What should we bring?
photo:
Jerry and Marcy Monkman/EcoPhotography.com
The club hosting the event will provide the map. A compass
may not be needed for a beginners' course. If you have one, bring
it. Any compass in which you can see the needle will do for now.
Some clubs have compasses to rent. If you want to buy a compass,
a simple orienteering compass, like the one shown below, is available
for about ten dollars. The cheapest one is fine, but get one
with a clear plastic baseplate meant for orienteering. A lanyard
for the compass is helpful.
Wear comfortable walking clothing that you don't mind getting
a little dirty. If it's cold, wear several thin layers of clothing;
you will get warm quickly and want to take a layer or two off.
If it's warm, wear light pants but not shorts, since you may
encounter brushy vegetation if you go off trail.
Bring some water and, if you want, something to eat afterwards.
Registration
photo: Joel Thomson
Registration is probably the first place you will see when
you go to an orienteering event. Registration is usually open
for a specified time, say 10 am to 1 pm. You can arrive and register
any time during that period. However, make a note of anything
that may not be open for the whole event, such as beginners'
instruction or the string course.
You will need to pay a small fee and sign a waiver. You will
get a map of the forest, a control card, and a control description
sheet. If you do not have a compass, you might be able to rent
one, although you may not need one. A map case (a clear plastic
bag) is usually available too, and can help keep your map, control
card and control descriptions clean and organized.
For the White course, sign up to go out singly or in groups
of two or three (more is usually unwieldy). Get a map for each
person, if possible. Fill out your control card (both halves,
if it has two). Be sure to include the course you are doing.
The control description sheet lists the features you will be
looking for on the course; this will make more sense to you once
you have copied the course onto your map. After registering,
you can usually start the course as soon as you are ready.
Beginners' instruction
A short orientation session is usually available. This session
will give you a few quick pointers on reading a map and doing
an orienteering course so you can do your first course. It is
a good place to ask a lot of questions.
The string course
The string course usually has a separate start and finish
area and its own map. It is often organized do-it-yourself fashion
without any timing. Get a string course map and mark on the course
if necessary. Do the course with your children if they are very
young, but let older children do it by themselves if they prefer.
Since the course is marked the whole way, even pre-schoolers
can usually do the course themselves.
Start for standard courses (White, etc.)
At the start you will be given a start time. You will also
copy your course onto your map; sometimes this is done before
the start, sometimes after. Take your time and copy the course
carefully.
Click here to see a map
with a course on it.
The start is marked with a triangle. Each point you will be
finding, called a “control,” is circled and numbered.
The control description sheet describes the feature you are looking
for in the circle...for instance, a boulder, a small hill, or
a trail junction. The double circle shows the finish.
Once you start, plan your route to the first control. Find
your place on the map shown by the start triangle. Relate the
features shown on the map near the start to the terrain around
you. Pick out which way to go to get to the first control. What
is the feature you are looking for? Do this out loud and involve
the children. Don't expect them to do everything their first
time out or they will get frustrated, but do let them take part
in the decision making or they will get bored. Most of all, have
fun and enjoy the forest.
Finish
Be sure to check in at the finish, even if you do not complete
the course, so that the organizers are not searching for you.
Check out the results board; results are usually posted as they
come in, even for beginners' courses. It is often fun to compare
the routes you took with other people who did the course.