ORIENTEERING

A Sport for Everyone

by Laura Clark

Where am I going? I don't quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups grow—
Up on the hill where the pine-trees blow
Anywhere, anywhere. I don't know.

From When We Were Very Young, A.A. Milne

Photo by Andy Freeberg One Hudson Valley Orienteering member punches her control card while another dashes in to do the same.

While Christopher Robin may have preferred to wander aimlessly through the woods, for most of us that is not a practical option. No longer trained in the wilderness skills of our ancestors, our own back-to-nature experiences are limited to hiking marked trails with a well-defined beginning, middle and end. Yet how many times have you found yourself peering off into the underbrush wondering what lies beyond the beaten path? Orienteering might just be your opportunity to find out.

According to Steven Boga in his book Orienteering, this sport of cross-country navigation with map and compass began in late 19th-century Scandinavia as a military exercise and soon became popular with school classes and scout groups. Long considered a fringe sport on this side of the Atlantic, cross-country navigation has come into the forefront recently with the increasing popularity of adventure racing, where the prize often goes not to the fittest athletes, but to those who do not get lost enroute.

Orienteering is one of the most exciting and versatile sports available to individuals and families. Using a map, a compass, and a set of clues, orienteers navigate from point to point to find a series of orange and white markers. The sport is most often done as a leisurely map hike or competitive running race in the woods; however, many clubs also include events for people on skis, mountain bikes, canoes, and horseback. Orienteering has even been adapted for small children and people with disabilities.

For many of us, it is this leveling action that lends the sport much of its appeal. Just as England's first orienteering meet — which included Roger Bannister, the first athlete to break the four-minute mile — was won by a British schoolboy, so too, a fast runner can find himself easily beaten by women and small children. This I know from personal experience. At our first meet, my partner and I figured it took us two and a half hours to cover what should have been a 3.5-kilometer course. And we loved every minute of it! We discovered that this is definitely a sport where you have to think with your mind as well as your feet!

Courtesy of US Orienteering Federation Having fun on a string-orienteering course.

Although we did cross paths with the occasional professional-looking solo orienteer, we mostly encountered families and scout groups. In fact, orienteering encourages group participation, which is enormously reassuring to those hesitant to strike out on their own. Not only that, but you can team up easily with others of widely differing athletic abilities. For example, children of all ages delight in the treasure hunt aspect of the sport and can act as forward scouts for parents who prefer a more leisurely pace. For couples that are normally ill-matched in athletic abilities, this sport provides an opportunity to compete together at last without fear of holding each other back.

While I have frequently found myself running alone during trail races, this does not seem to be the case here. In fact, with all the people bumping around in the woods, newcomers often wonder what is to prevent them from simply following in the footsteps of the group ahead.

As Grant Staats of the Empire Orienteering Club in Albany explained, most meets have an open window of two hours, with each group being assigned its own start time as part of the registration process. While you might be within shouting distance of the group ahead, that does not really matter since they might have chosen any one of a number of beginner (2-4K), intermediate (4-5K) or advanced (5-10K +) courses.

Each group receives a topographical map of the course and a list of lettered controls (checkpoints) to locate. When the flagged checkpoint is discovered, you punch your control card, with a uniquely shaped punch to prove you were there, and proceed to the next location as indicated on your map.

To mix things up a bit, some of the controls are used for multiple courses, so if one group is just ahead of you at the same control, it doesn't necessarily mean they will be there for the next one. Plus, armed with a map and compass, there are theoretically many ways to reach the same destination. You may choose to follow a more roundabout but reliable trail system or may opt instead for a backwoods Indiana Jones type experience. Even in the winter, when snowshoes or cross-country skis replace sneakers, it is foolish to simply follow in a set of temptingly laid tracks.

Still, even someone as directionally challenged as I, will never feel uncomfortable on the beginner course. There is always someone at the registration area to loan you a compass, give you a basic lesson and point you in the right direction. At some meets you will be given a template to trace your course and control locations onto the map. At others, the maps come already fully prepared. If you are doing the tracing yourself, be meticulous. It will be nearly impossible to locate a designated checkpoint in the field if you have mapped it wrong in the first place. Sometimes this preparation counts as part of your total time. Usually for beginners it does not.

Photo by Phil Hawkes-Teeter US Ski-O Team member Candice Raines sprints from last control to the finish at the EMPO Club Championship Meet, held in Thacher Park, New Scotland, NY, November 2001.

At first, I did just fine by comparing the terrain on the topographical map with the specific control symbol (stream, hill, clearing, etc.) for which I was searching. By counting off paces from one feature to the next, I was able to come fairly close to each location without even glancing at my compass. Once in the general area, however, my lack of compass skills caused me to waste valuable time searching about aimlessly. If I had done some practicing beforehand, I should have been able to zero in fairly accurately on the target.

Now that I have a feel for what is required, I have purchased my own compass ($3-$5 at a discount store) and have downloaded some basic practice sheets from the Web. With a little more compass work, I am looking forward to tackling the more difficult challenges.

To learn more, the United States Orienteering Federation (USOF) (www.us.orienteering.org) is the national governing body. There are three member clubs in our region:

• Empire Orienteering Club (EMPO), centered from the Capital District to Glens Falls: (518) 872-1993; http://empo.us.orienteering.org.
• Adirondack Orienteering Klub (AOK), covering from Glens Falls to Canada: (518) 563-5038; http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/nancy.allen/aok.htm.
• Central New York Orienteering (CNYO), serving Utica, Syracuse and Binghamton: (315) 458-6406; http://cnyo.us.orienteering.org/cnyo.
• Hudson Valley Orienteering (HVO), holds events in Southern New York and New York City: (973) 625-0499; www.geocities.com/hvo61.

Interested? The USOF invites all to try the sport on the third annual National Orienteering Day, May 4, 2002. Member clubs will host special newcomer events with free beginner instruction on May 4-5. Please see the Calendar of Events or visit the club Web sites for details.

Orienteering is low-cost, low impact, easy to learn and fun — ideal for individuals and families who enjoy the outdoors.

Laura Clark is an avid trail runner, snowshoer and cross-country skier, and a Children's and Young Adult Librarian at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.

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