Orienteering is an outdoor sport where you use a map to navigate between a series of checkpoints. You choose your own route, and you can walk, jog or run.
You don’t need any previous experience or specialist equipment to give it a try.
At the start you’re given a detailed orienteering map showing a series of numbered checkpoints, called controls.
Your aim is to visit the controls in the correct order and return to the finish. There’s no marked route between them, so you decide which way to go.
At each control you’ll find an orange and white marker and use a small electronic timing device, usually called a dibber, to record your visit.
Some people race against the clock, but you don’t have to. Beginners and families can take their time, and suitable courses can be walked rather than run.
Saturday Series events
If it’s your first time, one of our Saturday Series events is a great place to start. Come along, tell one of our volunteers that you’re new to orienteering and we’ll explain how it works, help you choose a suitable course and get you started.
What happens at your first event?
When you arrive, look for the registration or enquiries area and let us know you’re a newcomer.
A Southern Navigators volunteer can:
- Explain how the event works.
- Help you choose a suitable course.
- Show you how to use the map and electronic timing system.
- Explain what to look for when you’re out on the course.
- Answer any questions before you start.
At suitable events, families and newcomers can also complete a beginner course together.
Facilities vary between venues, so check the individual event information before travelling for details such as parking, toilets and first aid arrangements.
What do I need?
You don’t need lots of specialist equipment.
For your first event, comfortable outdoor or running clothes and trainers with reasonable grip will usually be enough. Full leg cover is recommended for many woodland and countryside events.
A compass is useful as you progress, but isn’t essential for the easiest courses.
Electronic timing dibbers can normally be hired at the event and your entry includes the map for your course.
Some events require or recommend carrying a whistle for safety. Check the event information before attending for any specific requirements.
Which course should I choose?
Most events offer several courses with different lengths and levels of navigational difficulty.
Beginner courses generally follow obvious features such as paths and tracks, with controls that are relatively straightforward to find. More advanced courses involve increasingly complex navigation and route choice.
You don’t need to understand the course grading system before your first event. Ask us when you arrive and we’ll recommend a course for you.
You can also walk a course. Being able to run long distances isn’t a requirement for getting started.
Understanding the map and controls
Orienteering maps are much more detailed than typical walking maps.
They show paths and roads, but also features such as fences, streams, rocks, changes in the shape of the ground and different types of vegetation.
Colours and symbols help you understand the terrain and choose a route between controls.
A typical map might be at a scale of 1:10,000, meaning 1cm on the map represents 100 metres on the ground.
Each control on your course is shown by a numbered circle. On the map, the number represents the order that the controls should be visited. On the ground you’re looking for an orange and white control flag carrying an identifying code.
Don’t worry about learning all the symbols before your first event. You’ll quickly pick up the important ones.
What if I get lost?
Everyone makes navigational mistakes, including experienced orienteers. Learning how to recognise and correct them is part of the sport.
If you’re unsure where you are, stop and look for something you can confidently identify on the map, such as a path, junction, building or other obvious feature. You can then work out your position and continue.
If you need assistance, ask another participant.
A whistle is commonly carried for emergencies. The recognised distress signal is six short blasts, repeated after a pause.
Always report to the finish or event officials when you’ve finished or if you decide to abandon your course, even if you haven’t visited every control.
Where can I try orienteering?
Southern Navigators organise events throughout the year, including our Saturday Series, which is an ideal introduction to the sport.
Our Events page lists upcoming Southern Navigators events as well as other opportunities to orienteer locally.
You can also try orienteering independently using one of our Permanent Orienteering Courses.
Ready to give it a try?
You don’t need to learn everything before your first event.
Find a suitable event, wear something appropriate for being active outdoors and tell us you’re new when you arrive.
We’ll help you with the rest.
