NAVIGATION/ORIENTEERING TIPS/TRAINING

Just FYI, for those with very limited Orienteering experience there are courses offered through Cary Parks and Recreation with very low fees....includes a 30 min instructional phase, maps and compass. $3 for Cary Residents, $5 non-residents. The course has about 25 points throughout the park and makes for a great introduction. Great course to take the kids out on and get them on the path to righteousness........

http://www.townofcary...

This came across the wire today, one of the best guides I have ever seen on AR navigation...

http://home.satx.rr.c...

Excellent find Bruce! I really like that navigation lesson. If everyone else hasn't seen it, it's worth taking the time to go through it.
http://home.satx.rr.c...

Along those lines, is anyone interested in seeing our chapter schedule a navigation specific clinic? The way I see it, there are at least two different kinds of navigation that we could cover in a clinic - orienteering navigation and general AR navigation. Give us some feedback so we'll know what to put our efforts towards.

Don C

I would be VERY interested in a navigation clinic. The BOK meets always fall on weekends that I work, so I never get to attend. Please keep me posted on this.

Thanks guys!
Ann

Very interested in learning anything anyone has to teach. I work every other weekend and haven't been able to make it to any of the BOK events. thanks, Patsy

Town of Cary is offering a Canoe orienteering course and instruction in April, check out the brochure below. I sat through the begginer course with the family last Saturday and it was very well done....I am definately going to try to make the Canoe course.


http://www.townofcary...

Below are some things I do when planning routes, orienteering, and land nav.

- Use Navigational Attack Points. These are known points on a map (such as intersections, river crossings, buildings, etc) that you can run to quickly. From these points get bearings to the control points. This cuts down on doing long dead reckoning through the woods, especially at night.

- Break long routes into segments (or legs) where the begining and end of the legs are at known points on the map. Each leg has a linear or point back-stop so you know if you have gone too far.

- Back-Stops. As stated above, these are easily identifiable features that are beyond your point or end of a leg, letting you know you've gone too far.

- Navigational Alleys and Boxing in your route. When possible, plan left and right limits on your route and stay in the "alley". This can be between trails or streams, in a valley with ridges on each side, or a combination of terrain and man-made features. This allows you to travel faster knowing you are generally going the right way. If you become lost, you know the "box" or "alley" you are in. Use intersection, resection, terrain association, or movement rate calculations to figure out where you might be.

- Contouring. This is particularly helpful in mountaneous terrain and if you have an altimeter. Plan your route to stay on a contour (or same elevation). This conserves energy, because you are not going up and down all the time. Use ridges as much as possible and stay away from the low ground, mountain laurel will kick your a**. You can also contour around major features such as lakes.

- Getting bearings for roads, trails, and rivers. This has saved me and hurt me several times. When coming to a linear feature, get a bearing on what direction it lies. If you think a road / trail / river should be going north-south and you find it is going east-west, you might want to rethink where you are.

- Off-Setting. This is when the control point is along a linear feature and there are not alot of identifiable point features in the area. You deliberately shoot your azimuth several degrees (5 to 10) to the left or right. When you come to the feature, you know which direction to start looking. If you off-set to the right, when you get to the linear feature, you start looking left.

- Pace Count. Have a walking and running pace count on roads / trails and while bushwacking on uneven terrain. I use pace beads to help me keep count of how far I have went. While MTN biking, it is good to use a bike computer to figure out how far you've gone.

- Above all else...terrain association. Know how to identify hills, ridges, saddles, draws, spurs, valleys, cliffs, depressions, cuts, fills. Along with good route planning, attack points, compass work, and a good pace count....terrain association will be a good litmus test to ensure you are where you think you are and to help guide you along your route. Lots of times, roads and trails can be deceiving on the map and can change. Trails get grown in, new trails pop-up, but terrain doesn't change a whole lot.

Hope this helps.

Some upcoming Orienteering training at Bond Park, Cary. This is a very good class for begginer introduction and includes actually running a short o-course at the park. Compass included or take your own for familiarization purposes. Basic orienteering is a must for AR races.

Basic Orienteering (age 8 & up)
Learn to use a map to navigate. Each class begins with a 30 minute
‘how to’ session and followed by a hike in search of control points.
Adult guidance is recommended for those under 14. Fee includes
map, punch card and compass usage. Group sessions are available,
for more information, call (919) 469-4100.
Location: Fred G. Bond Metro Park, 800 High House Rd, Cary. Meet at the fishing dock, screened porch area.
Instructor: Chris Belcher
Fees: $4(R) $6(N) (1 class)

42733 Sat Oct 10 10 a.m.-noon
42734 Sat Nov 14 10 a.m.-noon
42735 Sat Dec 12 10 a.m.-noon