WPOC Orienteering Workshop

New Alexandria, PA, US
Apr 7, 2013

Type: Orienteering - Local

event website

added by: sherpes

The Western Pennsylvania Orienteering Club is hosting a free workshop in the sport of Orienteering, an international sporting activity in the form of land navigation using specialized maps and the use of a magnetic compass. The exercise will take place at Keystone State Park, 35 miles east of Pittsburgh. The event is free. Event begins at 11 AM and ends at 3:30 PM on Sunday April 7. The meeting point is Shelter #1, east side. Look for red and white arrows posted at park entrance and road intersections.

Two beginner sessions are scheduled at 11 AM and at 1 PM.

www.wpoc.org

Details of the exercises:
ALL PARTICIPANTS must wear appropriate clothing (shoes that cover the feet and long pants). There are ticks and other biting insects. Using insect repellant is an exceptionally good idea. It is Spring, so it is likely to be somewhat wet or muddy.


Beginner Instruction:

There will be two identical sessions, one starting at 11 am, the other starting at 1 pm. In each session, there will be instruction on map reading, simple use of the compass (orienting the map) and how an orienteering course works. If time allows, there may be additional instruction topics. There will also be an exercise in which participants can put what they have learned into practice. Each session will last approximately 90 minutes. Compasses will be loaned to those who do not have them.


Intermediate Instruction:

There will be a single session that starts at 12 noon and will last 1 ½ to 2 hours. The focus will be on off-trail navigation (following a bearing) and keeping track of distance, combined with terrain association. Various navigational and map handling tips will be introduced. Instruction will be done through a series of exercises that go around a short orienteering course, much of it off trail. Compasses will be loaned to those who do not have them.


Advanced Exercises:

There will be four types of exercises to choose from. Each involves doing a short orienteering course in one way or another. The courses are kept short to allow participants to do more than one exercise: starting on an exercise may be done between 11 am and 2:30 pm. The exercises are described below.



Course Setters Test (Three pairs of maps are available)

Activity: This is done with a partner. You should choose as your partner someone who has similar orienteering ability and speed. Each partner is given 2 control flags, a map showing where they are to be placed and control descriptions (the maps are different). Both partners are started at the same time; their task is to place the controls properly and return to the start as soon as possible. As soon as both have returned, they exchange maps and go pick up the other partner's control flags. When both have returned the second time, they critique the placement of the controls by their partner.

Purpose: To practice finding control locations with no marker and placing controls correctly, according to the control description.



Fog-O

Activity: Using a map with a lot of the terrain erased, complete a short cross-country orienteering course. The only portions of the map that show terrain features relevant to the course are in areas within 100 m of the control locations. The control descriptions tell you what feature the control flag is on and its flag number. Beware, there are controls from other courses nearby.

Purpose: To practice precise navigation and to practice terrain association with limited terrain depicted on the map.



Donut-Hole-O

Activity: Given a map that has been erased for a distance of 75 m surrounding a control location, make your way around a short cross-country orienteering course. Only the control circle appears in the erased area. There are no control descriptions but control flags are placed on standard orienteering features at the center of the control circles. Control flag numbers are shown, in sequence, on the map. Beware, there are controls from other courses nearby.

Purpose: To practice choosing attack points, then practice using precise navigation from the attack point to the control location.



Park-O

Activity: Using e-punching, complete a short park-O course as quickly as possible. The course is like an enlarged string-O course in that the controls are mostly easily accessible. However, there is no string and all controls are placed on features shown on the map.

Purpose: To practice e-punching and use of a park-O scaled map (1:4000).

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