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 learn the basics
What should I bring?
Dress as you would for a hike or run. For intermediate and advanced courses you might want long sleeves and rugged jeans for "bushwacking" but serious orienteers actually wear light nylon running suits with gaiters over their shins. The most sensible item would be comfortable shoes.
A compass is not necessary for beginner courses. If you have one, bring it and we will show you how to use it.
A water canteen or water bottle, especially for hot days.
$5 fee - except in 2008 it's FREE
 How do I start orienteering?
Decide which of the courses offered best fits your skill level.
White (novice) - short and easy
Yellow (advanced beginner) - rather easy, designed along strong linear features, a
good first course if you have some map reading experience
Orange (intermediate) - designed around distinct features but good navigational skills
are required
Brown, green, red, blue (advanced) - difficult, sometimes very difficult. The only
differences in these courses is the length. Brown is short, blue is very long (up to
12 km).
Fill out registration form and recieve your map.
If the maps are not preprinted, go to the master map table to copy the course you plan to run onto your map. Neatness counts because the control flag will be set in the exact center of the control circles as drawn on the master map.
Go to the starting position. Do not begin the course before your beginning time is marked on your card because time matters for scoring.
From start (triangle on the map) go to the first control (circled on the map with a #1), then go to #2, #3, etc...in that order.
Generally it takes about an hour to complete a course. A beginnning course may only take 30 minutes while an advance course may take a couple of hours. The time limit is usually three hours. A "quit time" might also be specificed and after that time the course is taken down.
Make sure to go the finish (double circle on the map) whether you finish the course our not. We need to know who is still in the woods! Please avoid causes an unneccessary search. Also, you don't come back in we can't score your card.
What is a Score O?
Instead of a fixed course, participants visit as many controls as possible within a fixed time, e.g., 30 minutes. More distant or difficult controls are often allotted a higher point value. Points are deducted for each amount of time the orienteer arrives after the allotted time is up, say 5 points for every minute. The person with the most points wins.
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