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Orienteering is a sport involving navigation with map and compass. The traditional form involves cross-country running, though other forms have evolved from the original. This article will begin by discussing this original form: Foot Orienteering or Foot-O.
Participants are given a map, usually of an area with which they are unfamiliar, and a compass. They attempt to visit, in sequence, control points that are indicated on the map. Competitive Foot-O is a race to visit all controls in order shown on the map as fast as possible.
History
The sport originated in Scandinavia, as a military exercise, in the 19th century. The competitive sport form began in Sweden in 1919. It gained popularity with the development of more reliable compasses in the 1930s, and became an international phenomenon in the 1960s with its themes of open-air competition and environmental awareness.
Today, 63 different national orienteering federations are registered with the International Orienteering Federation, from every habitable continent. World championships are held annually (bi-annually before 2002), and orienteering is a sport in the World Games.
High levels of fitness and foot speed are usually required to compete successfully in elite-level foot orienteering, but success is also heavily dependent on choosing the fastest route between controls (while controls are always the same for the competitors in a particular category, the route they choose to reach the points may be very different). Competitors are often required to cross rough undeveloped terrain; accurate map- and compass-reading can make the difference for good race results.
Indeed, most competitors would say the single key to orienteering success is balancing the fatigue of racing with the mental alertness required to read the map clearly and make proper course selections to keep ahead.
Controls are usually based around a visible feature, and explained on the map. They are marked on the course by orange (or red) and white flags. A competitor marks their visit in some way; traditionally this was by using a punch placed at the flag, but events in the last few years have moved to an electronic chip carried by the competitor, which uses a device at the flag to record the visit time.
The lack of a marked course increases the flexibility of the competition area; many controls can be placed (each with a neutral identifying number), with different sets of controls for different courses, allowing races of varying length and difficulty.
The large-scale, endurance-style version of a Score-O is known as a ROGAINE (Rugged Outdoor Group Activity Involving Navigation and Endurance), competed by teams in events lasting (often) 24 hours. The map scale is smaller as a result, and a very large area is used for comptetition. The format originated in Australia.
Basic play
The start and finish areas and procedures generally resemble those for a cross-country race with a staggered start; the course in between, however, is unmarked beyond the symbols on the map that must be read correctly and followed to the controls.Map and control details
Maps used for orienteering are usually more detailed, and more accurate, than general-purpose topographic maps. The detail is focussed towards what needs to be perceived at eye level, at a run; it must also convey any obstacles clearly. They are typically produced at scales of 1:10 000 or 1:15 000. Varieties
Endless variations on the sport are possible by using different forms of travel and by limiting or removing the race aspect of the sport. The generally recognized forms (beyond traditional Foot-O) are listed below, along with their differences in play, setup and map design.Score-O
This type of competition alters the race aspect; it is a score event in which competitors aim to visit as many controls as possible within a time limit. There is usually a mass start (rather than staggered), with a time limit of (often) one hour. Controls may have different point values depending on difficulty and there is a point penalty for each minute late. The competitor with the highest point value (or who has the shortest time after visiting every control) is the winner.Park-O
This is very essentially similar to Foot-O, but involves shorter events in city parks and other more urban settings. As a result, it uses larger-scale maps, 1:10 000 at the smallest (and as large as 1:4 000). Nothing else is much different from Foot-O, other than the speed of play (due to more open terrain) and shorter event length.Bike-O
Orienteering on a mountain bike involves equipment and procedures from mountain bike racing, with differences for orienteering being a consideration. The map is likely of a smaller scale (1:15 000 at the largest) and has slightly different symbols for tracks and paths to aid readability. As bikes are not permitted to leave the path system, the major focus becomes finding the proper trail to the control while navigating at bike speed. The one major equipment change is a map holder attached to the front of the bike.Ski-O
Skiing while orienteering is a challenge, as it remains a race but without a preset course. Standard orienteering maps are used, but with special green overprinting of trails and tracks to indicate their navigability in snow; other symbols indicate whether any roads are snow-covered or clear. Standard cross-country ski equipment is used, along with a map holder attached to the chest.Trail-O
This is a form that is inclusive of disabled competitors; the object is accuracy, not time. This involves determining, along a set accessible course, which of various controls in a small area is the one indicated on the map; another form involves determining the position on a map of a control viewed from a set point 30-40 metres away. Maps tend to be at a 1:5 000 scale to convey the required detail.
