Toolbox for orienteering coaches
Description
This is a quiz to do during a jog. It trains you to stabilise your gaze for map reading and to understand contour.
Alternative
You can answer these quiz in front of the fireplace
Comment
Nathalie still does not have the answers. But you can argue if you don’t agree with each other, and that’s also another exercise!
Contributor
Philippe Boulestreau
Description
A brown map is an exercice to focus on contours training.
To make it, you just hide all th symbols except the brown ones on the map and then plan a course.
Alternative
To make it less difficult, you can plan a star course and leave the paths. Be careful with the instructions: the paths are only there to relocate if necessary, not to get as close as possible to the control by avoiding reading the contour lines 😉
To make it more difficult, you can get rid off the North lines
Comment
This exercise is “scary”. It is a good idea to propose different steps before going into a complete brown course: brown and path star course, brown star course, then small loops. Also let people having a spare map, in the pocket.
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
This exercise gives you the opportunity to work on accurate bearing and distance evaluation.
Alternative
The exercise can be done as a circuit, but it may be wise to have a spare map in your pocket.
You can add false controls to check the precision of your bearing: either false because not exactly the right angle, or false because not at the right distance
Comment
You should plan situations that you can face during a race, so there is no point in working out precise bearings of more than 200m.
Be careful not to forget to mention the scale of the map.
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier et Christine Verdeil
Description
For each control on the map, either the flag on the ground is well put out (TRUE), or the flag is not well put out (FALSE), or it is not there (MISSING). The control card should be only punched when the flag is TRUE.
Alternative
The route can be marked for children.
Put out many flags along the route. You can then ask them to punch only the flags that are on the map.
Or you can put out less flags than controls on the map and ask them to find the missing ones.
Comment
When you do this exercice, plan the course and print your runners maps. Draw on your own map, where the wrong flags are and where there are some missing.
Don’t put missing flags only far away. The runners motivation may collapse…
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
With this exercise, bearing precision is essential. Blank areas should not be avoided, it should make you aware that you do not need to read everything on a map.
Alternative
They are endless:
Comment
It’s nice. But how can we do that ?
Steps with OCAD
– In OCAD course setting , create a colour purple (just below the course setting purple in the colour order, for the edge of the stars), colour white (just below purple in the colour order, for the inside of the stars) and blue (first in the colour order, to draw the north lines above the stars).
– Create a purple line symbol and a white surface symbol
– Find a jpeg model of a snow star on internet, put it as a template for the map
– Draw around the star with the purple line symbol
– copy/paste the resulting symbol as many times as necessary, place the stars where you want
– plan the course, adjust the placement of the stars if necessary
– fill the stars with the white area
– redraw the north lines, if necessary
– set up the page lay out
Contributor
Simon LEROY (carte LAUVCO)O
Description
It’s just a score event, with some controls that can only be found by accurate bearings. Bearings can be made from different points.
Alternative
The score event can be replaced by a classic course, with some “bubbles”.
Comment
I prefer score event for training sessions, to avoid follow-up
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
It is a course, which links different training exercises.
Alternative
They are endless
Comment
This sort of training is more suitable for advanced orienteers
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier (MTK Tracé par Antoine Stéphany)
Description
It is an exercise similar to the corridor one. The purpose is to complete the course without ever passing through the white zones.
You need to be accurate with your compass and to keep contact with the map nearly all the time.
Alternative
You can have wider zones or smaller
Comment
This exercice is for expert orienteers!
Contributor
Antoine Stéphany et Nathalie Rauturier
Description
In each box, a control is indicated. You have to find the squares, where the control is “there” and in the right place. All the squares whith real controls form “boats”. In this example, people had to find a boat of 4 (cruiser), 2 boats of 3 (submarine), a boat of 2 (torpedo boat), with only one rule “the boats can touch each other only by a corner”.
If you find a control in A1 and B1, then you know that there is no control in A2 and B2.
The target of this exercise is to do precise map reading, in a playful way
Alternative
You can use other rules for the boats, change the number of boats to find …
Comment
Not suitable for beginners, for whom the concept of real or missing is complicated. It requires confidence.
Beware, also, Battleship is not a game known by the new generations
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
Plan a course with long legs. Between each long leg, it is possible to place a succession of controls very close together. The aim of the exercise is to anticipate the rest of the course during the long legs for navigate quickly and without stopping during the shorter legs. It is important to make sure that you offer different choices on the long leg during the planning.
Alternative
Comment
Contributeur
Benoit Rauturier