ORIENTEERING
Orienteering is a family of sports that
require navigational skills using a map and compass, usually in
combination with point to point racing, in diverse and usually
unfamiliar terrain. Participants are given a map, usually a specially
prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points.
Originally a training exercise in land navigation for military
officers, orienteering has developed many variations. Among these,
the oldest and the one with the most "starts" per year
is foot orienteering.
FOOT ORIENTEERING
Foot orienteering is an endurance sport which involves a huge
mental element. There is no marked route - the orienteer must
navigate with map and compass while running.
The map gives detailed information on the terrain such as hills,
ground surface, obstacles etc. To be successful in foot orienteering,
the athlete needs excellent map reading skills, absolute concentration
and the ability to make quick decisions on the best route while
running at high speed.
MOUNTAIN BIKE ORIENTEERING
Mountain bike orienteering is an endurance
sport attracting both orienteering and mountain bike enthusiasts.
The most important orienteering skills needed are route choice
and map memory.
