Orienteering is cross country walking/running combined with map reading . It’s sometimes called the thinking persons sport. It’s an all weather sport. WightO has never cancelled an event because of weather, so be prepared to get wet occasionally!
The objective is to find, in order, a number of controls by choosing
the best route for you over the ground. There are a number of courses ranging
from the easy to the difficult, so you can work your way up as you gain experience.
Help is always available when you first take part.
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Control Marker |
Courses are between 2 and 6 kilometres long, but we do measure in a straight line ! We also have special courses for youngsters and toddlers. Take part on your own or with friends and family.
We use a special map, which is provided at the start. It has more detail than an O.S. map and is to a bigger scale. On an O.S. map each centimetre represents 250 metres on the ground. On orienteering maps one centimetre represents 50 or 100 metres.
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Typical orienteering map, click to enlarge. |
You don’t need any special clothing, old clothes with long sleeves are suitable, shorts are not advisable (remember there will be brambles). Stout shoes or trainers are fine.