The Army Training System - AskTOP

Orienteering combinesmap reading, compassuse, and terrain studywith strategy,competition, andexercise.OrienteeringOrienteering is a competitive formof land navigation. It combines mapreading, compass use, and terrain studywith strategy, competition, and exercise.This makes it an excellent activityfor any training schedule.An orienteering course is set up byplacing control points or marker signsover a variety of terrain. The orienteeror navigator uses a detailed topographicalmap and a compass to negotiatethe course. The map should be 1:25,000scale or larger. A liquid-filled orienteeringcompass works best. The baseof the compass is transparent plastic,and it gives accurate readings on therun. The standard military, lensaticcompass will work even though it is notspecifically designed for the sport.The best terrain for an orienteeringcourse is woodland that offers variedterrain. Several different courses canbe setup in an area 2,000 to 4,000 yardssquare. Courses can be short andsimple for training beginners or longerand more difficult to challenge theadvanced competitors.The various types of orienteeringare described below.CROSS-COUNTRY ORIENTEERINGThis popular type of orienteering isused in all international and championshipevents. Participants navigate toa set number of check or control pointsin a designated order. Speed is importantsince the winner is the one whoreaches all the control points in theright order and returns to the finisharea in the least time.SCORE ORIENTEERINGQuick thinking and strategy aremajor factors in score orienteering. Acompetitor selects the check-points tofind based on point value and location.Point values throughout the course arehigh or low depending on how hard themarkers are to reach. Whoever collectsthe most points within a designatedtime is the winner. Points are deductedfor returning late to the finisharea.LINE ORIENTEERINGLine orienteering is excellent fortraining new orienteers. The route ispremarked on the map, but checkpointsare not shown. The navagatortries to walk or run the exact maproute. While negotiating the course, helooks for checkpoints or control-markersigns. The winner is determined bythe time taken to run the course andthe accuracy of marking the controlpoints when they are found.ROUTE ORIENTEERINGThis variation is also excellent forbeginners. The navigator follows aroute that is clearly marked with signsor streamers. While negotiating thecourse, he records on the map theroute being taken. Speed and accuracyof marking the route determine thewinner.NIGHT ORIENTEERINGCompetitors in this event carryflashlights and navigate with map andcompass. The night course for crosscountryorienteering is usually shorterthan the day course. Control points aremarked with reflective material or dimlights. Open, rolling terrain, which ispoor for day courses, is much morechallenging at night.URBAN ORIENTEERINGUrban orienteering is very similarto traditional types, but a compass,topographical map, and navigation skillsare not needed. A course can be set upon any installation by using a map ofthe main post or cantonment area.Soldiers run within this area looking9-13