Orienteering Web

UNIT 9

ORIENTEERING

A sport that involves land navigation

over unfamiliar terrain with a map and

compass

Orienteering

Benefits of Orienteering

The benefits of Orienteering are many:

• Builds self confidence

• Enhances team building

• Improves map reading

• Teaches a lifetime sport

• Provides mental challenges

• Provides physical challenges

Orienteering

The object of orienteering is to run, ski,

walk, or mountain bike to a series of

points shown on a map. These points

are called control points.

Course lengths range from less than 1

mile for beginners to 4 or more miles

for experienced orienteers.

Orienteering

Compass

Looped At Wrist

The Well-Dressed Orienteer

Lightweight

Long Sleeve Shirt

Wristwatch

Shin Guards

Tear Resistant

Old Pants

Old Shoes

Map Reading

Orienteering usually requires the use of

a topographic map depicting the area in

which the course is laid out.

A topographic map is a graphic

representation of manmade and natural

features of a part of the Earth's surface.

Topographic Map

Orienteering maps usually are drawn to

a scale of 1:15,000 or 1:10,000, and have

5-meter contour lines or intervals.

They also show large boulders, cliffs,

ditches, and many other features.

Some of the other features that may be

shown are listed on the next screen.

And this is only a partial list!

Features

Dams

Railroads

Rivers

Roads/Trails

Pipelines

Bodies of Water

Fences

Boundaries

Bridges

Buildings

Caves/Mines

Coastal Features

Contour Lines

• Elevations

The most useful

scale for an

orienteering map is:

1:15,000 or 1:10,000

1 inch on the map

Represents 15,000

or 10,000 inches on

the ground)

Direction

On most maps, north is at the top, south

to the bottom, east to the right, and west

to the left.

There is a slight difference between the

location of the north pole and that of

magnetic north. This is the variation

angle or declination angle.

Magnetic Declination Lines

on an Ungrided Map

land features, contours, earthbanks, sandy ground

open or unforested land

vegetation that requires unusualeffort to traverse

forest with little or no undergrowththat allows for easy passage

rock features (boulders, cliffs),roads, trails, fences, buildings

water (lakes, ponds, rivers,streams, marshes)

Colors on Topographic Map

Legend

Relief features

of the Earth are

shown in the

margins of

orienteering

maps.

Contour Lines

Brown contour

lines represent

valleys, hills, and

plains.

Spacing between

lines represents a

constant vertical

distance; the closer

the intervals, the

greater the slope.

When lines are

close together, they

show a steep slope.

Similarly, when they

are far apart, they

show a gentle slope.

Contour interval is

the distance (feet or

meters) between

lines.

If the map contour interval is 10 feet,

this hill is approximately 130 feet high.

Contour lines indicate

elevation, in feet or

meters, above sea

level.

Contour lines tell

you the ups and

downs of the land.

Typical

Magnetic

Compass

• A must for orienteering

• Contains protractor in base for reading

magnetic azimuth angles on a map

• Most widely used

Silva Type 3

The orienteering

compass has a

protractor base

and a cord to hang

around the neck

(optional).

During orienteering, first obtain the

magnetic azimuth or bearing.

• Place edge of protractor base along

desired line of travel.

• Turn compass housing until

orienteering arrow aligns with

magnetic north reference lines.

• Turn your body until the red end of

magnetic needle aligns with the

orienteering arrow.

• Determine distances between control

points.

• Determine distances actually traveled.

Distance is Important

in Orienteering to:

Distance on a Map

2cm x 250m/cm = 500m on the ground

If a map has a scale of 1:25000, and a

distance of 2 cm were measured on the

map between two locations, then the

actual distance along the ground would

be:

Distance on a Map

Another method is to lay off the

measured distance on the map along

the graphic linear distance scale on

the map. This can then give you the

desired distance along the ground in

feet, meters, miles, or kilometers.

Distance on a Map

A third method is to use the map scales

printed along the sides of the compass

protractor base. These are often

standardized to read distances along

the ground directly in feet or meters.

In the field, your pace is used to

measure distance. Your pace is the

average length, in meters, of a double

step.

To determine your pace, count the

number of double strides you make on

a 600-meter course. This should be

done while both running and walking.

Several methods of land navigation

techniques may be used. Depending on

the terrain, one of the following methods

may be used:

• The beeline

• The steering mark

• The contour route

Land Navigation Techniques

Beeline

A straight line is followed to the desired

location, by observing terrain features,

without the use of a compass.

Steering Mark

Once the bearing (direction of travel) is

determined, travel to easily identifiable

way-points (steering marks), such as

trees, rocks, or houses along the way.

If you use a contour line as a trail, you

would be traveling parallel to mean sea

level.

This method is

less tiring and

more accurate

than the beeline

method because

up and down hill

travel is minimized.

Contour Route

Aiming Off

In this example, the

orienteer follows an

azimuth slightly to

the right of control

point 3, proceeds to

the stream (the

catch feature), turns

left, and follows the

stream to the

control point.

A Catching Feature

• A linear feature that lies beyond the

control (example: a road or fence)

• Passes by, through, or near a control

• "Saves" you if you should miss the

control and go past it

Attack Point

• A prominent feature near a control

(100 - 150 meters)

• Used to get you close to a control as

quickly as possible

• Numerous attack points on beginner

courses

• Few attack points on advanced

courses

Before You Start

First, stop and look around; then look

closely at your map.

Observe the lay of the land. Find some

fairly distinct feature, or better yet, a

group of features, within view and on

the map.

Can you see any collecting features,

catching features, or handrails that

will help you get to the first control?

• Any linear feature you can follow to

where you want to go

• Examples: a stream, trail, road, fence,

brick or stone wall

Handrail

Slope is the steepness of a hill, usually

expressed as a ratio, e.g., 1 to 15 or

1:15, meaning 1 meter of rise for every

15 meters of horizontal distance.

Slope

Profile

Profile refers to the shape of a hill.

Three general profiles are:

Concave - steeper as it get higher

Convex - steeper at the bottom

Uniform - constant slope from bottom

to top

Weather

An important factor in flat country

The effect of ground cover can be

converted to equivalent amounts

of level ground travel by using a

conversion formula.

The formula involves multiplying

the distance by the appropriate

factor in the following list.

Ground Cover Factors

Types of Cover Factor

Open trail

Waist-high grass

Open forest

Thick brush

Creek-bottom tangles

1

1.5

2-3

5

7-10

This indicates it would take 7-10 times

longer to cover creek-bottom tangles

than it would to jog along an open trail.

Rough Orienteering

• Use map to get general idea of objective

(how far it is and where you want to go).

• Proceed at top speed to collecting

features and continue to the control.

Fine Orienteering

• Requires slower movement and

continually checking map

• Smaller features used as landmarks

• Slow and inefficient for use for entire

leg of course

Speeds of Orienteering

Green light – used for rough orienteering

on the easy parts of a course where a

running pace is possible





Yellow light – a slow jog or

fast walk, being cautious

when approaching a hand-

rail or an attack point





Yellow light – a slow jog or

fast walk, being cautious

when approaching a hand-

rail or an attack point

Red light – a slow walk in order

to use fine orienteering to locate

a control

All course legs may not lend them-

selves to all three speeds.

Learning when to use which speed

during rough and fine orienteering

comes only through experience.


Course Layout Criteria

• A well-wooded area (lots of trees)

• Uninhabited if possible

• Appropriate degree of difficulty for

the orienteers who will be using it

• Good map coverage of suitable scale

Course Layout Criteria

Circles are control points.

A triangle indicates the

start.

A double circle indicates

the finish.

Control Marker

• Usually attached is a

distinctive punch used

as 'proof' you were at

that control marker

• Should be visible from

at least 10 meters away

but not more than 50

Control

Marker

Safety Lane

• Usually a linear boundary (a road)

where an orienteer may go in the

event of injury, fatigue, or becoming

lost

Orienteering Activities

Cross-country (point-to-point) – the

classic form of orienteering. Controls

on a map must be visited in order.





Score-O – Controls are visited in any

order.





Score-O – Controls are visited in any

order.

Night-O – a variation on either of the

above conducted from dusk through

dark.


Long-O – Courses are 1.5 to 2 times

as long as a standard course, and have

long legs and complex route choices.





Relay-O – A variation of point-to-point.

Each team member completes a leg of

a course.





Relay-O – A variation of point-to-point.

Each team member completes a leg of

a course.

Memory-O – The first leg of the course

is memorized. After reaching control 1,

the second leg is memorized before

going to control 2.


Recently, a new orienteering activity has

been added to the list of "O" activities.

This is:

Trail-O – an orienteering course laid out

specifically for handicapped individuals.

Trails are either on firm ground or paved

paths. Once a control point is reached,

the individual must observe specific land-

scape features and make the most

accurate estimates of distance, time of

travel, height and other required items.

Novice Advanced

Control

Descriptions

Clue Sheet

http://www.us.orienteering.org

The previously shown symbols are

only a few of the many used in the

sport of orienteering. A more

comprehensive listing and their

meanings are available through links

provided at the United States

Orienteering Federation (USOF) Web

site at:

The Orienteering Event Card

Ensure you fill out and punch

your event card as required.

The Rules of Orienteering

Like all sports, certain rules must be

followed.

Fairness – a sporting attitude and a spirit

of comradeship and honesty

Nature of orienteering – no outside help;

yet provide appropriate assistance if one

is injured or honestly lost

Environmental protection – take care of

the land you are on, obeying common

sense rules and following posted signs

Qualification Requirements for the

NJROTC Orienteering Ribbon

1. You must be a cadet in good standing.

2. Point out and name five major terrain

features on a map and in the field.

3. Point out and name ten symbols often

found on a topographic map.

4. Use a compass effectively.

5. Measure distances on a map using a

straight edge.

6. Explain "descriptive clues," "aiming

off," and "attack point."

7. Determine, by length of pace and

speed, both walking and running,

when a distance of 100 meters has

been covered over various types of

terrain.

8. Successfully complete at least two

3,000- to 4,000-meter cross-country

courses.

After completion of each course, the

NSI will debrief (critique) you on your

results.

Subsequent Awards

A maximum of two awards per year

(including the initial ribbon award) are

authorized.

Different orienteering courses must be

used for subsequent awards.

A star may be awarded for

orienteering participation in

the first and subsequent

years.

ORIENTEERING

End Of CFM Material

Education

Orienteering Web