Orienteering _ A Crazier Way to Hike (or Run) Through the Woods

One of my favorite sports has a mouthful of a name and will never be in the Olympics. It's a way to turn exploration of the outdoors into a fun game for all ages. Call it competitive hiking, if you will. I prefer to think of it as a chance to relive my childhood ways in Bertie County when I would run with abandon through the woods, not caring if I got lost because it was always a fun adventure trying to find my way back home.

I'm referring to orienteering, a sport that's known worldwide and a must-try (at least once) for any fan of the outdoors. You use a map and compass to navigate your way to various checkpoints in the woods, seeing how fast you can get from start to finish without getting hopelessly off course.

If you've never been to a real orienteering meet, it's a blast. Most groups these days use an electronic keypunch attached to your finger to keep track of your time, so when you get home you can look on the Internet and see how you did. (That's pretty cool!) Courses at most meets range from easy to super-difficult, so 7-year-olds can have as much fan as elite athletes. Of course, most people aren't there to try to win _ they're just there to have a good time and see how well they do. Orienteering is popular among Boy Scouts because it's a requirement to advance to the rank of First Class; there's also an Orienteering Merit Badge.

I mention orienteering because that's what I'm doing tomorrow afternoon. I'm headed to the southern part of Fairfax County to take part in a meet sponsored by the Quantico Orienteering Club. I'm lucky to live in an area where the sport is popular, and the QOC is a great club. (They have meets throughout the year. Check out their Web site: qoc.nova.org)

Orienteering is also popular in Europe. The area in Switzerland where I'll be leading a hiking tour this July has several courses. (Go to http://myhikingvacations.com to learn more about the trip.)

So, if you've done your share of camping and hiking and biking and want to try something different outdoors, give orienteering a try. Worried about getting lost? Bring a partner. And a whistle!

I'm sure you'll have fun.

Happy Hiking (and Orienteering)
Joseph