Orienteering alternatives

Webmaster Fri, 12/06/2020 - 21:34

With orienteering once again on hold, there are still other opportunities to get out there and enjoy the essence of the sport, whether you're a seasoned orienteer looking to hone their skills, a runner seeking an alternative to that cancelled race, or a family looking for something to keep the children entertained.

Permanent Courses 

Permanent Course controlThe club has five permanent courses spread throughout our area. Each has a selection of pre-planned courses making use of the permanent marker posts that you can tackle at a time of your choosing. For most, maps can now be downloaded for you to print at home. See the individual page for each area for more details.

MapRun

MapRun screenshotMapRun is a free mobile phone app which, having selected a course, will notify you when you're in the correct location for each control (unlike a permanent course, there is no marker on the ground). The club has a back catalogue of MapRun courses available which you can participate in at any time. Most use urban areas with a simplified map which you can either view on your phone or download to print out. Once completed, you can compare your time and route with other participants.

Whether you choose a permanent course or MapRun, please be courteous to other users of the area and make sure you follow the government guidelines, particularly with regard to social distancing.

Zoom Social Thurs 3rd 20:00 + Orienteering Advent calendars

Profile picture for user RFinch
RFinch Tue, 01/12/2020 - 17:33

 

SOC Zoom social series 2 episode 2 this Thursday 3rd at 20:00 for the mental Vs physical debate! Chance to chat after and to look forward to our event on Sunday. I am still looking for volunteers to debate that the physical side is more important, please get in touch and help make the evening more interest! Zoom details the same as previously

Join Zoom Meeting, use this link:

https://zoom.us/j/95253593900?pwd=Mk1xZ0xFUk93M2YrRFBKd1dRN3pSUT09

Meeting ID: 952 5359 3900

Passcode: See members area (name of the area for our next event)

Orienteering Advent:

TORUS are running an advent calendar of daily trail orienteering events. I've taken part in the previous two leagues and they're good fun (and free). Really good practice for interpreting a map at speed. Info here: http://torus.yq.cz/advent_2020.cgi

WorldofO run a Route to Christmas with daily route choice problems (plot your route and compare with the tracking of big events, always interesting areas, often big 2-4km route choice legs!) First day here: http://news.worldofo.com/2020/12/01/route-to-christmas-day-1-2020

 

Lockdown Training

Profile picture for user Julian Hartwell
Julian Hartwell Sun, 29/11/2020 - 11:13

Yesterday Rob Finch and I did a brown course at Long Valley South. A number of these "Solo O" courses have been set up by Colin Dickson - I can let you have details.

I quickly found out how it is that Rob is consistently one of our best athletes - currently 140 in the national rankings - and he was kind enough to coach me through the course.

So what did I learn? Well the first thing is I need to look at the map more often. And then I need to check I'm going in the right direction.  I was gently told that my plan " to head west and see what happens" wasn't orthodox technique! I need to try and be more fluid, planning ahead and not stopping at junctions. Rob was keeping in better contact with the map than me and that really counted in more technical terrain.

Rob has offered coaching to anyone else interested. Do take him up on it.

 

Profile picture for user RFinch
RFinch Sun, 29/11/2020 - 18:31

Thanks for the kind words Julian. It was good to get out together and I learn some stuff from you too! If anyone is interested in being shadowed or going round a course together, let me know. My contact details are in the members area.