To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Mounted orienteering
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 21:04:20 -0700
Irv Lichtenstein wrote:
>I have seen competitors glued to their compass course, picking guide points
>every 100 yards or so and then missing the marker by hundred yards because
>they (or the course designer) were off by a 1/2 degree magnetic. These guys
>never finish because they have to hunt for markers or retrace and reshoot
>all the time.
There had better not be a 100 meter error on an orienteering
map! And the control should be hung within 5 meters of its
location on the map; if it isn't, that's a significant error
that should have been caught and fixed by the course vetter
(a course designer/setter should never vet their own course).
Orienteer-by-compass is a common strategy (and error) used by
beginners who already know how to use a compass. They use the
compass correctly, and read the map too, but they forget to
read the terrain and so they make no use of terrain features.
To address this problem, simply take away the compass. White
and Yellow courses always can be navigated easily without a
compass, and most Orange courses too. It also helps to give
beginners an orientation before the meet starts, preferably a
written one (plenty of examples are available on orienteering
websites), but you can also have a designated meet "coach"
who briefs each team before they start.
Running an orienteering meet is very similar to running a SAR
mission, except with less stress and urgency, so it is a good
opportunity to develop and practice ICS skills.