As quoted in the Dominion Post and The Press in Christchurch, both papers last weekend put Orienteering as number 5 in the article titled “The top 5 hobbies to pick up this year.” It states that orienteering is “It’s tramping, it’s problem solving, it’s a bit like a treasure hunt with no treasure. Count us in” . Actually orienteers think controls are a great treasure, but maybe the writer has not experienced the thrill of spotting, then punching or swiping a control after a long route!

Go for an explore and learn to navigate
Orienteering is the combination of exploring new terrain with the challenge of finding the best route to see who can reach a predetermined place first. It’s not just about physical fitness —as the best choice is about making smart choices, navigation skills and good compass use can give you the edge over other competitors in rogaines and adventure races. Competitions in orienteering are mostly about competing with yourself, but all events are flexible and supportive of recreational groups and families. There are often several courses choices, so you can find out the ideal level or distance for you.

The benefits of orienteering
It is a sport that provides many benefits, both physically and mentally while getting outdoors which is also a bit of a life skill. You’re given nothing more than a specially prepared map and a compass to help you find a series of checkpoints or controls which are scattered across the terrain. You practise reading landforms, thinking in 3D and finding the best routes. These types of navigation skills are important  for a range of outdoor activities, including hiking/tramping, sailing, driving, aviation, and to have efficient travel in urban environments, in fact anyone who needs to find their way in diverse environments.Mapp apps are not always correct so it is good to make your own judgements sometimes. 

How to begin orienteering?

If you want to get started, head to the Orienteering New Zealand website and look up the events list page, you don’t need to be a member to enter an event.  If there is no event suitable, you can also look for a permanent course near you. These permanent courses have all been set up by volunteer orienteers, so they would love your feedback. Download, and print a permanent course map and head off at a time that suits you. It is a good idea to look at an orienteering map legend so you can decode the symbols and colours used on the map. Some permanent maps have a variety of courses to choose from. Here is a guide to the colours on NZ orienteering courses:

WHITE: Basic navigation with a map, following tracks, fences and streams to control points. 

YELLOW: Navigation involves following tracks, fences and streams, however control points are sited off the route being followed. 

ORANGE: Cross-country navigation requiring basic knowledge of contours to locate control points. 

RED: Difficult navigation requiring good knowledge of contours.

It’s a sport for everyone
Orienteering is suitable for all ages and fitness levels. You can progress at your own pace, and courses can be completed either walking or running and some courses are designed are for mountain biking (MTBO) and not ver often in New Zealand , but popular overseas is skiing  (SKI-O)! As you advance, competitive events offer challenging terrain and complex courses to test your skills. If you are wanting to accelerate your outdoor adventures, this is the sport for you!