how to set an orienteering course

by Mr. Myrl Brown PhD 10 min read

PREOPENING IDEAS.

  • 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 ...
  • Draw a large chalk circle on the parking lot. Place an index card marked “North” at the northernmost point. As Scouts arrive, give them index cards ...
  • 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.

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.

Full Answer

How to start orienteering and learn to love it?

Apr 01, 2022 · 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.

How to start orienteering?

Course Setup (1) Route Orienteering. This form can be used during the training phase and in advanced orienteering. In this type of... (2) Line Orienteering. At least five control points are used during this form of orienteering training. The competitor... (3) Cross-Country Orienteering. This is …

How to design an orienteering 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. For example – I will follow a path to a junction and turn into the woodland from the open land on another path.

What are the basic skills in orienteering?

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 Start Get in line for the course you picked at registration.

How do you make a simple orienteering map?

What Are the Steps in Making an Orienteering Map?
  1. Select a suitable area.
  2. Obtain permission to use the area.
  3. Prepare a base map.
  4. Select the map scale.
  5. Do the field work.
  6. Draft the map.
  7. Print the map.
  8. Archive the map.

How is orienteering organized?

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.

What are the steps of orienteering?

Plan, Picture, Direction – 3 steps to successful orienteering
  1. Plan – Make a Plan before you set off. ...
  2. Picture – identify what you will see on the way. ...
  3. 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.

How do I set up a compass and map course?

Part of a video titled How to plot a course with map and compass - YouTube
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2:49
So 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 navigate an orienteering course?

To use Plan, Picture, Direction, as a minimum you need to do the following for each leg of the course:
  1. Make a Plan including a route and Attack point,
  2. Picture what you will see on route and at the control,
  3. Use map and compass to maintain accurate Direction,
  4. Keep matching the terrain you are Seeing to the map as you go.

How do I start a Boy Scout orienteering course?

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.

What are the four basic orienteering skills?

Skills
  • NOTE: 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.

What skills do you need for orienteering?

Being able to use the compass is an essential skill in orienteering, firstly for getting the map the right way round, but also for checking you are going in the right direction along a line feature, for helping you determine which path/stream you are on or crossing and for going on rough bearings as well as taking ...Nov 29, 2021

How do you use an orienteering map?

Hold your map horizontally. Place the compass flat on the map. Rotate the map until the "north lines" on the map (a series of evenly spaced parallel lines drawn across the map, all pointing to magnetic north) are aligned with the compass needle. The map should now be oriented to the terrain.

How do I set up a land navigation course?

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

How do you use the orienteering compass in DAYZ?

Part of a video titled How To Use A Compass To Navigate - DAYZ PS4 & Xbox One - YouTube
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5:54
Go into first person mode by double-clicking in on the right stick. Press the right trigger if you'MoreGo into first person mode by double-clicking in on the right stick. Press the right trigger if you're using the old-fashioned compass to me up and just remember the red arrow always points north.

What is MAP key?

A map key or legend is an essential part of the map. It explains what the symbols on the map mean and allows you to make sense of the map. Maps are very valuable tools that can be used to easily show things that would otherwise be difficult to understand.Sep 30, 2021

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 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.

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 compasses do you use for orienteering?

When using an orienteering map you need to keep it lined up with north for the map to make sense of the terrain around you. 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. Silva – How to use a thumb compass

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.

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 does it mean when you register for a course?

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.

What do you need to do orienteering?

An appealing aspect of orienteering is that you don’t have to buy a bunch of specialized gear and clothing to do it. At a minimum, you need: 1 Sturdy outdoor footwear: boots if you’re walking and trail runners if you’re starting to get a little competitive 2 Appropriate outdoor clothes and layers for the weather: Being able to stand up to brush, abrasion and mud is important when you start running more difficult courses, where controls are placed in trickier terrain 3 A simple baseplate compass: Lighter is better, so a model with a sighting mirror, or even declination adjustment, is more than you need. Note, too, that you won’t need to bring a map because those are provided at every event. 4 A safety whistle: in case you need to summon help

What is an orienteer?

An orienteer might be described as part trail runner and part map-and-compass geek. Because it requires you to find pre-placed control markers, you experience multiple geocache-esque “I found it!” moments in a single event, though a GPS is not required and not allowed. Orienteers are also like obstacle-course runners, though the obstacles are au naturale and often avoidable through savvy route choices.

Why does declination not come into play in orienteering?

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.

Why is orienteering considered a map and compass sport?

Because the sport predates the Global Positioning System by about a century, orienteering is strictly a map-and-compass endeavor. That old-school navigational ethos is part of the sports’ appeal—and affordability.

How many courses are there in a local meet?

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.

How many people are in orienteering?

If you were born in Scandinavia, you’re probably already in the know about orienteering, where the biggest orienteering meets attract upward of 20,000 participants. In the U.S., though, far fewer of us have stumbled onto this delightfully addictive sport.

What to do at the registration area?

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.

What is the purpose of orienteering?

Orienteering training combines technical skills development to efficiently navigate unfamiliar terrain with confidence and the physical conditioning necessary for speed, agility and endurance.

What is the Orienteering Development Model?

Orienteering Development Model – provides a healthy, forward-thinking approach to the progression of orienteering development, both as individuals and as a living community. You can watch an overview of the ODM on our YouTube channel.

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…

What is a blended orientation class?

Blended Basic Orienteering Class – designed for groups or clubs to work in conjunction with a Level 1 Coach (online or onsite) utilizing a mix of resources.

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 long does it take to complete an orange course?

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.

What is contouring in a hill?

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

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.

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 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.

What sport should Scouts be introduced to?

Introduce Scouts to the sport of orienteering.

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.

Is Research Orienteering open to the public?

Research orienteering meets in your area that are open to the public.

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.

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.

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