The basics of orienteering are very simple. You need a compass, topographic maps, and ten or more control points. Once you have the controls set up, you can create the course. This article will help you make a great orienteering course. First, you’ll need a topographic map. You’ll need a topographic map of a place you’re familiar with.
Set up a display of items related to orienteering courses, including controls, punches, control cards, maps, bibs, etc. Explain what orienteering is. Obtain topographic maps of your meeting place, a favorite campsite, and/or other familiar locations. Point out landmarks on the maps and explain the symbols that represent those landmarks.
(1) Route Orienteering. This form can be used during the training phase and in advanced orienteering. In this type of event, a master or advanced competitor leads the group as they walk a route. The beginners trace the actual route walked on the ground on their maps.
Interval training: Orienteering is an interval sport. We plan our routes, run hard along a handrail or between features, then slow down to conduct fine navigation into our control. Then we do it all over again. Our training should reflect this.
Developed in conjunction with Orienteering USA (OUSA), Discovering Orienteering addresses the methods, techniques, and types of orienteering commonly found throughout the United States and Canada. New for Fall 2020, Orienteering USA announces a variety of formal training programs to accompany our written manual Discovering Orienteering.
What Are the Steps in Making an Orienteering Map?Select a suitable area.Obtain permission to use the area.Prepare a base map.Select the map scale.Do the field work.Draft the map.Print the map.Archive the map.
Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points.
Plan, Picture, Direction – 3 steps to successful orienteering Plan – Make a Plan before you set off. ... Picture – identify what you will see on the way. ... Direction – Head in the right Direction following the map always keeping it orientated to north with the compass so it matches the terrain around you.
1:115:11How to Setup a Compass Course - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd so what i'll do is make sure that the compass is set to north. Then there's a direction ofMoreAnd so what i'll do is make sure that the compass is set to north. Then there's a direction of travel arrow on the compass. Base we'll set that to the direction.
Here is some information about orienteering disciplines that you can try in and around the UK.Traditional Orienteering. ... Cycle Orienteering. ... Ski Orienteering. ... Urban Orienteering. ... Night Orienteering. ... Trail-O.
SkillsNOTE: The content here is for those who are ready to build their skills and are seeking guidance. You do not need to know any of this in order to show up at and enjoy an orienteering event! ... Basic Skills. Orienting the Map. ... Basic Skills. ... Thumbing the Map. ... Line Features. ... Catching Features. ... Reading the Map. ... Contours.More items...
Orienteering EquipmentMap. Any kind of map may be used for orienteering (even a street map), but the best ones are detailed five-color topographic maps developed especially for the sport. ... Compass. A compass is vitally important for correct navigation. ... Racing Suit. ... Running shoes. ... Control card. ... Other. ... Related Pages.
turn the compass housing so that the arrows engraved in its plastic base are parallel to the north arrows drawn on the map (make sure the arrowhead points north and not south) take the compass off the map and hold it in front of you so that the direction of travel arrow points directly ahead of you.
Safety tips on the trackKeep in mind that the most direct route is often the hardest. ... Wear a long-sleeved top and long trousers to reduce the risk of cuts and grazes, if you should fall.Apply SPF 30+ sunscreen to all exposed skin areas. ... Wear a watch to keep track of time.Keep your map inside a waterproof bag.More items...
Leave your first clue at the starting point. Then go to the place you described in the clue and look around for your next destination. Write a clue for that destination; leave it where you are standing and move on to continue writing clues. If you have multiple teams, have them all end up in the same place.
Orient Your Map Place your compass on the map with the direction of travel arrow pointing toward the top of the map. Rotate the bezel so that N (north) is lined up with the direction of travel arrow. Slide the baseplate until one of its straight edges aligns with either the left or right edge of your map.
Using a Compass to Travel Along a Known Bearing Turn the compass, not the azimuth ring, until the orienting arrow lines up with the north end (usually red) of the magnetic needle. Follow the direction-of-travel arrow toward your destination. Periodically, recheck your bearing.
This article covers the basics about this lesser-known outdoor activity: 1 What orienteering is 2 Where to learn how to do it 3 Gear and clothing needs 4 A primer for your first meet
Orienteering’s Birth and Growth. Orienteering was created in the late 1800s as a navigational competition for members of the Swedish military. Civilians soon joined the fun and the sport has spread throughout the world since then.
It includes many symbols unique to orienteering. Declination doesn’t come into play, because all orienteering maps align with magnetic north, not true north. That simplifies map reading when you have to navigate while moving quickly.
Get in line for the course you picked at registration. A local meet might have from three to seven courses set up. To avoid bunching up runners, start times are staggered, though orienteers on different courses often start in the same wave.
At the registration area you sign a waiver, choose a course, pay an event fee and, if you didn’t bring one, rent a compass. (You get the map for your course later.) People at the registration area can also direct you to the newcomer instruction area.
The finish area is often located near the start area . If you have an e-punch, you’ll be able to get a printout of your overall time, and time between each control, at the download station right next to the finish area.
Plan, Picture, Direction – 3 steps to successful orienteering. To help you put these ideas into practice, Better Orienteering uses a simple model of 3 steps to think about when navigating – Plan, Picture, Direction. To get round an orienteering course successfully, for each leg of the course you should:
Orienteering competitions are divided into the following types: Foot orienteering There are races at different distances – Sprint, Middle, Long and Ultra-long – and on different types of terrain – urban, forest, moorland.
Orienteering races take place in many types of terrain including woodland, moorland and urban areas. Urban maps are usually at 1:4000 scale (every centimetre on the map is 40 metres on the ground), or sometimes 1:5000, showing lots of detail around buildings. Woodland and moorland maps are usually at 1:10,000 (1 cm on map = 100 metres on the ground) or 1:15,000 scale (1 cm om map = 150 m on ground), giving a slightly less detailed view of a bigger area of terrain.
Thumb compasses are the most popular compasses for orienteering. Most of the time you won’t need to do more than use the red compass needle to keep the map lined up to north, however, this explanation from Silva shows how you can get more from it if you need to, by taking a bearing between points on the map.
To get round an orienteering course successfully, for each leg of the course you should: 1 Plan – Make a Plan before you set off. Try to follow hand rails such as paths. 2 Picture – identify what you will see on the way.
When you register for a course they will help you pick a course that is suitable for your fitness, experience and age group. The major competitions are split into age classes instead where you will be competing against people of similar age to ensure a fair race.
Trail Orienteering (Trail-O Trail-O is for all physical ability levels, even those with significant physical mobility impairments and focuses on accurate map reading rather than running speed. This summary Trail O by David Jukes of BKO gives more detail
The program’s goal is to have athletes train so that they keep their bodies healthy, learn to be self-aware, and develop skills that will help them become strong orienteers and to be successful in life.
An excellent resource for physical educators, recreation and youth leaders, orienteering coaches as well as individuals, Discovering Orienteering distills the sport into teachable components relating to various academic disciplines , provides an array of learning activities, and includes an introduction to physical training and activities for coaching beginning to intermediate orienteers. Guidelines take eager beginners beyond the basics and prepare them to participate in orienteering events. More than 60 ready-to-use activities assist educators in applying the benefits of orienteering across the curriculum.#N#Developed in conjunction with Orienteering USA (OUSA), Discovering Orienteering addresses the methods, techniques, and types of orienteering commonly found throughout the United States and Canada.#N#Available at Amazon & Google Play
The Orienteering Skills Program is a sequential, four-step program for improving navigation from beginner to advanced orienteer. Each level features concepts, learning, and demonstration of skills that build on each other, as well as a completion patch. This is intended for use by coaches and beginner orienteers to ensure a proper progression of skills and may be integrated with the three programs above.
Becoming a proficient navigator involves learning a number of basic concepts and techniques and practicing these skills on a regular basis. Realize that as a beginner you will make mistakes and some will likely cost you a lot of time on the course. Learn to recognize what leads to these mistakes and be able to correct yourself before they become big errors. Even elite orienteers make mistakes, the difference is that they can more quickly catch themselves, adjust accordingly and minimize their time lost to errors. Practice, practice, practice…
Intensity: If you want to improve your speed, you need to train harder. Consider intervals, hill repeats, and tempo runs to push you outside of your comfort zone.
As a general guideline, a competitive beginner has mastered the basics when they can complete an Orange (Intermediate) Course at a rate of 10 minutes per kilometer for men or 12 minutes per kilometer for women. For example, a male runner who completes a 3.5km Orange course in 35:00 minutes has met the 10 min/km standard.
Yellow: slow down, cautious movement and orienteering. Green: full speed, rough direction. Contouring: practice staying at the same elevation along a hillside (imagine following a contour); a useful skill to use when faced with a leg that crosses a very steep hill or valley.
Introduce Scouts to the sport of orienteering. Help Scouts work toward the Orienteering merit badge. Fost er self-confidence and team building. LEADERSHIP PLANNING .
Set up a 100-foot course near your meeting place. As Scouts arrive, have them walk the course and calculate their pace (how far they travel every two steps). Draw a large chalk circle on the parking lot. Place an index card marked “North” at the northernmost point.
As Scouts arrive, challenge them to sketch topographic maps of their neighborhoods or the area around your meeting place. Set up a display of items related to orienteering courses , including controls, punches, control cards, maps, bibs, etc.
As Scouts arrive, give them index cards marked with other compass points. Have them place their cards in the correct spots on the circle. As Scouts arrive, challenge them to sketch topographic maps of their neighborhoods or the area around your meeting place.
Compass Triangle Game#N#– Materials: For each Scout, a compass and an index card with their name on it#N#– Method: Scouts start at various spots on a parking lot or other open area, marking their spots with index cards. They determine a bearing (say 30°) and walk 50 steps in that direction. They add 120° to the first bearing and walk another 50 steps. Finally, they add 120° to the second bearing and walk another 50 steps. (If a calculated bearing is more than 360°, subtract 360° to get the correct bearing.) Scouts should end up back where they started.#N#– Scoring: The winner is the player who gets closest to the starting point.#N#– Variation: Have players wear bags over their heads so they can read their compasses but not look ahead. (Assign each a guide for safety.) This challenge will test their ability to walk in a straight line and will prevent them from cheating as they approach the starting point on the final leg.