Orienteers in the New Forest emerging through bracken. DB3105P05

ON a crisp and sunny Sunday morning, the woods were alive with a kaleidoscope of brightly dressed people dashing in and out of the undergrowth clutching folded maps.

The sport of orienteering exercises the mind as well as the body, as participants navigate in sequence between control points marked on a special map to complete the course in the quickest time.

Children from four-years-old to older folk in their 80s were engrossed in finding the control points on the different courses of the November Classic event at Bolderwood in the New Forest, run by Southampton Orienteering Club.

The Classic had attracted entries from orienteering clubs from all over the area and from entrants at all levels of ability.

Journal People's Award sports coach winner, orienteering coach Jeff Butt, said: "It's like doing a crossword while running, but you start off with a simple crossword."

Jeff, who is a member of the Sarum Orienteering Club, said he, his wife, Jackie took up the sport 12 years ago and their four children - Alice, 17, Tom, 15, Lucy, 13, and Harry, 11, have all joined in. And now Alice is training with the British Squad and if she runs well she could be selected for the Junior World Championships in Gothenburg next year.

Tom seems to be heading for success too - he is currently in the British Junior Start Squad, the level below.

As Jeff's own family of orienteers illustrates, this really is a sport for all ages.

John Farren came from Oxford for the day. DB3105P02

He explained that children can start as young as four with a simple course involving the following of a piece of string with a map to find the control point.

When children reach six or seven they can progress on to a simple course of about a mile, with an adult to help them if necessary.

"Orienteering is set up with five skill levels and children can move up through these every two years.

"They learn the skills at one level and then move on. The skill progression is a lot better than with other sports," he said. Ruby Campbell, 70, was further proof that all the family could join in, with three generations enjoying orienteering.

Ruby, her husband and two grandchildren had travelled over from Chigwell in Essex to navigate their way around the woods at Bolderwood.

And the youngsters were able to try their hand at five different types of courses on offer.

Level one, the white course, is aimed at the under-eights and is on paths, with a control on every junction.

These children can progress to a yellow for the under-tens, which has less controls and requires more navigation, but is still on paths.

The orange courses, at level three are aimed at the under-12s and these are longer courses with controls situated slightly off the paths.

Light green courses are for the under 14s and controls are well away from the paths and finally the green courses, the most technically difficult for navigation are aimed at the under 16s.

Adults can start on any of these types of courses too, they are generally given at "colour coded" events to indicate the level of difficulty.

In regional events such as this one, age classes are used and courses are described in terms of gender, age and length - long or short.

Ron Levy, 84, the oldest Sarum member out, had just finished a 4.3km course, which was equivalent to a light green in the 75+ age group.

He said he orienteers once or twice a week and has been enjoying the sport for around 30 years.

"My wife did it too, but her blood pressure stopped her," explained Ron who admitted to having been troubled with gout recently.

"But I said to the quack, you can give me any pills you like as long as it doesn't stop me running!"

Kirsty Staunton, 51, of Wimborne Orienteers ran through the finish area looking fit and pleased with her performance.

"It was a fast terrain, quite good, but I made one mistake when I saw my husband on the course and turned too early!" she breathed.

"It's such good fun, you jump over ditches, splodge through puddles and run through woods and on a day like this."

I was beginning to feel the urge to have a go myself, as my navigation skills could do with some brushing up.

According to Jackie Hallett, 50, of Bristol Orienteering Club, it takes a while to get used to the navigation.

Orienteering maps are different from the usual ones. They are coloured to show the different types of terrain, for example white indicates runable wood, yellow shows open land like heathland or farmland and dark green means undergrowth you'll never get out of!

Sarah Francis, 39, of Southern Navigators, said that all you need to get started is a pair of trainers.

The Emit cards - electronic cards that record which controls you have visited and at what times - can be hired.

"One of the beauties of it is you can be as competitive as you wish, you can just make it a walk if you like," she added.

"And there's always someone there to help you if you are new to the sport."

John Farren, 71, who came down from just outside Oxford was introduced to orienteering around 30 years ago by his daughter and her husband.

"They came home one day dirty from the New Forest and next time they came, I said what's it all about and they said come and do it.

"It was pouring with rain and we were soaked. I said - when's the next event?

"I was hooked from the start."

9:57am Thursday 10th January 2008

Print   Email this   Comment