VOCABULARY IN THIS LESSON:

Orienteering is an outdoor sport using maps to find one's way.

Participants are given a map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points. It was originally a training exercise for military officers, but it has now become a federated sport.

The International Orienteering federation recognises four types of orienteering: 

→ Foot orienteering 

→ Mountain bike orienteering 

→ Ski orienteering 

→ Trail orienteering ( in wheelchair)

But many times, orienteering is included in adventure raids or mixed with other sports, as horse riding or canoeing. 

The Map:

Orienteering maps are topographical maps (they show hills and valleys) very detailed. Their scales are  1:15,000 or 1:10,000, wich means every cm in the map equals 15.000 or 10.000 cms (150 or 100m) on the terrain. Map symbols are standardized by the IOF, and designed to be readable by any competitor.

The orienteering course is marked in purple or red on a map. A triangle is used to indicate the start and a double circle indicates the finish. Circles are used to show the control points.

Every other part on the map (rivers, roads, vegetation, etc) has a specific colour.

 Image: www.cuerpoymovimiento.com

What is a race like?

Orienteering races are time trials. You can run individually, in pairs or in teams. 

Control points are marked in the terrain by white and orange "flags".

Image: Blue Elf for Wikimedia Commons 

Control card and punching:

Each competitor must carry a control card, and has to present it at the Start and hand it in at the Finish. The control card is marked  at each control point to show that the competitor has completed the course correctly.

Image: Una Smith for Wikimedia Commons 

(Usually with needle punches, but most events now use electronic punching).

  A needle punch:

Image: Oriel for Wikimedia Commons  

Results:

The winner is the competitor who has found and passed through all control points with the fastest time.