Types of Orienteering

There are four types of orienteering with Foot Orienteering being the most popular. Foot orienteering is referred to in detail throughout this website with a comprehensive Newcomers Guide in the "New to Orienteering" section. Information on the other types of orienteering are described below:

Trail Orienteering

Trail Orienteering (Trail O) can be enjoyed by all, including those with disabilities. It does not require speed, strength or navigation but retains the crucial orienteering skill of relating the map to the ground in complex terrain.

Trail O completely eliminates the element of speed over the ground, but makes the map-interpretation element much harder. Depending on the level of difficulty, up to five control markers are hung at each site and only one will correspond exactly with the control description and control circle position. Indeed, (in the elite class only), one possible answer is 'None of the controls corresponds'. Sites are chosen so that they can be seen from a wheelchair-navigable path or area, but they may be quite a distance into the forest or non-navigable terrain.

The only special equipment needed is a compass. An escort can give the competitor physical help - pushing a chair, holding the orienteering map and compass, even marking the control card with the decision according to the competitor's instructions. However, it is an important rule that escorts must not help in the decision-making process; they can give as much physical help as may be necessary, but must not offer advice or opinions to the competitor. For serious competitions, escorts are 'swapped' so they do not know the competitor they are helping.

Trail O has its own World Championships and in 2006 Great Britain took Gold Medal with an excellent performance by Dave Gittus.

To find out more please visit www.trailo.org

Mountain Bike Orienteering (MTBO)

MTBO uses traditional orienteering maps and are usually held within forests containing a good network of tracks and paths, providing a variety of route choices. The sport is enjoyed by enthusiasts from both an orienteering and cycling background. The most important orienteering skills needed are route choice and map memory. Extremely good bike handling and the ability to cope with steep slopes and hills is an absolute must for a top level athlete.

Mountain bike orienteering can be practiced in many different types of terrain. The essential requirement is a large number of paths, tracks and roads offering the athlete challenging navigation. Navigating between control points means matching map to ground at high speed and correctly interpreting the maze of paths and tracks. As an environmental safeguard, competitors may not leave paths and tracks.

Mountain bike orienteering is the newest of the orienteering disciplines administered by the International Orienteering Federation. It started in the late 1980s at club level in countries where mountain biking was a popular outdoor sport. World Championships in MTBO have been held since 2002.

Please contact John Houlihan Chair of the Trail Cyclists Association if you would like to put on a MTBO event.

For further information visit the Trail Cyclists Association website

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