ORIENTEERING

• 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.
• as an activity is fun and challenges you more to be physically and mentally fit especially
at competitive levels.
• is a ‘thinking’ outdoor sport that combines a participant’s mental ability with physical
ability.
 TYPES OF ORIENTEERING
Bike Orienteering
Canoe Orienteering
Cross Country / Foot ( point-to-point)
Line Orienteering
Motala
Night Orienteering
Project Orienteering
Relay Orienteering
Rogaine
Score Orienteering
Ski Orienteering
Star Event
 String Orienteering
 Trail Orienteering
Trivia Orienteering
 BRIEF HISTORY
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.
In 1937 the first national competitive event was held in Sweden.
 COMPASS HISTORY
• Magnetic compasses are among the oldest instruments used for navigation on land
and water. The exact origin is not known but several theories exist.
• It is believed the Chinese were first to discover the magnetic properties of lodestone
somewhere around 2300 B.C.
• 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.
• The Vikings used a basic form of compass in the eleventh century A.D. When Marco
Polo visited China in the thirteenth century A.D. he brought a compass back to Europe.
• A liquid-filled (damped) compass was perfected in 1862 and adopted for use by the
U.S. Navy.
• 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 nèeds 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
 Equipment Used In Orienteering

• Map is two-dimension representation

of a three-dimension surface. It is a
graphic representation of the ground
and the terrain.
Different kinds of map
Topographic maps
orienteering map
orienteering map
• Magnetic North Lines - Orienteering
maps have lines representing magnetic
north.
 Three norths
 True north
 Grid North
 Magnetic North
• 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 COLOR OF LINES IN AN ORIENTEERING
MAP SYMBOLIZES DIFFERENT THINGS:

•Blue water features

•Black- rock features and man-made features
•White-normal, open woods
•Green-thick vegetation, shades and patterns denote type
•Yellow-non-wooded land, shades and patterns denote type
•Brown natural non-rock features and contour lines
 HOW IS THE ORIENTEERING COMPASS
USED?
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.
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 orienting arrow or with the lines inside the compass housing.
5. Then, check where the DTA is pointing now, that is, the direction you will be going, in
this case southwest.
6. Go to where the DTA is pointing, keep the red needle aligned with the north
magnetic orienting arrow and for our example you are now moving southwest.
COMPASS PARTS
• Bearings - 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.
• Magnetic bearing - measure the angle
clockwise from magnetic north to this
point on the landscape.
• Triangulation- is used to locate your
position when two or more prominent
landmarks are visible.