Discussion: What’s the book of the best orienteering maps called?

I recall a book that featured the worlds best orienteering maps but despite my internet searches I can’t find it.

There even might two volumes.

I’m looking for more information about it. Thanks in advance for any information.

Are you perhaps thinking of 50 Orienteering Maps?

Oh ya, that’s it!

Many thanks. Most helpful.

Some how I thought the book name was a bit more enticing.

Is this any relation to the "101 orienteering maps you should run before you die" blog. From what I can see, it didn't get past 7. Neither have Rowdy Flat which to me says there is still an opening out there for another entrant in this market.

Rowdy Flat depends how you define 'run'. If you mean 'stand around looking puzzled for ages' then it certainly fits.

I've been on a few of the maps in that book. One of them really stands out to me because it's a place that it's unlikely that I'd want to go again (and if you were guessing which one, you'd probably guess incorrectly).

@jj - I'll try: #38?

(I've never been there. For me, I don't need to return to #5 until the young pines mature and thin out.)

JJ have been to the island with a lighthouse, also to Oak Mountain...but he did not go to Rock Garden :((

@jj - I'll guess #05

Yeah, it's #05. Perhaps the best orienteering area in... Lynn.

#38 is the reason I was looking for the book.

38 Cypress River Sand Hills: Manitoba Orienteering Association

Excuse me for asking but when was Cypress River Sandhills map used? I have a number of maps from the 2009 Manitobal Sandhills O Festival but all are called 'Hog's Back'.

An amazing venue. I would go back. Be prepared to wash thoroughly, and to throw away your shoes and socks. And to be very lost if you aren't really on top of your game.

Now that’s a more enticing name, “101 orienteering maps you should run before you die.”

The Hog’s Back map is in the same area. It was mapped before Cypress River Sand Hills. I think the Cypress River map come into play only half a dozen years ago.

Come one, come all and run on our sand hills maps anytime. This spring we hosted the Orienteering Canada Team Trails at Hog’s Back and this fall our Manitoba championships will be on sand hills maps. Sept 30/Oct 1 weekend.

I ran at Cypress River in 2017, which is I think the first time that map was used. It's just south of Hog's Back, which I've also run on. And there are more maps in that area as well, like Spirit Sands and Fort Desjarlais (I don't remember the latter having quite as much poison Ivy, but I haven't been there in over 30 years). Cypress RIver is an orienteering dream*, 6+ sq km with nothing linear or man-made inside of the bounding roads whatsoever.

*or it could be a nightmare...

Terrain in Manitoba does look very decent, I understand it is exotic for North America,
and because of its location it got into the vision of those who compiled this list of "BEST" maps/terrains.

In fact there are large mapped areas in East Europe--- around Kherson, Khar'kov, Dniepropetrovsk ---of similar terrain. As a quick example, an old map from 1990:
http://www.maps.dp.ua/ozera.htm

Three Aus maps made the list of '50 Orienteering Maps' and I've managed to run on none of them though I have heard of all of them.

There's good sand dune terrain in the USA, including some great stuff less than an hour from Denver (last time I looked, there's was no lidar coverage yet).

tRicky I think the three selected to represent Australia are a flawed choice, so missing out might not be too much of a concern. There is a pretty good selection of opinions of which are the exceptional Australian maps here-
https://www.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/m...
This includes a statistical summary of nominations. However, the thread was started in 2008 and a few things have changed - areas lost, overgrown, new terrains etc. If you were to pick three Australian terrains, one would be granite, one mining and one spur-gully (ok maybe also some pagoda if there were four spots).

For the granite you really need to include Kooyoora for the history (a WOC as well as a role in defining the mapping of rock) as well as the terrain. But the 2002 map is now 20 years old and the scrub is thickening. Second choice Cascades is no longer available as I understand it. So if you were selecting on the basis of current availability, I would nominate Korong or The Granites as the most enjoyable.

For mining, Rowdy Flat is the certainty. I think it will play a role in the development of mapping standards yet.

For spur-gully - Prelinna or similar in the Flinders. Some Bendigo locals are travelling from Bendigo to the Flinders next weekend. You don't do an 11 hour drive for any old spur gully.

And Pittwater, being one of a kind. I can't count. Or has it been turned into a golf course?

I did consider travelling to the Flinders next weekend but so much driving of late meant I settled for the two Melbourne Vic Series events instead, presuming I have recovered from my illness by then (never a certainty the way my immune system operates or in this case, fails to).

Re: Pittwater, I think much of it has been turned into a golf course but the far end (the most difficult part) is still there - no idea if it is accessible though. I think the eucalypt part of the Cascades is still available (and in the plans for 2025), but most of the pine forest part of the old Amiens map is gone.

Hmm, I couldn't believe that book included Transit Flat (presumably only well known because of the WC 2015 long leg which caught the attention of World Of O); it's certainly no more special than any other St Helens granite map...
*shudders*
and yet Kooyoora didn't get a mention (guessing WOC '85 may well be prior to the birth of the compiler of the list of 50 maps?).

I've probably been on #5 Lynn Woods, but it would have been a long time ago and I've suppressed the memory. #13 Venezia and #14 Surebridge are certainly great. #24 Trockener Steg was super interesting, I ran there in 2014, the first year it had been released by the retreating glacier, and it felt to me like I was on the surface of the moon. #36 Sao Bartolomeu do Outeiro, is sublime, beautiful cork forest. #38 Cypress River was way too much psychic load for me with all the waist high poison ivy, and I did throw away my shoes, socks and o-pants after.

If anyone in the US intends to order the book - let me know and maybe we can collectively get a discounted price for bulk!