Ski Orienteering
Ski orienteering is a cross-country endurance winter sport. Similar to the orienteering disciplines practiced in the summer season, ski orienteering requires an extremely high level of both physical and mental fitness. An elite level ski-orienteer needs excellent skiing and map reading skills and the ability to combine the two. To be successful in ski orienteering, the athlete must master all skiing techniques, classical and free technique as well as all general downhill and turning techniques.
Picture Credit: www.skido.nu
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. Standard cross-country ski equipment is used, along with a map holder attached to the chest.
The athlete has to take hundreds of route choice decisions at high speed during every race. Throughout the competition the ski orienteer has to make decisions about which route is the fastest between the controls. The route choice is made on the basis of the quality of the ski tracks, gradient and distance, all of which can be read from the map.
For further information please visit www.orienteering.org