About the sport
Origins
Orienteering originated in Scandinavia around the turn of
the century. First done on cross-country skis, orienteering was
soon adapted to foot, which is now the most popular variety.
Orienteering is now done on all inhabited continents.
Types
The standard type of foot orienteering is point-to-point orienteering.
A course of controls (checkpoints) to be found in a specific
order is laid out. Lengths vary from a few kilometers (a mile
or two) for beginners to ten or fifteen kilometers for experts.
Longer distance orienteering events, annd short “sprint”
events are also done. Beginner courses are on trails; expert
courses are cross country with intricate navigation.
Another type of orienteering is score orienteering, in which
there is a time limit in which to find as many controls as possible
in any order.
Ski orienteering is done on cross country skis. It involves
careful route choice.through a large trail network.
ROGAINE is a long distance variety of the sport originating
in Australia. Organized as a score event, it takes place over
large areas and longer periods, usually 12 or 24 hours. Teams
of two (or more) navigate over often rugged terrain, eating and
sleeping on the clock.
Competitions and big events
Competitive events range from local interscholastic competitions,
to the world championships. Most competitive events are open
to all, as are recreational events. Young orienteers can become
competitive at many levels. At local events there are usually
others of the same age to compete against. There are interscholastic
leagues in some states, and many youth groups frequently attend
orienteering competitions. Some countries have summer “multidays”:
a week or so of orienteering events, usually with a central camping
area where most of the participants stay. A good opportunity
for social interaction as well as lots of orienteering.