a brief introduction to orienteering

In the following pages, you'll find some basic information to help get you started orienteering.

The aim of the sport

In simple terms, to navigate your way round a pre-set course, using a map and compass, in the fastest possible time. However, many people enjoy orienteering simply as a way of getting out and about in the countryside, and aren't bothered about how long they take....so it's a sport for everyone!

How?

Participants, or orienteers, use a specially drawn orienteering map, which shows far more detail than normal walker's type maps.
Red and white markers, known as controls, are placed around the competition area - you have to navigate to those marked on your map, in a set order.
To prove you have visited each control, you must stamp a card using a needle punch at each control.
NB - Recent developments have seen the arrival of electronic punching equipment, but this has generally been restricted to major competitions so far. Its use will doubtless increase in coming years.
When you finish, the time taken to complete your course is recorded, and compared with other competitors. The winner is the person who has successfully visited all controls in the fastest time.

Orienteering competitions are called events. There are various categories of events, including many Come and Try It events aimed at beginners.

What to do at an event.

Where and when events take place.

Want to give it a go?

You're welcome to come to any event to try the sport out. If you decide that the sport is for you, we advise that you join your local club. If that's Tayside Orienteers, then great! Find out more about the club, or you can even download a membership form from this site.

If you're not in the Tayside area, find your local UK club by looking at the British Orienteering Federation's Club Locator.

If you're interested in orienteering, and want to know more before starting, feel free to contact us with any query you might have.

For further information on the Web, try the following links:

British Orienteering Federation (BOF) - the governing body of the sport in the UK. From here are lots of other useful links.
Scottish Orienteering Association (SOA) - for more about orienteering in Scotland.
International Orienteering Federation (IOF)

If you have any problems or queries regarding this page or its contents, contact David Sloan - email: dsloan @computing.dundee.ac.uk