Orienteering, what's your opinion?
 

First of all it's history link.
http://www.momentech.com.au/droc/His...ienteering.asp

I have watched a few competitions and they use a flashlight at night when competing. I don't think this should be allowed. It's compass and map, not compass, map and flashlight or headlight. Fluorescent compass is ok, but a flashlight? Come on, is that orienteering? Might as while use a GPS since that's deviating from the only tools supposed to be allowed in competition.

Who can orienteer at night without a light? I can to some extent.

Exactly! Especially since all potentially dangerous holes, embankments, drop-offs, slippery roots, devils club, sharp eye-level sticks etc. are clearly marked on all maps. It's just not sporting to let these people have a light.

Well if I can do it, they can do it. Can you picture them lurking around in the dark during war time with a light. Sitting ducks. [xx(]
Join the club and learn how to do it. [:p]

Sans map is more of a challenge. When I go orienteering I go without the map , compass, or GPS. I have some idea of where I want to be but I'm usually well away from my destination when I arrive. If this was a race I am pleased to say I would enjoy it that much more .

I won an orienteering competition once without using a map or compass... it was in elementary school and I followed the tracks of the teacher who had set up the course for us ;)[:p]

If by SANS Map do you mean something like a Forest Cover Map which is a map of the bush and tree growth primarily as while as elevation and contours, I think that would be cheating also in competitions. You would be able to see where the easier vegetation to travel through is.
For learning, that would be a great idea.
I am not sure what you mean in the statement I coloured blue above.
There could be many ways of training and developing to different levels. Speed development would definitely be a part in each experience catagory.
Can you imagine all the different types of maps, aerial photos, etc. a orienteering type club could accumulate for members to use.
Geez, digital maps cost $300.00 to $600.00 per map from what I remember when I tried to buy one.

That's exactly it Dru. It's not just reading a map and compass. It's reading all available handicaps. Finding trails of various types, learning how to chose between traversing along a ridge or valley or side hill, ect. Taking advantage of streams and finding open areas to get bearings from. It's what we old timers call bush wise. [^]

Sans = Without; deprived or destitute of.
I enjoy being lost in the hills which I climb. I like the idea of bushwhacking and crawling around in the woods . Having a map, compass , or any tech stuff to find my way just wipes out the feeling of exploring . I guess with oreinteering you are getting to a destination the quickest way without the exploring aspect. A thrill to some but not to me. My opinion only.

Is most orienteering done at night? I was under the impression that most operated with the tools of map, compass, and sun. Thus, flashlight not really all that overboard..

If you like bushwhacking and exploring, then why would you not just choose to go bushwhacking and exploring... and not orienteering? It's not my choice of ways to spend time in the mountains either, but all the best for those who do.

I agree with you Bruce. I prefer to bushwack and explore also, and if you ever read any of my TR's, I don't use them gadgets much either. But sometimes it's nice to do that with others, or there are others that would like to do it to but are not experienced enough to go off the trails. Orienteering will teach and give these hikers confidence to that using any type of gadgets or nothing at all.

Most orienteering is done in the day but like the World competitions, the last one I think, it was in South America and they go both day and night to reach their check points. They were using a light at night which I don't agree to since this is a very high level of competition. They should have been using my method of travelling at night instead of using a light.
I take it you are a climber. Not all trails lead right to the mountains so you have to bushwack to get to some of them. If you aren't, to me travelling most roads and trails is boring and sometimes just to crowded. That's ok if you like that sort of thing.

Back when "Eco- challenge " was televised, the competitors were using headlamps at night, and I was under the impression that was a world class type competition? Well, up until the playmates were involved.:)

Did you see the playmates in action in Fiji? Those gals were pretty hardcore! And fit! Don't knock 'em just cause they were nekkid bimbos in the mag. They were better than many other teams...

They probably joined a orienteering club to get in shape. :D

Oh, I agree John, those gals were in great shape and as you say, they out performed many other competitors. It just seemed (to me anyways) to lower the overall level of credibility of what I saw as hardcore training and competition. The playmates didn't ego-out like some, or whine like others as well. Nice eye candy as well.:)

ROGAINE orienteering competitions are as long as 24-hours and thus competitors are out after dark and headlamps are definitely used. I wouldn't compete at night without a light. I also wouldn't intentionally get lost for "fun". But then maybe I'm missing the West Coast humour here? Getting lost in the mountains? Bushwhacking at night without a light, compass or map? All for fun?

Yeah, it's great. Give it a try. A real challenge. Been doing it for years. :D

Interesting. I don't know if you were in the Army Wildman but when I was we used flashlights to help us out at night(although as sparringly as possible). For us it sucked not knowing where you were, sucked even more when you ran into the enemy(or worse your CSM;)) because you're lost.

However I also agree that it is fun to go out and explore as long as you know how to get back.

By the way a group of people from the Czech Republic were spending last summer at my Dad's bible camp north of Saskatoon. They were mapping out an area around there for these oreinteering competitions. They said that was one the biggest in Canada they have worked on. I think they also said that there were going to be a few in Alberta and BC as well.

There is a long distance orienteering relay held in Finland each June. Each team has seven runners, and there were 1500 teams this year. Each runner covers from 8 to 15 km, but this is measured as the crow flies, so actual distances covered are longer.

In June, the nights are short in Finland. The start is at 11:00 p.m. just as darkness is falling, so all the first leg runners are wearing powerful headlamps as they wait for the signal to grab their maps and head off.

Get an amazing video clip of the start here:

http://www.jukola2006.net/index.php?lang=en&page=videot

In June 2006 a Canadian team from Vancouver participated for the first time ever.They were all members of GVOC:
http://www.orienteeringbc.ca/gvoc/
GH

Just a P.S.
When you watch this, you will wonder (as you should) how so many competitors in a mass start can NOT be following each other, the courses are very heavily "forked", meaning there are variations. You must be reading your map and doing your own navigation, as you have NO idea which of many "forks" could be yours ...especially early in the leg. An electronic timing chip on each runner's finger is used to record the time at which you reached each control.
GH

Kamloops has an excellent O club. Sage Orienteering Club. Great bunch of people and totally into every aspect of the sport.
Get involved in some of the competitions for fun and see just how competitive it can be. It is not like hiking at all but makes you a better hiker in my opinion.

It's fun. https://www.clubtread.com/forumPix/111000/111032.jpg

And lookit the neat maps you get.

Wow, I just about started climbing the tree to get out of the way. Thanks for the links Grey Hair. This looked alot different from the Eco- challenge I seen on TV. I guess this convinced me that headlamps are a must. Hate to get run over by that herd in the dark.
Good to see different levels of competition to at the BC link.

Try this...

http://www.catchingfeatures.com/

C'Jack...

That's good fun, C'Jack!
I know someone who's addicted to it ...it can get worse than any "gameboy"!

Wildman, some of us just walk/jog/scramble. There are all different levels of competitiveness from "don't care" to "sometimes fun to beat the other old ladies" (me?) to hard core international athlete. Our daughter was at Jukola with the Vancouver team this year. She is a member of this last category, and proud owner of one of those mega-headlamps!
GH

I agree.
Absolutely addictive.
Fun though.

Orienteering- a terrific sport.
Happened to notice the previous posts on Orienteering. It is a great sport – it has something for just about every age and level of fitness. There is a great deal of information on the internet to give you a good insight about what is involved in participating.
Canada has a national body called the Canadian Orienteering Federation. They are at http://www.orienteering.ca/. They can help you get in contact with your nearest club or provincial organization or even help you start a club.

The sport has been around for over 100 years with the first recorded public event taking place in Norway in 1897. National championship in Scandinavian countries can draw in excess of 40,000 competitors.

I can't think of a better way for people to become comfortable with using a topographical map and compass than participating in this sport.

Happy Trails