced (3-4km)
• Green, longer advanced (4-5km)
• Red, even longer advanced (5-7km)
• Blue, really long advanced (8-12km)

From my experience the White is predominantly on regular hiking trails, while the blue is predominantly off-trail.

After you check in and pick your course (DH and I did white, but we are more than ready to try yellow), you get a map and a compass and a start time. When they call your start time, you are off.

As you progress through the course on the map, there are control points to stop at. After you find the control point, you punch your card with the punch provided at the control point. Each punch depicts a different symbol. On our first course, which was white and predominantly on a regularly marked trail, we had nine controls to find and a corresponding nine punches on our card.

After completing the course and checking back in, our time was recorded. The goal is to complete the course, as evidenced by the various punches in your card in the correct sequence, in the fastest time.

My understanding is that at the higher levels, people run the course, like trail running. DH and I hiked our first course. You can find more information at our local club's website: https://www.dvoa.org/

However, I must say that going off the regularly marked trails to find the control points by finding land features (embankment, rock, cliff, stream, bridge, tree, etc.) is very interesting and like trying to figure out a puzzle. Now you know what I know!

 

[SnowHot]

This sounds like great fun, but not something I would do with my DH.
I'm just guessing, but....a man who argues with the GPS lady in our Yukon is probably not a good partner for Orienteering.

 

[Lilgeorg]

We had to switch voices from "Jill" to "Jack" because my DH couldn't believe Jill knew what she was talking about. He has much more faith in Jack!

 

[abc]

Right. Wait till he gets into a plane that landed on the Hudson, and all the stewardess are female! ;-)

 

[Lola]

I'm just guessing, but....a man who argues with the GPS lady in our Yukon is probably not a good partner for Orienteering.

Well, you are not allowed to use GPS, and no handheld GPS. This is strictly map and compass time - you have to find the controls the old fashioned way, by being aware of your surroundings and being on the look out.

 

[Delawhere]

My family and I went orienteering a number of times. We weren't into racing so we just focused on the compass and map skills and kept it at a fun pace.

The only problem is that orienteering events close to home are not common and we didn't want to make the events a weekend destination.

Geocaching allows the same enjoyment and the same "hike with a purpose." I do a lot of geocaching but try to stay away from the urban junk and focus on the hikes. Geocaching requires a GPS.

Marti

 

[abc]

Geocaching allows the same enjoyment and the same "hike with a purpose." I do a lot of geocaching but try to stay away from the urban junk and focus on the hikes. Geocaching requires a GPS.

For some reason, I prefer to hike WITHOUT a purpose.

I used to get a little into the "peak bagging" thing. But lately found hiking in and of itself was equally, if not more, enjoyable.

 

[SnowHot]

Well, you are not allowed to use GPS, and no handheld GPS. This is strictly map and compass time - you have to find the controls the old fashioned way, by being aware of your surroundings and being on the look out.

I understood that from your original description. My point was, if Terry argues with a GPS on a road trip, I'm sure he wouldn't be a good partner (won't listen) on an orienteering day.

I would love to try this with a friend or one of my sisters. I know I'd have fun with my sisters on this, Or my dad.....My dad would love doing this!