Figure 1.--.
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Figure 1.--. |
Orienteering is an activity that many children, especially the boys enjoy. Courses are set in senic countryside or wilderness areas. The participants are given a map to use and using the map and a compass attempt to negotiate a pre-planned course. This is often done in a meet and the partiipants compete for the shortest time. This can be a family as well as a school sport. Because of the time involved, at school this is norally a weekend activity.
This year there is a group of very keen and enthusiastic orienteers who have definitely been rewarded for their efforts! During the term the School attended the WCOC (West Cumbrian Orienteering Club) colour coded events at Gillflinter in Ennerdale and at Miterdale, and it was pleasant to see several ex-Harecroft pupils at these competitions. At Gillflinter, Paul Szuster, Ian Smith and Alex Cornwell did well to secure the first three places on the yellow course, as did Matthew Huddart who was second on the orange course. At Miterdale the first seven places on the yellow course. All these pupils are well on their way to gaining their respective colour badges in orienteering.
"Harecroft Hall Newsletter," December 1988.
Orienteering is a sport which can be participated in by all the family. At each match you go to, you first choose the course you want to go on and the official will give you a map of the area, a description sheet and control card. On the control card you fill out your name, your club and, if asked, your age. Then you go to the spot marked "Map Corrections" and copy the corrections onto your own map. Then go to the start where, at your appointed time, you run don a tapeto the master maps where you copy down the control positions. Once you have done that using a map, compass and a good setof eyes, work your way around your course. At the finish, having followed the tape from the last control, you enter and hand your control sheet in to the official and have a drink of squash, or whatever's provided.
Each control is a cube of fabric and has near it a punch which consists of a series of pins and a hinged staple configuration. You punch the appointed part of the control card. If you are within a certain time on three consecutive matches you can send off for a badge; each badge is coloured as to the colour of the course you went on. The levels of difficulty are as follows:
White -- easiest -- 2.1 km
Yellow -- easier -- 2.8 km
Orangw -- easy -- 3.2 km
Light blue -- technically hard -- 3.9 km
Dark blue -- technically harder -- 4.3 km
Etc. (up to black
Orienteering appeals to me because it combines exercise of both mind and body and also gives me a chance to gey out and about.
Gregory Sherwell, VR, The Wheasheaf (Pownall Hall), 1980.
Unlike last year the Orienteering Club did not solely deal woth the techniques of this very demanding sport, but with a basic introduction to several other outdoor pursuits -- mountaineering technique, canoeing, hill walking and camping among them. Due to the lack of time and specialized equipment it could be only a theoretical revue of these sports, nevertheless a most valuable exercise for any future "fresh air freaks".
Beaudesert Park Magazine, Autumn 1978.
