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View Full Version : If you thought Orienteering was geeky see this!



Wise Old Owl
09-14-2010, 14:24
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YrNWVzdKGk&feature=related

Brit's love nutty things to do.

couscous
09-14-2010, 14:41
For a comparison - in the Best Ranger competition the soldiers have to find points they plotted on a map across miles of difficult terrain (between midnight and 8am) without flashlights or any kind of illumination devices.

rhjanes
09-14-2010, 15:32
Neat. National O-Day is 9/25/2010. Look for an event near you. In that video, that is advanced orienteering. Wish here in Texas we had such nice "open" Forrest! We have cactus, oil pipelines (good to orienteer off of), rattlesnakes (they are more scared of us). Orienteering has classes for male, female, and beginner to advanced.
Here in North Texas on O-day, we will be at Woodruff park and doing a "Score-O", which is mass start, find what you can, and have fun.
Most events are only about $5 to enter (per person, but groups can team up and pay the same).

And, yeah, last year we did two Night-O's. One at a city park and the other out in the boonies at a State Park. Only advanced orienteers at the State Park
http://www.ntoa.com/

rasudduth
09-14-2010, 20:05
GPS drawings. Also geeky.
http://www.gpsdrawing.com/gallery.html

Wise Old Owl
09-15-2010, 23:30
GPS drawings. Also geeky.
http://www.gpsdrawing.com/gallery.html
Did you scroll down on that page?

I hope they arn't graduating this year.:confused:

Spokes
09-16-2010, 14:12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YrNWVzdKGk&feature=related

Brit's love nutty things to do.

Brit's? His profile page says he's from Portugal and the narrative says the run was through a Finnish forrest...........

Wise Old Owl
09-17-2010, 15:05
Brit's? His profile page says he's from Portugal and the narrative says the run was through a Finnish forrest...........

I thought someone would catch that, his video is surrounded by other videos from England as it "appears" to be very popular in England.

PS I am a brit.


I would be interested to hear where there are other places where this is popular.

Peaks
09-18-2010, 20:31
I would be interested to hear where there are other places where this is popular.

If you are living in Eastern PA, contact Delaware Valley Orienteering Club. One of the largest orienteering clubs in the USA.

litespeedlujak
09-18-2010, 22:37
I can only imagine the shape this guy is in. He'd have to be in fantastic condition to be able to do this. The thing that would scare me is hurting myself as I am running. I once caught my foot under a small tree and tripped. My knee on my other leg hit another tree. I developed water on the knee in no time. I imagine I should have had it drained. It hurt for two months later. Another potential problem would be the wildlife. Step on a rattler, or happen upon a mother boar or bear with young 'uns and it may be all over.

Wise Old Owl
09-20-2010, 19:47
I am just as surprised about sprained ankles, how does this guy do it?

rhjanes
09-21-2010, 09:33
I am just as surprised about sprained ankles, how does this guy do it?I don't run(much) when I orienteer. I have a bad back and fall down enough just hustling along. The top people are in fantastic shape. Consider also they are in unfamiliar area, reading a very detailed map, placing the compass reading onto that, reading IOF symbolic characters to tell them what they are looking for, all while jogging or running....and there is a 3 hour time limit on most events. the three top classes (I do the shorter two), are anywhere from 4 to 10 K in length. Then toss in that a lot of it is cross-forest-country-creeks...think briar's and such. We are often scratched up and bloody after the event. Once the top people are pushing 40, ankle braces, and such become very common. And yet, it is a lot of fun, gets you out in the woods, challenges you.....
they also call it the Thinking-persons-sport.

Wise Old Owl
09-28-2010, 19:01
Glad you all liked this find or gem on the intenet.

fudgefoot
09-29-2010, 11:49
Not sure why people insist on labeling orienteering as "geeky." Top orienteers are some of the fittest athletes on the planet. It is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and stay in shape for backpacking. I've been doing both for a long time and find them to be very complementary activities.

jethro
09-29-2010, 22:05
If you are living in Eastern PA, contact Delaware Valley Orienteering Club. One of the largest orienteering clubs in the USA.

WOO, you're in the hotbed of US orienteering! I believe the first public orienteering event in the U.S. was held at Valley Forge, and French Creek State Park in Berks County is generally considered the American orienteering capital. I learned O at French Creek in the early 80s from my assistant Scoutmaster, Ed Scott, who is one of the driving forces behind DVOA. Check it out!

Wise Old Owl
09-29-2010, 23:40
Thx Jethro, but I haven't seen folks runnin though the bush yet....:):-?

Spokes
09-30-2010, 08:21
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YrNWVzdKGk&feature=related

Brit's love nutty things to do.

Did Lone Wolf shave his beard?

Wise Old Owl
10-01-2010, 20:23
Did Lone Wolf shave his beard?

No and he doesn't run from anything.... yet.:-?

Carbo
10-01-2010, 21:01
Sure, I would love to try this on a thru, but I think I would have to climb back up the mountain to get my 40 lb pack!

Carbo
10-01-2010, 21:11
BTW - the video was very cool!

IronGutsTommy
10-03-2010, 11:54
cool video but i could see a runner coming up to quick on a mother bear and that wouldnt be good. orienteering is impressive and no doubt good training for search and rescue but it saddens me to see almost all the good parts of being outdoors (camping, cooking, trading stories, campfires) removed from the equation. I think hikers already rush through too fast as it is

rhjanes
10-03-2010, 23:41
cool video but i could see a runner coming up to quick on a mother bear and that wouldnt be good. orienteering is impressive and no doubt good training for search and rescue but it saddens me to see almost all the good parts of being outdoors (camping, cooking, trading stories, campfires) removed from the equation. I think hikers already rush through too fast as it isWell, we put about 400 people into the woods here in North Texas. So the bears, deer, cows, coyotes (I saw one on an orienteering course, but I was first out that morning), snakes, racoons, are LONG gone. 2 minutes after the first person (and the start whistle blows) takes off.

After we get back, lunch, sit around, discuss the trails, the courses, talk with some campers that wonder what was going on. Some even will stay over night (2 day meets).

IronGutsTommy
10-03-2010, 23:43
yeah that sounds pretty sweet you have me converted. I didnt even know about it much before this thread. the physical fitness required is mind boggling. Lance Armstrong, eat your heart out!

Wise Old Owl
10-15-2010, 21:49
Ground Control to Iron Guts.. Ground Control to Iron Guts.. Grab your hiking poles and TYE YOUR __________up..

OK ITS CATCHY!