how to make a quick orienteering course

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.

Full Answer

How do you set up an orienteering course?

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.

What is a permanent course in orienteering?

Permanent Courses: Most orienteering courses are removed when the event is over. A permanent course is not tied to an event, remains available year-round, and can be used at any time by anyone who has printed a course map from the web. In these courses, the control markers are not flags.

What is the best book to learn orienteering?

Orienteering Books & Games The Winning Eye is a book that consists of a series of orienteering trainings to improve your skills. Available here and here. Orienteering Games is a book that provides a variety of activities to develop navigation and orienteering skills.

How can better orienteering help you?

They will help you be confident to go and try 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

How do you make an orienteering map?

1:003:21How To Orienteer: Basic Orienteering - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipStep 4 by placing the compass on the side of the map or parallel to the a grid line turn the map andMoreStep 4 by placing the compass on the side of the map or parallel to the a grid line turn the map and compass together until the needle is facing north.

How do I set up a land navigation course?

Setting up a land navigation course land navigation courseDetermine the Standards. The unit commander determines the standards for the course. ... Decide on the Terrain. ... Perform a Map and Ground Reconnaissance.

What are the steps of orienteering?

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.

What are the four basic orienteering skills?

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...

Is Orienteering the same as land navigation?

Land navigation is making your way across the land, using various tools (map, compass, sun). Orienteering is a cross-country race in which participants navigate between checkpoints along a specified course (unfamiliar course, generally) using map and compass.

How do you plot a course using a compass?

0:022:49How to plot a course with map and compass - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo first I want to make sure my map is oriented to true north to north here is at three four fiveMoreSo first I want to make sure my map is oriented to true north to north here is at three four five degrees. So I just make sure that when I run my compass along here I'm still at three four five.

How do you read a compass for orienteering?

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.

What type of map is most commonly used in orienteering?

Nowadays, most orienteering events are held on five-color maps that have 5 meter contour intervals (16.5 feet) and have a scale of 1:15,000 (preferred) or 1:10,000 (1 cm = 100 meters). Most of the characteristics of orienteering maps are related to those found on hiking and general use maps produced by the government.

What is the trickiest part in orienteering?

judging distanceFor some people, judging distance is the hardest part of orienteering. But you can make it easier with some preparation. One way of judging distance is by pace-counting or counting every time your right (or left) foot touches the ground over a given distance.

What are the disadvantages of orienteering?

Common injuries with orienteeringrunning injuries – such as shin splints, strains, sprains and blisters.overuse injuries – although orienteers run on soil rather than concrete or bitumen, they may still be vulnerable to overuse injuries.impact injuries – from falling on steep, rocky, slippery or loose terrain.More items...

Who was known as the father of orienteering?

It was not until 1919 that the modern version of orienteering was born in Sweden as a competitive sport. Ernst Killander, its creator, can be rightfully called the father of orienteering. In the early thirties, the sport received a technical boost with the invention of a new compass, more precise and faster to use.

What is the most important piece of equipment in orienteering?

A compass is the main gadget (after map), that you need for orienteering. It's important for a correct navigation. Some people participate in orienteering events without a compass, but likelihood of going in the wrong direction is high, especially for the beginner, who does not have a good map reading skills.

What is Trail O?

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

What scale is a race in Orienteering?

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.

What is the most popular compasse for orienteering?

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.

What are the different types of orienteering?

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.

How to get around a course?

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.

What are the steps to successful orienteering?

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:

What to do if you are not sure where you are?

If you are not sure where you are, then it may be necessary to Retrace your steps and try again. Don’t feel bad about doing this if you need to, just continuing will simply get you more lost.

What is the difference between a map and an orienteering map?

While a regular map displays basic land features and elevation changes, the orienteering map provides much more detail.

How to read a compass in tandem with a map?

To precisely read a compass in tandem with a map, follow this order of operations: 1. Imagine a line of travel between your position and the destination. 2. Place your compass on your map along this imagined line of travel. 3.

Why is a compass important?

The compass is the second most important tool for navigation. By combining the map and the compass successfully, you will be able to navigate your surroundings. While the compass is a useful tool, remember that it is secondary to the map in its utility.

What is land navigation?

At a basic level, land navigation is simply utilizing a map (sometimes alongside a compass) to move from one location to another. Anyone who enjoys the outdoors should take the time to understand the basics of this skill because it is enjoyable, practical, and could save your life one day.

Is orienteering a competitive sport?

Not only is this skill a useful thing to have, but it is also a competitive sport. Usually referred to as orienteering, the sport takes place over a large area in which competitors compete to locate the flags, or "controls", in the quickest way possible.

What is orienteering skills?

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.

What is the goal of the Orienteering Program?

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.

What is Discovering Orienteering?

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

What is the National Junior Program?

The competitive development program for orienteers 20 and under is the National Junior Program (NJP). The National Junior Program uses a whole-athlete approach. Athletes are trained in navigational skills, physical fitness, strength and agility. In addition to developing physical skills, the program emphasizes self-awareness and individual potential. 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.

How to become a navigator?

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…

How to build endurance and speed?

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.

How often should I walk for a fitness plan?

A few things to consider in designing a fitness plan: Frequency: Plan to walk or run at least three times a week to see improvement. Duration: The time you spend training will differ depending on your goal. Workouts to build speed should be shorter and more intense.

What is the following guide to planning a course?

The following provides a guide to planning Very easy, Easy, Moderate and Hard courses and sets out for each level of difficulty the objectives one should be aiming to achieve, the desirable area requirements, the typical characteristics of courses, and the course requirements by which the objectives are achieved.

What to do if you have no experience in course planning?

If you have no or little experience in course planning, it is recommended that you seek the advice of a mentor, vetter or controller from your club or another OACT club, if such an arrangement has not already been made. Successful course planning is a skilled activity which is learned from both advice and experience.

What is the main challenge for competitors?

The main challenge for competitors is to navigate the leg successfully, rather than just to find the control at the end. The successful navigation of a challenging leg should lead to the control. It is easier to adjust a control location than to create a challenging leg.

Why is course planning important in orienteering?

For many orienteers, course planning is the most rewarding and enjoyable volunteer role in the sport. Not only does it improve your navigation skills, but it provides a different type of orienteering challenge. It requires you to plan courses which challenge other participants but do not defeat them, and which everyone should enjoy.

When was the IOF Technical Committee?

IOF Technical Committee, April 1981. While these are relatively old books which do not reflect more recent developments in orienteering (e.g. sprint events, electronic punching), they are full of sound advice for new course planners.

Is it better to share control on one course or another?

It is desirable for each course to have a different first control. It is usually better for courses sharing controls to run in the same direction, so that competitors on one course leaving a control do not give it away to competitors on another course approaching it.

Is it necessary to plan a course in order that competitors will visit the controls?

It is not necessary to plan a course in the order that competitors will visit the controls. Sometimes it is better to plan the most challenging legs first, then work out how best to connect them. Also, it is often better to plan the shortest or easiest courses first, as they have the most constraints.

What to do when Scouts arrive?

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.

How to help Scouts with orienteering?

Introduce Scouts to the sport of orienteering. Help Scouts work toward the Orienteering merit badge. Fost er self-confidence and team building. LEADERSHIP PLANNING .

How to play compass triangle?

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.

How to make a 100 foot course for Scouts?

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.

Where to put index cards for Scouts?

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.

How many points do you get for each symbol correctly named in the relay?

Continue the relay until all symbols have been named. – Scoring: Score 2 points for each symbol correctly named, and deduct 1 point for each symbol incorrectly named.