Orienteering has been called the "Hare and Tortoise Sport", "Cunning Running" and quite a few other catchy names. It is a versatile recreation, suited to almost anyone who is ready to give it a go, from schoolchildren to athletes to pen-pushers to grandparents. It may be competitive, or it may be treated as a pleasant recreation; it all depends what you want to make of it.
The basic activity is to find your way to a number of control points, marked on your map with numbered circles, and on the ground by a flag with an attached clipper. You prove you've been there by using the clipper on a card which you carry, and hand in at the finish. The recreational orienteer will take pleasure in the surroundings, and in finding each of the control flags. The competitive orienteer will take pleasure in choosing the best route for her mapreading and physical abilities, so as to cover the course in the shortest possible time.
Courses of different length and navigational difficulty are offered at each event, so you can choose one that suits you. Juniors usually take about 30 minutes, while the top competitors choose a course that takes 60-90 minutes. Sometimes variations are offered:
If you find pure running a bit boring, orienteering will offer a painless way to get fit, a variety of terrain and scenery, and the challenge of using your brain to beat others who are physically faster.
But of course you know all of this - let's get on with what the HVOC in particular has to offer!
