when doing a permanent orientering course with multiple difficylty levels where do you start

by Prof. Raymundo Torphy IV 9 min read

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 determines the difficulty of an orienteering course?

Physical difficulty is determined by the length of the course, the amount of climb, and the kinds of terrain (rocky, boggy, undergrowth etc.). General guidelines for orienteering courses are available from the International Orienteering Federation and national orienteering sport bodies.

What is the difference between beginner and intermediate level orienteering maps?

Also, while the Intermediate level map is a full orienteering map in the sense of having all features represented, the others are simplified; the advanced beginner map lacks vegetative features, and the beginner maps additionally lacks intermediate contour levels.

Can I print my own orienteering course map?

BAOC has a few "trim" orienteering courses—practice courses that have permanent markers. This means you can print or purchase a map, and do the course on your own at any time. If you print a map yourself, keep in mind that you might end up with a map scale that is different than what is stated on the map.

How do you lay out an 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 will indicate the starting point of a course in orienteering?

An orienteering course is composed of a start point, a series of control points, and a finish point.

What are the skills needed in order to accomplish the mission in orienteering?

Orienteering SkillsFolding the map.Thumbing the map.Orientating the map to north (with ground or compass)Reading features on the map.Taking a compass bearing.Following a compass bearing.Pacing.Judging Distance.

What should you always do while orienteering?

Things to rememberOrienteering involves running or walking while navigating by compass through challenging environments such as bushland.If you are a beginner, participate in orienteering events held in smaller parks and stick to the 'easy' or 'very easy' courses.More items...

How many checkpoints are in orienteering?

7The Orienteering Checkpoints are small posters that are found around Eos in subtle locations - and reading one will give Ignis an idea for a new recipe. They also provide subtle clues to the location of the next checkpoint poster - and there are 7 in all (A through G).

How is orienteering done?

orienteering, outdoor competitive sport that is similar to cross-country running, but with emphasis on map-reading and direction-finding skills. Through woods and over hills or rough plains, contestants plot courses between isolated control points that must usually be visited in sequence.

When choosing a route to follow when orienteering What are three factors you should consider?

More often than not, there will be a choice of different routes between controls and the competitor must evaluate which route is the best. This will involve trade-offs between a number of factors including 'distance', amount of 'climb', 'thickness of the forest' and 'tracks versus terrain'.

What are the do's and don'ts in orienteering?

Here are a few tips to make orienteering enjoyable for all: Stand Back: Move at least 5 meters away from check-points after you've punched. Doing so 1) allows other competitors easy access to punch, and 2) doesn't give away the control location to other competitors. Seal the Lips: Do not shout to others in the woods.

What are the 4 physical activities that are applicable in orienteering?

Orienteering is a highly active sport. It can encompass numerous physical activities, like hiking, mountain biking, and skiing, and can take you into some very challenging environments.

What is a classic orienteering course?

Classic: A classic orienteering competition, otherwise called cross-country orienteering, is a race where runners must find a number of checkpoints in a specific order before reaching the finish line. The winner is the person or team who completes the course fastest.

What is the challenge of orienteering?

Orienteering is essentially a race where the biggest challenge is finding waypoints in woods or urban parks. Competitors, called “runners,” venture into unfamiliar and disorienting terrain. Using only a map and a compass, they must locate a pre-set route through a series of checkpoints before they can cross the finish line.

What is the difference between relay and cross country orienteering?

Relay: Relay orienteering is, like cross-country orienteering, a race through a set of checkpoints that orienteers must reach in a particular order. The difference is that each member of a relay team runs one leg of the race alone with their own map.

What are the different types of orienteering?

The Best Types of Orienteering for Beginners 1 Line: In line orienteering, a route that participants must follow is drawn through multiple checkpoints on each individual’s map. Runners begin a line orienteering course one team at a time and must orient themselves to adhere to the specified route as closely as possible. Checkpoints serve as confirmation that they’re on the right track. 2 Route: Route orienteering is a lot like a line competition. However, instead of having the route drawn on a runner’s map, the line is drawn on the ground. Participants must mark checkpoint locations on their maps. The winner is the team that manages to spot the most checkpoints. 3 String: In string orienteering, competitors follow a string stretched around a course, recording certain items or landmarks along the way. This type of competition is usually reserved for children and beginners. String orienteering is more about being observant and working with a team than direction finding.

Why is orienteering important?

It began as a Swedish military exercise that helped troops build their pathfinding skills, their stamina, and their ability to cooperate with fellow soldiers in unfamiliar situations. Today, orienteering is accessible to everyone from young children to elderly people.

What is the point of a sprint event?

Runners must reach checkpoints in a pre-set order, but the point of a sprint event is speed and quick decision-making. Motala: Motala orienteering, named for a town in Sweden, is a longer race wherein participants navigate three different courses as part of a single contest.

How long does a checkpoint last?

Some score competitions can last for 24 hours. Sprint: Sprint orienteering events are shorter races held in urban or park environments where running is easier.

How many levels are there in the British Orienteering Federation?

Both the British Orienteering Federation (BOF) and Orienteering USA (OUSA) have formal systems that define levels of technical difficulty. The BOF system has 5 levels whereas the OUSA system has 7. In both systems, novices start on a course with a technical and physical difficulty of 1 and progress according to their age, experience, ...

What is an orienteering course?

Course (orienteering) An orienteering course is compose d of a start point, a series of control points, and a finish point. Controls are marked with a white and orange flag in the terrain, and corresponding purple symbols on an orienteering map.

How is physical difficulty determined?

Physical difficulty is determined by the length of the course, the amount of climb, and the kinds of terrain ( rocky, boggy, undergrowth etc.). General guidelines for orienteering courses are available from the International Orienteering Federation and national orienteering sport bodies. Both the British Orienteering Federation (BOF) ...

What courses are available in the JROTC?

There is also a Green course, Brown, Red, and Blue in the U.S. Yellow, Orange and Green are the only ones available to the JROTC branches, and are the usual choices for most civilians.

What is relay course?

In a relay, all teams run the same overall course, with each team member running a part of the overall course. Different teams will run the course in a different order e.g. if the overall course consists of parts A, B, and C, teams may run ABC, BCA, or CAB.

Which course has the least technical challenge?

In both systems, White courses have the least technical challenge, followed by Yellow and Orange. In both systems, all other courses (Red, Blue, Green, Brown, Black) are for advanced competitors and vary only in their degree and kind of physical challenge.

Should steep inclines be avoided?

Therefore, steep inclines should be avoided. Vision and eye injury is a consideration on these courses. Computer software is available which helps in the planning of courses and can be used for pre-printing courses on orienteering maps. Current software includes Condes, and OCAD.

Course Levels

This is a description of the standard orienteering course levels and the skills required to do each one — ordered from easiest to hardest. This list is to help you decide which orienteering course and/or which training session to select. Above all, remember that orienteering is intended to be fun.

White Course – for the beginner

Choose this novice course if you are just beginning to orienteer and have had little or no experience. Before starting you should know:

Yellow Course – for the experienced beginner

Choose this beginner course if you have had some experience with orienteering and are quite comfortable with the beginner course, or have done a lot of hiking using topographical maps. Before starting you should know:

Orange Course – for the intermediate level orienteer

Choose this intermediate course if you are moderately experienced with orienteering, you have mastered the white course and done a few yellow courses and been very comfortable with them. Before starting you should know:

Green Course – short course for the advanced orienteer

Choose this competitive level course if you are an experienced orienteer and have done several orange courses with confidence. Before starting you should know: