Lesson 10: Orienteering
physically and mentally fit especially at competitive levels. For the Marines,
LESSON CONTENT
Orienteering is an outdoor activity where participants' goal is
finding the various checkpoints (with specific sequence) in a pre-set course
using an especially created detailed map and the compass to navigate in an
unfamiliar terrain. Orienteering can be done as a fun recreational activity or a
very competitive sport requiring navigational skills, techniques, and
decision-making skills to bring a person from one place to another at the least
time possible. In this activity, the start is marked with a triangle on the map;
other locations are marked by a circle, and the final destination is marked by
a double circle. Why do we need to learn to orienteer? Technology brought
us an efficient device such as the GPS that helps us locate places, we are not
familiar with. It is very dependable until it runs out of power and that is when
the dependability stops. The GPS can run out of power but our brain will
always be there to help us think. Thus, it is always helpful to go back and
learn the basics.
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Orienteering as an activity is fun and challenges you more to be
the Navy, the Army, the park rangers, and those involve in search and rescue,
joining orienteering competitions hone their skills. It is also a required skill
for trekkers, hikers, hunters, and even bird-watchers as the backcountry or
the mountain is a big area to get lost in.
The beginnings of orienteering can be traced in Scandinavia where it
was part of the skills that the military needed to learn. Orienteering started in
1886 as a military word that meant "crossing unknown grounds" using maps
and compass.
Orienteering is a ‘thinking’ outdoor sport that combines a
participant’s mental ability with physical ability. In orienteering, participants
navigate routes between isolated control points using a compass and a map.
The emphasis is on map-reading and direction-finding skills. It is popular as
both a recreational sport and a competitive sport. The sport has several
forms, with many variations of venue, length, duration and mode of
movement. Some of the basic forms include:
 Cross-country orienteering with results judged on a time
basis.
 Line orienteering of a set course with undisclosed control
points. Success depends on accuracy.
 Route orienteering that requires participants to mark their
map correctly with the controls.
 Score orienteering that has numerous controls set up, each
allocated point according to difficulty. Participants score
points by locating as many controls as they can in a given
time.
Types of Orienteering
Orienteering courses can be set in any environment where an
appropriate map has been made. A variety of modes of movement can be
used individually or combined to hold an event.
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 a few kilometers for beginners to ten or more kilometers for experts.
Types marked with an "*" have international championships The classic form of orienteering.
sanctioned by the IOF (International Orienteering Federation). Horseback,
handicapped, swim and scuba events can also be held.

 Bike Orienteering - Participants travel to each control on a

 Line Orienteering - Maps are marked with a line indicating

the exact route to be followed. Participants mark their map where

they find each control. Excellent training event for improving map
reading skills.
bike. Events are held on both street and mountain bikes (mountain
bike has the international championships).

 Canoe Orienteering - Event is done on a lake or tidal water

area within a canoe.

 Motala (individual relay) - Excellent for school yards and

small areas. Participants do a loop of several controls and return to

the start. They then continue to do all of the other loops.

 *Cross Country / Foot (point-to-point) - A course of

controls to be taken in a specific order is laid out. Lengths vary from

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  Night Orienteering - Variation of point-to-point or score

orienteering conducted at night. Controls are marked with reflective

tape and participants use head lamps or flashlights.
 Rogaine ("Rugged Outdoor Group Activity Involving

Navigation and Endurance") - Teams try to locate as many

controls as possible in a 4-, 12- or 24-hour period. Similar to a score
event.

 Project Orienteering - Excellent for use by school and

scout groups. At each control the participant attempts to complete

some type of activity. The activity may be used to teach a new
 Score Orienteering - Participants try to find as many

controls as possible in a given amount of time. Controls usually have

different point values depending upon distance from the start and the
concept or used to test a skill. difficulty of navigation required to find them.

 Relay Orienteering - Each team member does a short

 *Ski Orienteering - Event is done on cross country skis. A

point-to-point event in which the participant tries to pick the fastest

route through a network of trails.
course and tags the next team member. A mass start is usually used.

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  Star Event - Participants must return to start between each
control. Used mainly for training.
 Trivia Orienteering - Proof-of-arrival at each control site is

A Brief History
String Orienteering - Used with preschoolers and primary
grade children. Controls are placed along a string which leads the
child to each of the controls. Level of difficulty may be varied.

*Trail Orienteering - Designed for those with disabilities.
Participants remain on the trail. It is an un-timed event where the
challenge is mental and achievement is based upon the ability to
correctly interpret the map and its relationship to the ground.
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confirmed by answering a question about the site.
 The word 'orienteering' is associated with the very early history of
the sport, and was used by the Military Academy, Sweden in 1886
to mean 'crossing unknown territory with the aid of a map and
compass’.
 In 1895 orienteering competitions were held for the first time by
the military garrisons in the United Kingdom of Sweden/Norway. It
is known that 'compass and map' races were held in British army
sports events in the early years of this century. However, the origins
of orienteering as a sport are generally recognized as being
Scandinavian. In 1918, a youth leader, Ernst Killander used this
type of activity in training to encourage track athletes back to
competitive running which at the time was in decline.
 On March 25th 1918 he organized the first official event over a
12km course with 3 controls. There were 155 competitors with the
winner completing the course in 1hr 25min 39s. The sport proved to
be attractive to a wide range of people and quickly spread
throughout Sweden in the 1920's.
 In 1937 the first national competitive event was held in Sweden. In
the following year Svenska Orienteering’s for bundet became the
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 
national authority for all racing on foot and in 1961 the
International Orienteering Federation was established. The founding
members were Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland,
East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The first European Using a compass, complete an orienteering course
championships were held in 1962 and from 1964 there have been that covers at least one mile and requires measuring the
annual World Championships. height and/or width of designated items (tree, tower, canyon,
ditch, etc.).
Scout Rank Requirements

Compass History
 Tenderfoot
 Magnetic compasses are among the oldest instruments used
 Explain the rules of safe hiking, both on the highway and for navigation on land and water. The exact origin is not
cross-country, during the day and at night. Explain what to known but several theories exist.
do if you are lost.

 Second Class
 It is believed the Chinese were first to discover the magnetic
properties of lodestone somewhere around 2300 B.C. This
ore when suspended freely, aligned itself in a north-south

 Demonstrate how a compass works and how to

orient a map. Explain what map symbols mean.
 Using a compass and map together, take a five-mile
hike (or 10 miles by bike) approved by your adult leader and
your parent or guardian.
position and could transfer its magnetic properties to pieces
of some other metals. It is believed that a simple compass
was developed by suspending a magnetized piece of iron
(the needle) on light wood on the surface of a bowl of water.
Yet another theory says the Arabs discovered the magnetism
of lodestone.

 First Class
 Hannibal (247 B.C. - 181 B.C.), a great military general and
leader who commanded the Carthaginian forces against
Rome, was believed to have used a magnetic compass when


he sailed from Italy in 203 B.C.

Demonstrate how to find directions during the day

 The Vikings used a basic form of compass in the eleventh
and at night without using a compass. century A.D. When Marco Polo visited China in the
thirteenth century A.D., he brought a compass back to
Europe. It was in this same century that the typical magnetic
compass, as we know it, was developed.

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 A liquid-filled (damped) compass was perfected in 1862 and
adopted for use by the U.S. Navy. This type of compass was
more stable in rough conditions. In 1876 a dry card compass
was invented and used by the British Navy until 1906, after
which they changed to a liquid-filled compass.
 Gyrocompasses came into being in the first decade of the
twentieth century and soon became standard equipment on
large ships.
 Today, digital compasses are being developed that use
satellite signals to provide accurate, non-magnetic
alignment.
How is orienteering map used?
The two basic things that are used in orienteering are the map and
compass. However, during the event, participants also bring with them the
following:
1. Whistle that is used when a participant needs to call
someone for help.
2. Map bag or any clear plastic bag that comes in handy in
protecting the map in case it rains.
3. Red pen in case the participant needs to mark the map for
his/her own purpose although maps given prior to the event are
already pre-marked with the course.
What is the equipment used in orienteering?
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A map is two-dimension representation of a three-dimension surface.
It is a graphic representation of the ground and the terrain. There are different
kinds of map, depending on its purpose. For instance, a locator map inside a
mall will specifically show where the various shops are situated. Highway
maps will identify roads. Topographic maps will show the different terrains.
The orienteering map, on one hand, is specially prepared maps designed for
the activity. It is a topographic map but with more details for easier
navigation during the activity or competition.
Whatever map one uses, the first important thing to do is orienting
oneself with the map. This means that the map should be facing or turned the
same way as things actually exist and that one knows where he/she is in
relation to the map. Important details in the map that should be noted of are
the map scale, legends, and the lines representing the magnetic north.
Distance on a Map
Maps are scaled. Usually below the map you will see something like
this 1:10,000, 1:15,000, or 1:25,000. This is the scale that the map used.
Scale is actually a ratio where 1:25,000 means that 1 unit distance on the map
is equivalent to 25,000 units distance in real world. Most, if not all maps now
are in the metric system. Therefore, 1:25,000 actually states that 1 cm on the
map is 25,000 centimeters or 250 meters on the ground. The widely used
scale in orienteering competition is 1:15,000 and the 1:10,000.
Magnetic North Lines
Orienteering maps have lines representing magnetic north. There are
three norths: true north, magnetic north, and grid north. True north is the
direction of the North pole, directly under the North Star. The Grid North is
what is used on maps. The Magnetic North is where the compass normally
points and this is what is used in orienteering.
Legends
The legend is another important feature of the orienteering map as it
will tell you valuable information. It will describe the terrain, roads,
buildings, rivers, etc. using symbols. The symbols and what they represent
will give an idea how the place looks like. Notice the contours or the brown
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lines that show the shape and elevation of the terrain. If the contours are
close together, then the slope is steep. If the contours are further apart, it
means the slope is more gradual, most maps will have 5m contours which
means there are 5 vertical meters between each contour line. Look at the
symbol and you will have an idea of the place.
The color of lines in an orienteering map symbolizes different things:
3. Suppose you want to go southwest, with the compass just
resting on your palm, turn the Bezel so that northwest (midpoint of
north and west) aligns with the DTA.
4. Still holding the compass flat in your hand and DTA
pointing straight out, turn yourself and/or hand until the magnetic
needle (red needle) points or is aligned with the North magnetic

 Blue water features

orienting arrow or with the lines inside the compass housing.

 Black- rock features and man-made features

5. Then, check where the DTA is pointing now, that is, the
direction you will be going, in this case southwest.

 White-normal, open woods 6. Go to where the DTA is pointing, keep the red needle

 Green-thick vegetation, shades and patterns denote type

aligned with the north magnetic orienting arrow and for our example
you are now moving southwest.

 Yellow-non-wooded land, shades and patterns denote type

 Brown natural non-rock features and contour lines

How is the orienteering compass used?

Perhaps, at one point of time most have experienced using the simple
compass where one aligns the red portion of the compass needle to the north
so that one will be oriented with the different cardinal directions. The
orienteering compass is basically used in the same way but with added
features which will make navigation easier.
Compass Types
1. Hold the compass level in the palm of your hand in front
your stomach.

2. Position on the compass so that the direction-of-travel arrow

(DTA) is pointing straight out in front of you.

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 Remember that the bearing is measured clockwise. If you think of

Bearings:
true north as 12 o'clock then a bearing to the right of that (1 o'clock) is
The compass is used primarily to take bearings. A bearing is a
horizontal angle measured clockwise from north (either magnetic north or
true north) to some point (either a point on a map or a point in the real
world). Bearings are used to accurately travel to a destination or to locate
your position.

If you are working from a map, it is called a map bearing and the
angle you are measuring is the angle measured clockwise from true north on
your map to this other point on the map. If you are taking a bearing off a real
point on the landscape with a compass, you are using your compass to
measure the angle clockwise from magnetic north to this point on the
landscape. This is called a magnetic bearing.

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greater than true north and a bearing to the left of True north (11 o'clock) is
less than true north. Walking Around Obstacles:

Taking a Bearing from a Map:

 Orient the map with the compass.

 Lay the long edge of the compass base plate on the map, making a
line from the starting point to the destination (from X to Y). Since
the base plate is parallel to the direction of travel arrow, the base
plate can be used to set the direction to the destination.
 Holding the baseplate steady, rotate the compass housing until the
orienting arrow coincides with the North end of the magnetic needle
(known as "boxing the arrow").
 Read the bearing (in degrees) from the degree dial at the point on the
compass base plate marked "Read bearing here." In this case the
bearing is 338 degrees. When you reach an obstacle, the best method for maintaining your
course is to hike a rectangle around the object.

 Set a new bearing 90 degrees from your original heading and

walk that until you have cleared the obstacle along that axis. For
example, if you original bearing was 30 degrees, hike a new
bearing of 120 degrees. While walking, maintain a count of
paces or otherwise track the distance traveled.
 Go back onto your original bearing, parallel to your original
course until you clear the obstacle along that axis.
 Set a bearing 90 degrees back to your original bearing (in this
case 300 degrees) and walk the same number of paces.
 Now turn back to your original bearing. You will be along your
original line of travel.

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Triangulation

Triangulation is used to locate your position when two or more

prominent landmarks are visible. Even if you are not sure where you are, you
can find your approximate position as long as you can identify at least 2
prominent landmarks (mountain, end of a lake, bridge, etc.) both on the land
and on your map.

1. Orient the map.

2. Look around and locate prominent landmarks.
3. Find the landmarks on the map (preferably at least 90 degrees apart).
4. Determine the bearing of one of the landmarks.
5. Place the compass on the map so that one side of the base plate
points toward the landmark.
6. Keeping the edge of the base plate on the symbol, turn the entire
compass on the map until the orienting arrow and the compass Triangulation (continued)
needle point to north on the map.

7. Draw a line on the map along the edge of the base plate, intersecting
the prominent landmark symbol. Your position is somewhere along
this line.
8. Repeat this procedure for the other prominent landmark. The second
landmark should be as close to 90 degrees from the first as possible.
Your approximate position is where the two lines intersect.
9. You can repeat this process a third time to show an area bounded by
three lines. You are located within this triangle.
10. If you are located on a prominent feature marked on the map
such as a ridge, stream, or road, only one calculation from a

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 prominent landmark should be necessary. Your position will be
approximately where the drawn line intersects this linear feature.
“True” Directions
True north and south are of course the local directions to the
respective geographic poles. (More precisely, these are horizontal directions,
along great circles, toward the poles; the real directions to the poles, along
straight lines, point into the ground at angles to the earth's surface.) The
geographic poles are defined by astronomical observations, and reflect the
rotation of the earth (experienced roughly as the progress of day and night):
the earth's axis is the line connecting the geographic poles, and every other
point on the earth's surface traces, roughly daily, a circle whose center lies on
that axis.
Where Compasses Point
Magnetic north and south are widely misunderstood. The statement
is often made that magnetic north is the direction to the North Magnetic Pole.
This is, in most places, fairly close to being true. Of course, as with
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geographic poles, the direction of interest is almost always a horizontal
direction. But the horizontal direction in question is that of the needle of a
good compass, which nearly always differs measurably from the horizontal
direction to the nearer magnetic pole.
The popular idea of "a huge body of magnetized material inside the
earth" (and the picture of it as a symmetrical body) encourages this picture.
In fact, flows of electrical charges in molten minerals produce the magnetic
field. Any overall pattern of flow is secondary to flows that are largely
vertical rather than horizontal. These local flows coordinate to a substantial
extent so that there is an overall roughly north-south magnetic field, but the
nearest flows contribute most strongly to the field sensed by a compass at the
earth's surface; the horizontal component of these fields is usually near to the
(horizontal) direction from one magnetic pole to another, but with some
deviation to left or right. (What is true in the popular picture is that following
a compass will eventually lead to a magnetic pole, but following a slightly
meandering path.)
Pace Calculator
 Cut out and assemble pace calculator.
 Set out pace distance – 100 feet is ideal (more = better).
 Pace numerous times; average pace count (Warn Scouts that each
person’s pace count is different!).
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  Align “STEPS” of inner circle with number of paces on outer circle.
 Mark or cut notch on inner circle were aligned with “100” mark.

ASSESSMENT

Instruction: Choose the letter of the correct answer.

1. A ‘thinking’ outdoor sport that combines a participant’s mental

ability with physical ability.
a.  mountain climbing c. mountaineering
b. Orienteering d. hiking
2. Event is done on a lake or tidal water area within a canoe.
a. string orienteering c. canoe orienteering
b. trail orienteering d. night orienteering
3. Variation of point-to-point or score orienteering conducted at night.
a. trail orienteering c. canoe orienteering
b. night orienteering d.  string orienteering

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 4. Two-dimension representation of a three-dimension surface. It is a a. orienteer c. orient
graphic representation of the ground and the terrain. b. orienteering d. orientee
a. magnetic north lines c. compass
b. legend d. map
5. Another important feature of the orienteering map as it will tell you
valuable information. It will describe the terrain, roads, buildings,
rivers, etc. using symbols.
a. compass c. map
b. magnetic north lines d. legends
6. A horizontal angle measured clockwise from north (either magnetic
north or true north) to some point (either a point on a map or a point
in the real world).
a. bearing c. legend
b. triangulation d. compass
7. Used to locate your position when two or more prominent landmarks
are visible.
a. legend c. compass
b. map d. triangulation
8. Event is done on cross country skis.
a. ski orienteering c.  string orienteering
b. star event d. score orienteering
9. It is an un-timed event where the challenge is mental and
achievement is based upon the ability to correctly interpret the map
and its relationship to the ground.
a.  score orienteering c. trail Orienteering
b.  ski orienteering d. string orienteering
10. The word _______ is associated with the very early history
of the sport, and was used by the Military Academy, Sweden in 1886
to mean 'crossing unknown territory with the aid of a map and
compass'.

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