Amazing Race: Orienteering Edition

Are you watching Amazing Race? What if you were a contestant in that show where they use orienteering. Does anyone know about orienteering? I didn’t know this sport until an alumnus from our organization introduce this to us. This sport uses compass and map. I know map and compass are nothing but boring things in school but in orienteering makes those things useful! I really like this sport.

As a part of Basic Mountaineering Course, the org conducted “Orienteering 2012” in UP Diliman. Unlike the usual location which is in terrain that is heavily wooded, we decided to perform this in UP grounds since this is just an introduction for orienteering.

Basically it’s a race to the finish, one should run their way from control point to the next but this is more demanding than road-running not only because it’s in a terrain but you’re required to concentrate on the trail, decide and think underpressure. This sport challenges both your mind and body. Sounds interesting?! haha!

Orienteering is a family sport which everyone can enjoy. Like I said earlier, this sport uses compass and map to locate the control points of the game. Orienteer should have navigational skills to play this sport.

Did you know that this sport was originally used by the military officers for their land navigation training exercise.

 

This sport was introduced to us by an alumnus of our organization, Jonie Villareal. She is a licensed geologist. She said that orienteering isn’t new to her, they always use this in her profession. She taught us how to read map and use compass. She also shares her experience in orienteering. After that we started the mini Amazing Race Orienteering Edition.

RULES

They gave us our map (which is the whole UP Diliman) and the baseplate compass. We started the race by plotting the given coordinates and the distances of the control points to the next. They also gave us clues to where the control points are. We are required to take a photo of the clues to the next destination that are posted in each control points. Simple rules for the introduction. After plotting, we prep up and run ourselves to the 1st control point.

Here are the photos from the race:)

 

 

 

 

After this activity the organization are planning to conduct activities like this twice a year. It would be fun. Maybe next time we’ll be playing this in a mountain which more fun because al you can see are trees, grass and sloping trail. haha! You guys should try this sport, it’s really fun and challenging.