Essex Stragglers Orienteering Society (SOS)

Using navigation skills, orienteers compete in a time trial tocomplete a course in the shortest time, visiting checkpoints in a set order. These are marked on a specially produced map and on the ground by an orange and white control marker about 30cm x 30cm x 30cm - . Events are held in parkland and woodland. An electronic device or a needle punch near the markeris used to prove that the marker has been visited. Competitors are given a list of control site descriptions for their course, which includes a unique code for each control site. This code will be on the control marker to verify that the correct control has been found.

What's special about the map?

It has only information needed to navigate on it. The scale is usually 1:10,000 (1cm = 100m) Woodland is shown as white (if its "runnable") through to dark green ("fight"), open areas in yellow, land form features such as contours in brown, man-made features such as tracks in black, and water features in blue. The course is printed in purple.

How difficult is it?

Beginners usually start at colour-coded (District or Local) events . About seven courses are usually offered. These vary from White (about 1.5km, following tracks and paths with a control marker at eachjunction) through to Brown (about 9km, controls away from easy navigation features, avoiding paths wherever possible).Competitors who lack confidence can compete as a pair or as a group. You can be as competitive (or not) as you like. No-one will mind if you walk all the way (as long as you get back beforethe organiser wants to pack up!).

What equipment do I need?

A Silva-type compass (if you have got one). If you are going to walk, come suitably dressed for a country walk at the time of year. If you are going to run, a track-suit and trainers would be more appropriate. All the courses except the shortest and easiest will take you off the paths, so wearing shorts may result in damage from nettles, brambles, Etc. Experienced orienteers wear studded running shoes, gaiters (sometimes) and either a lightweight nylon suit in their club colours, or a T-shirt and trackster-type running trousers or lycra tights.

Don't forget to bring your friends and family, and your lunch.

What happens at an event?

These instructions should help you find your way about a local colour-coded (District or Local)event. If in doubt, ask at the enquiries or registration point, or anybody else who looks as if they know what they are doing!

Directions to the car parking will be signed with orienteering symbols either - or .

At the Registration point (usually helpers' cars), decide which course you want to do. Go to the appropriate registration point where you can pay your entry fee. You will probably need to hire an electronic stick (usually known as a dibber) for the Sportident timing system, either at the same place or a separate point. You may have to choose your start time when you register, but at smaller events you can go to the start at any time between about 10:30 and 12:30. You will probably be given a control description list at Registration, but the clues are often printed on the back of your map as well. If you want a printed copy of the results to be sent to you, address an envelope at the registration point. Most people find it faster and more convenient to access the results on the organising club's web page.

Aim to get to the start (which should be signposted from Registration - the route is sometimes marked with strips of plastic tape) a few minutes before your start time, if you have one. You will need to clear and check your dibber at this time - just ask anyone if you are not sure what to do. One or two minutes before you start you will be invited into the start area. When it is time for you to start, you will need to record your start time using your dibber, then pick up your map and away you go. If you are on the White or Yellow Course, you might be allowed to look at your map before your start time.

On your map the start is shown by a triangle, the control points by numbered circles, and the finish by a double circle. All the points are marked on the ground by control flags.

Now you are on your own, free to choose your own route from control marker to control marker. The control description sheet will help you find the control once you are close. Don'r forget to record your time at each control with the dibber.

At the finish, you need to dib again. Either close by or back in the car park these will be a tent with the computer equipment. Here you will dib again to download your times into the results system, and return your hired dibber. You will be then be able to enjoy a complementary cup of orange squash.

Relax and enjoy your sandwiches. After some time your name should appear on a provisional results list, usally posted near the download tent.

The above is a lot easier to understand in practice than it is when you read it!

What other sorts of events and courses are there?

Colour-coded (District) events are attended by people of all ages and abilities. Many of these events incorporate Schools Leagues, open to all Juniors. Ours is called The Essex & Sufolk Schools Orienteering League,and is run in conjunction with our neighbour, Suffolk Orienteering Club. It uses the White course for Primary School children (up to year 6), then goes up through the courses in two-year bands. Competitors can represent other youth groups such as scouts and guides if they don't enter as a school.

Also run at colour-coded events are the regional leagues. Ours is called the East Anglian Galoppen or EAGAL (for reasons which will be obvious if you speak Swedish). Most clubs in East Anglia puts on one EAGAL event a year. The winner of your age group at each event gets 100 points, you get points in proportion, and your best scores over four events during the year determine your position. You could win a mug!

At score events, you have to visit as many controls as possible, in any order, in the time allowed.

Relay events are held for teams of three or four, often with a mass start.

Night events are held at night ...

The Harvester Relays are for bigger teams, and start off at night and finish after dawn.

Long-O events are long ...

Sprint-O courses are short, sometimes with head-to-head racing in a knock-out format.

String courses are short (about 500-1000m), and you can follow the string between controls. Ideal for very young competitors. Sometimes there are also a few controls off the string (an Off-String course).

Trail-O is precision orienteering and can be enjoyed by those with impaired mobility. The course is not timed. Instead, at each control point there are two or more control marker flags. Competitors have to decide which one is in the correct place according to the map and control description.

Those aspiring to orienteering greatness will want to attend Badge (Regional) events. Competition is in age bands for each sex. There is a choice of short or long courses for each senior age band, and juniors either have the same format with the shorter course being easier than the longer one, or courses equivalent to colour-coded.Following a formula based on the leaders' times, you can qualify (on three results) for a gold, silver, or bronze badge, and also earn Ranking points.

At several times during the year, neighboring clubs will co-operate to provide two badge events over a week-end (three on a bank holiday). In odd years, The Scottish 6 Days badge event is held in August. In even years, similar events alternate between Wales and the Lake District.

Next up are National Events (about 10 a year), followed by the Jan Kjellström Trophy event (four days at Easter) and the British Championships. All these events are open to all members of the British Orienteering Federation.

For the British Elite Orenteering Championship you'll have to qualify in the events in the previous paragraph. Do well in that, and you could be selected to represent England in the Home Internationals or a similar event, or Great Britain in the World Cup or World Championships!>

Juniors have the East Angian Schools Championship, the British Schools Championship, the Junior Inter-Regional Championship, a Junioe Club Championship and a junior night/day relay championship. in addition to club, regional and national coaching courses.

Occasional novelty events are held. Stragglers hold one on New Years Day. This is a handicap event designed to measure your fitness, skill, and ability to interpret different rules whilst nursing a hangover.

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