What is Orienteering?

Orienteering is a sport where competitors use a map and compass to complete a course. The course is made up of a number of checkpoints which must be visited in order, but the exact route between checkpoints is up to the orienteer. The goal is to complete the course as fast as possible.

Orienteering is for all ages and can be raced by runners or casually walked with friends or children. Different grades are available to provide the right level of navigational difficulty for both new orienteers and experienced navigators.

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The Main Ideas

Map

The maps are drawn with special symbols and colours so that anyone from any country, speaking any language, can pick up an orienteering map and know exactly how to read it. These colours and symbols are called the legend. You can view some printable legends here.

Terrain

The area that the course travels through could be farmland, forest, public parks, school campuses, town centres, residential streets, or even a mix. This is called the terrain. Common areas arouns christchurch are the Porthills, Bottle Lake Forest, High School Campuses, Ara & Uni, Castle Hill Area and many more.

Checkpoints / Controls

The checkpoints in orienteering are called controls. Controls are marked in the terrain with a metre high orange and white flag.

Course 

The course is marked on the map as a series of numbered circles, plus a triangle for the start point and a double circle for the finish point. Lines connect the circles to make it easier for your eyes to follow the correct order of the checkpoints. All these course markings are printed in purple to be very obvious and easy to see on the page.

Every event will provide brand new courses, never used before. So you will never do the same course twice, even for events in the same terrain.

Timing System

Every competitor will have an SI (Sport Ident) on their finger, which they punch into the electronic box on the top of the Orange and White flag at every control / checkpoint. They also do this at the start and finish, to record their overall time.

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What do I need?

  • Grippy Running / Walking Shoes
  • Sports Clothing 
  • Sports Trousers, leggings, Gaitors or Long socks if there is high undergrowth or dense forests (or a reckless teenage boy mindset seems to suffice!)
  • Compass (you can borrow one an every event / training.)
  • SportIdent (not needed for trainings, and you can hire one for $2 at events.)