Heritage Week Orienteering – a beginners guide

Orienteering, an Adventure Sport for All.

If you haven’t tried orienteering then this is the week to give it a go…. (although you’d be welcome at any other event too!)

During Heritage week we have a number of events at multiple locations. Some are urban events with controls in around the towns and parks, others in forests and parklands. All events will welcome newcomers and experienced alike. Some of the events will have specially themed courses just for Heritage Week.

What is orienteering? Orienteering is a competitive international sport that combines running with navigation. It is a timed race in which individual participants use a specially created, highly detailed, map to select routes and navigate through diverse terrain and visit control points in sequence. This might sound a little scary to a newcomer… don’t worry we have simple courses for beginners and help is always on hand to give you some guidance before you start out. There are some useful video guides to get you thinking beforehand if you’d like to do some homework first!

Why try Orienteering? Orienteering is suitable for everyone, individuals, families, young and old, serious fitness fanatics and those who would just like to stretch their legs and add a little more pzazz to their evening stroll. Orienteering is a sport where everyone can participate alongside experienced sportsmen, at the same event. How is this possible? Orienteering events have a number of courses of varying abilities in one location; allowing a more experienced orienteer to run a longer course with control markers positioned in more difficult locations and, by contrast, a shorter course with easier controls for beginners, families or children. Orienteering is also for all age groups, at competitive events there are age categories from aged under 10 to under 80!

Orienteering excercises the body and the mind simultaneously! Navigating around the map requires concentration, visualisation and observational skills whilst moving between control points. The moving could be a full speed, like our international athletes, or walking along at your own pace. It’s up to you. It goes without saying that being outside, often in a natural setting, also puts the mind in a better space.

Orienteering develops independance and independant thinking. Young children first start off with their family, a parent or older sibling guiding them, each with their own map, pointing out the different features as they are passed, a track junction, a tree or a pond for example. Usually parklands or simple forests with tracks are a good place to start. All of our Heritage Week venues are suitable. As the child progresses, the guide will participate less, but still accompany the child to ensure they do not stray too far off the intended route. Soon the child begins to follow the map themselves and the guide is no longer required. Over time the child progresses to different course levels and more tricky terrains as their ability improves.

Is Orienteering suitable for families? Yes families with small children might like to do a short course together. Families with older children could each do a seperate course of varying length, or could compete on the same course but start at staggered intervals (so you can’t follow each other!). It’s great fun to get back to the finish and see which different routes your family have taken and of course sibling rivalry can also be put to the test!

Is Orienteering suitable for a group? Why not use one of our events as a team builder and bring along your club for a training session with a twist? Scout groups, rugby or soccer teams & athletics clubs often use our events for a change of training scene. Please contact the host orienteering club in advance if you intend to bring a group to ensure there are sufficient maps prepared.

Why is there a time range for events? Orienteering is not like a match! As there a several courses run at the same event, participants start at intervals so they cannot follow each other (it’s not advisable anyway, they might have chosen a bad route!). So if the event says 11.00 am to 1.00pm starts, you can start your course anytime in that window, however there will also be a course close time. You must be off the course and registered as finished by the ‘course close’ time. If you’re a beginner it’s best to arrive nearer to the start time to ensure you have enough time to finish the course without pressure.

What do I need to bring? As a beginner you only need to bring yourself, dressed in comfortable clothing and footwear suitable for your chosen location and weather forecast! If you have a compass it might be useful, but not essential on a beginners course. Also some money, clubs charge varying amounts for their courses but there’s always a family rate and it won’t break the bank! If you would like to know the cost before you arrive please contact the club directly before the event to check their pricing structure, club links can be found next to each event below.

So what’s left to do? Well it’s Heritage Week so there are loads of events all over the country, check out the Heritage Week schedule and combine one of our events below with your day trip or just pop down after work to one of our evening events.

Come & Try it. 

All events are organised by club volunteers.

If you enjoyed your Heritage Week orienteering session and would like to try another event just check our fixtures page for an event near to you.