Summary
"I orientjeer because I love the challenge of the woods and terrain, of the courses and control points set against you, and the feeling of being totally on your own in the woods," says Christoph jZurcher, 30, of Colorado Springs, CO. "Not to mention the confidence you gain when you 'spike' a point, the self-control you need when you make a mistake, and the feeling of accomplishment when you cross that finish line, knowing you've just run your best race."
A golf course is like an orienteering course in some ways. Both have "legs" to be completed in order with as few errors as possible. Both are concentration sports, where the mental aspect is as important as physical. When you bogey a hole or "boom" an orienteering control, it can be difficult to regain your composure and focus on the next challenge, knowing your day has been "ruined." A good round of golf or good orienteering race depends on stringing a number of small victories together without celebration - until you've hit the finish line.Years later, orienteers will recall a fun or tricky leg the way golfers remember memorable holes. "Remember the first leg on Red at the Flying Pig in 1998?" one orienteer will reminisce. "Yeah," his buddy will say, "I made a five-minute error on that one. 1 went left instead of right at the stream crossing, and then..."See the full content of this document
Extract
Orienteering
My husband, Tom, and I tried orienteering for the first time in early 2001. We wanted to expand our map-and-compass skills so we could enjoy and feel more confident hiking and backpacking in wilderness areas.
Instead, we fell in love with orienteering, and that's been our main outdoor activity ever since. Once we "found our way" to the sport, we never looked back.Invented in Sweden more than 100 years ago...See the full content of this document
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