Orienteering For Beginners

Beginner-level Navigation Skills Course

Orienteering 101

Overview

Want to improve your on and off-trail navigation ability? Looking for another way to immerse yourself in the natural world? Could you benefit from an adventure activity that maintains your fitness, both physical and mental? …An activity you can do for a lifetime.

If, Yes! You might want to try our sport/pastime of orienteering.

Quite simply, orienteering is the activity of map and compass navigation through natural or built landscapes. It’s you, a mapped course, the world around you, and a clock. You can be a competitive athlete, a weekend walker and nature enthusiast, a three-dimensional puzzle solver. Each are orienteers.

To learn more, join the basic navigational skills course (Orienteering for Beginners) at Richfield Heritage Preserve, taught by members of the Northeastern Ohio Orienteering Club (NEOOC). In a three-hour session that will be both lecture and field work (snow, rain or shine). You will be introduced to topographical and orienteering maps, take a compass bearing using a baseplate compass, learn some important orienteering lingo and techniques, and generally how to be successful as a beginning navigator and orienteer.

Equipment needed:

Attire and shoes appropriate for trails and the weather.
A compass, preferably a base plate compass. A limited number of loaner compasses will be available.
Whistle

Details

Sunday, May 17
Check-in beginning at 12:30 pm.
Instruction beginning at 1:00 pm with a 40 -minute “classroom” session followed by a guided outdoor practice session – appx 1.5 mile, mostly on trails.
Location: Waterfront Pavillion, Richfield Heritage Preserve
Park in the main parking lot, near the Lodge. Use the Broadview Road Entrance.
Follow signs to the pavillion
$5 per reservation(not per person), Pay at event.
Youth groups, please contact us before registering. Course is not appropriate for children under 11.
Course limited to 30 participants.
Registration Closes: Wednesday May 13 , 9pm or when participation limit reached
Woods Aware
- BeTick Smart!
  The best way to prevent tick bites is to treat skin and clothing before going into wooded areas, tall grass and weeds, or other areas known for ticks.
  - Treat Clothing and Gear with Permethrin: Treating clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin (an insecticide) is a highly effective preventative measure. Spray clothing and allow it to dry completely before wearing. This treatment lasts two to three washes. You can also spray tents, boots and other outdoor gear.
  - Use DEET on Exposed Skin: For children 2 months of age or older, DEET is a safe and effective tick repellent. A 10% DEET product is good for shorter activities, while 20-30% DEET is best for longer exposure. Avoid products that include sunscreen, as DEET can reduce its effectiveness. Apply sunscreen first, wait about 30 minutes, and then use DEET if needed

PLEASE REVIEW THE WAIVER OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK BEFORE PREREGISTERING. BY REGISTERING, YOU ARE AGREEING TO THE TERMS OF THIS WAIVER AND ARE ABSOLVING NEOOC AND ORIENTEERING USA , ET AL OF LIABILITY RESULTING FROM YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE ASSOCIATED ORIENTEERING ACTIVITY.

For any questions, email us at: registrar@neooc.com or jay@neooc.com

Registration

Course limited to 30 participants.
Registration Closes: Wednesday May 13, 9pm

Register here!

Volunteers

A big THANKS to:

Event Director & Chief Instructor: Howard Montgomery
Venue Liaison: Howard Montgomery