Orienteering anybody?!
Did you know that Orienteering is a Swedish "invention" from 1919, that has been exported and turned into a global competitive sport?
It is a sport which involves finding your way through woodland terrain with the aid of a map and compass.
Participants are provided with a detailed map of the area, marked with the checkpoints of an orienteering course. The object is to find your way to each checkpoint, and finally back to the finish - those home with the best time win. But in orienteering, everyone really wins - for the greatest pleasure of the sport is in the joy of discovering the various checkpoints, finding out that, after all, you were correct in your route choice.
This fast growing sport has sometimes been compared to a car rally on
foot, while others prefer to think of it as cunning running. Both are
apt descriptions as the orienteer combines mental alertness, skillful
map reading and physical stamina in order to successfully complete a course.
Why is this sport gaining such popularity? Most orienteers say its because
you have to think as you run and rather than following a given route,
you decide whether you should follow a clearly marked trail or rely on
your map reading skills and use the direct route. The competitive orienteer
is continually making decisions as the courses are designed to test map
reading skills.
Orienteering has an appeal for people of all ages and fitness levels. Some Swedish orienteering events like the "O-ringens 5days" and the "Tio-mils relay" have tens of thousands of people competing. World cup races are scheduled next year in British Columbia and Washington.
Stefan Bergström
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