Orienteering is a sport involving navigation with map and compass. The traditional form involves cross-country running, though other forms have evolved from the original. This article will begin by discussing this original form: Foot Orienteering or Foot-O.
Participants are given a map, usually of an area with which they are unfamiliar, and a compass. They attempt to visit, in sequence, control points that are indicated on the map. Competitive orienteering is a race to visit all controls in order shown on the map as fast as possible.
Orienteering originated in Scandinavia, as a military exercise, in the 19th century. The competitive sport form began in Sweden in 1919. It gained popularity with the development of more reliable compasses in the 1930s, and became an international phenomenon in the 1960s with its themes of open-air competition and environmental awareness.
Today, 63 different national orienteering federations are registered with the International Orienteering Federation, from every habitable continent. World championships are held annually (bi-annually before 2002), and orienteering is a sport in the World Games. The sport is dominated by the Nordic nations and Switzerland.
Orienteering on a mountain bike involves equipment and procedures from mountain bike racing, with differences for orienteering being a consideration. The map is likely of a smaller scale (1:15 000 at the largest) and has slightly different symbols for tracks and paths to aid readability. As bikes are not permitted to leave the path system, the major focus becomes finding the proper trail to the control while navigating at bike speed. The one major equipment change is a map holder attached to the front of the bike.
Skiing while orienteering is a challenge, as it remains a race but without a preset course. Standard orienteering maps are used, but with special green overprinting of trails and tracks to indicate their navigability in snow; other symbols indicate whether any roads are snow-covered or clear. In most modern events, the track system is extremely dense, and the best skiers may meet a new crossing about every 15 seconds. Standard cross-country ski equipment is used, along with a map holder attached to the chest.
This is a form that is inclusive of disabled competitors; the object is accuracy, not time. This involves determining, along a set accessible course, which of various controls in a small area is the one indicated on the map; another form involves determining the position on a map of a control viewed from a set point 30-40 metres away. Maps tend to be at a 1:5 000 scale to convey the required detail.
