This is a game with strict rules. Many countries in the world, including China, often hold orienteering competitions.
However, if you just regard it as an interesting feeding method, it can also be interesting.
(A) the traceability of directional movement
Orienteering originated in Sweden. Scandinavia in northern Europe is full of forests, lakes, fields and villages. Identifying the direction and choosing the way forward in that complex terrain can almost become a special skill. Gradually, this skill developed into a competitive sport, and local residents, boy scouts and the army all became pioneers of this sport. Today, Sweden is still one of the countries with the widest and highest level of orienteering. In Sweden, fans of this sport even exceed the number of fans.
Because orienteering is held in the wild and the competition is held in a place with complex terrain, it is not easy to watch this sport, which limits the commercialization of this sport. As we all know, modern sports are based on commercialization, and it is difficult for a sport to develop well without commercialization. In order to solve this contradiction, a brand-new organization appeared in Sweden, the birthplace of orienteering, from 65438 to 0996. This organization is PWT world park orienteering organization.
This organization is committed to making orienteering more ornamental and standardized for commercial operation. PWT World Tour adopts the method of points. 6-8 competitions are held around the world every year, and the venue is chosen to be held in city parks or university campuses. There are more than 20 world-class players in each competition, and each player's competition route is the same, which increases the standardization and fierceness of the competition.
As early as the 1970s, orienteering was carried out in Hong Kong, and then the Hong Kong Orienteering Association was established, and the "Hong Kong Orienteering Championship" was held regularly every year. Since the early 1980s, this movement has gradually spread to the mainland, especially in universities. 1998 After PWT entered China, this movement developed more rapidly in China. Our country has participated in many world competitions. With orienteering becoming more and more widely known, it has become a leisure sport accepted by the public. The highlights of the existing competition. Fully enjoy natural sports. This is the best way for people to relax.
(2) Orienteering games
A standard orienteering competition includes a starting point and a finishing point. It consists of a series of control points defined in a circle. These control points are numbered and marked with control marks. During the game, players must visit the control points in sequence, and then usually mark the control cards they carry with a punch hanging on the control points to prove that they have really been to this control point. Different punching machines can punch different types of round holes to distinguish different control points.
There is no definition of the route between different control points. How to choose the fastest and most reasonable route by using maps and compasses is the fun of orienteering. In most orienteering competitions, the team that takes the shortest time to complete the whole course wins, which can ensure that all positioning work is completed by each team independently. But there are also competitions with different competition systems. For example, there are relay races and competitions, which require players to reach as many control points as possible within the specified time.
spotting
It is not difficult to judge the position with a compass and a map, even an untrained person can do it, but there are still some points to be paid attention to in order to accurately judge the position.
Any direction is a fixed angle relative to true north, so as long as the north is determined, all directions can be determined by relative angles. In military terms, this is called "azimuth" and is expressed in degrees. The direction indicated by the compass needle is an absolute value, from which all directions can be obtained.
First of all, we should make the map and compass into the same system. Place the map horizontally, then lay the compass needle flat on the map and turn the map until the compass needle on the map is parallel to the compass needle direction. People's position should face the direction of progress, so it is easier to see the map clearly. But if the result of this is that you have to look at the map backwards, it will be easier for people standing on the edge of the map to understand, and you can still see the way forward.
Positioning depends on human knowledge and certain equipment. In directional motion. The compass is the only valid legal device. Altimeters are prohibited in the rules, and more advanced GPS (Global Positioning System) is a device that is discouraged by the rules. There is no doubt that GPS can complete the positioning work accurately and quickly, and even has become a standardized facility for military field operations, but the powerful power of technology cannot replace the positioning ability of people. Therefore, for beginners of orienteering, mastering the use of compass is a basic ability.
route selection
Most point-to-point orienteering competitions include a starting point, a series of control points and a finishing point, which must be passed in a set order. These routes usually form a closed loop. In most orienteering competitions, athletes wait until the moment of departure. Get the game map. A game can have several routes with different difficulties for different levels of players, from novices to experienced veterans, everyone has the opportunity to do their best.
There is no certain route between the two control points for the players to follow, and the orientation and the forward route are determined by the players' experience and level. Players will see a clue about the route and control points on the map (sometimes this clue is given separately from the map). In this clue, there are the number of control points, the order of control points, the code of control points, and the characteristics of control points described in language, such as the intersection of paths and so on. In international competitions, due to the different languages used by players, this clue about control points will be composed of a series of standardized symbols, and learning these symbols is also a course that beginners of orienteering should learn.
When the player reaches the control point, he can see a sign called the control flag. The control flag is bright red and white, and it is a box-like three-dimensional structure, which can ensure that players can easily identify it from all angles. Control flags are sometimes hung on dead branches, and sometimes they are inserted into the ground with special stakes. On or near the control sign, there will be a return device, and the mouth of each control point is different. The player uses a punching machine to punch a special hole in his control card to mark that he has really been here.
In fact, the simple summary of orienteering is to find the best one among many possible paths and reach the place you want to reach as quickly as possible along this road. Choosing the route is a very important job, and the correct choice can help players save a lot of time, especially in the competition with complex terrain conditions.
A basic theorem is that the straight line between two points is the shortest, but in fact the shortest route is not necessarily the best in the competition. There are many factors that determine whether the route you choose is reasonable or not. For example, it is obviously much faster to walk on the forest path than to cross the forest. Maybe it's better to cross the mountains than to bypass them quickly. In addition, different people have different characteristics: some people may not be good at running, but they can cross the forest quickly; Some people have very good physical strength. But climbing the mountain is very slow, and these are all problems that affect the route selection.
In the same game, most players may choose the same route, but it can also be found that the more complex the terrain, the different the route choices of players. It is not easy to find the best route from the map. Besides knowing the map very well, rich experience is as essential as careful preparation. Therefore, orienteering is not a simple physical or skill competition, it contains various variables and is also a mental contest.
(3) Equipment
Special map
Although all the maps are directional, the maps used in the orienteering competition are special. Directional cross-country maps are more accurate and detailed, including more terrain information. These maps are designed to make it easier for people to watch and carry them across the complex terrain in different conditions.
Directional sports map has been developed for nearly 50 years. Early maps were black and white, and there were usually no contours of different terrain. But now the map used in orienteering has five different colors, and the terrain is displayed with 5-meter contour lines, 1: 15. 000 or1:10,000.
Although the orienteering map is based on the general hiking map, it still has many unique features, the biggest feature of which is the north line dedicated to sports, marked with blue or black. The so-called northern line is a parallel line drawn according to the earth's magnetic field line. The distance between the two northern lines is 500 meters. The direction indicated by these northern lines is not due north, but magnetic pole north. This is because the north shown by the compass is actually the magnetic north of the earth, not the true north of the earth. In different parts of the earth, there are different angular differences between the magnetic field lines and the connecting line between due north and due south. It is precisely because in orienteering, the compass is used for positioning, so it is very necessary to accurately provide this angle difference to the players as a reference.
In addition, the orienteering map is different from the general map in that it has a set of special legends of international norms, which are consistent in all regular competitions, and help players identify the map accurately and quickly.
Learn in the compass
Compass is another necessary and important equipment in orienteering. A good compass needle is filled with oily liquid, which can prevent the magnetic needle from shaking and stably indicate the direction. The magnetic needle is painted in two colors, and the red one refers to the north. A white guide. Because of the magnetic field between the north and south poles of the earth. In fact, the compasses used in the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere are different. A good compass can be used for a long time, but it may also break down, such as the fracture of plastic parts, leakage of liquid, and the liquid in the compass may become turbid, which may affect viewing. In addition, although it is a rare inertia. But sometimes the north pole and south pole of the magnetic needle do reverse, which means the directions are opposite.
There are two types of compasses that are often used in orienteering. One is with a base plate and the other is on the thumb.
The compass with base plate was invented during World War II. It has a rectangular transparent bottom plate with red arrows and some parallel lines to indicate the direction of progress. A scale is used to measure the map and a plastic magnifying glass: the compass rotates in the rotating room, and parallel lines are drawn inside. Used to determine the different angles of true north and magnetic field lines: the transparent base plate and rotating chamber of compass can rotate at all angles. Besides, it usually has a belt to tie the compass around its waist.
Thumb-shaped compass is a variant of compass with bottom plate, which was specially developed by Swedes for orienteering in the mid-1980s. It has a special belt, which is usually worn on the hand. When positioning is needed, use the thumb of the left hand to pass through the finger hole above to keep the direction, and at the same time, use the left hand to cooperate with the map to complete the positioning work. The advantage of this compass is that it can finish all the work quickly with one hand. But its disadvantage is that it is not easy to maintain an accurate parallel state with the map when accurate positioning is needed.
Everyone has his own preference for these two kinds of compasses, but world champions usually use them at the same time in competitions.
Other equipment
With the map and compass, you can take part in orienteering. Maps can be obtained during the competition. Compasses can even be rented. However, considering that players have to travel long distances over mountains and mountains during the competition, appropriate clothes and shoes are also important. Orienteering has no special requirements for clothes and shoes. Generally, clothes suitable for hiking are enough. Of course, some high-level players have strict requirements for equipment, because this is a competitive sport after all. They have special clothes to adapt to more complicated terrain conditions, but usually this is not very important.
Maps are the soul of orienteering, so it is very important for the organizers to provide accurate and detailed special days for the contestants. If you hold a competition in a certain place for the first time, you need to make a competition map: first, you need to have a detailed and professional topographic map as the basis, and you can use an engineering map or a map specially drawn for hiking. Ordinary maps without topographic information are not suitable. Then rely on manual investigation. According to the specifications of the special map for orienteering, the terrain information in the map is enriched, such as detailed paths and grassland types. This work can be done by volunteers or hired professionals. Finally, draw it and print it out, which can be done by special computer software.
In addition, organizing competitions requires flag control, punching and card control. There are specialized manufacturers and sellers abroad to provide such products. But in fact, as long as you do it yourself, it is easy to stay and make these things or substitutes.
Orienteering is a comprehensive sport in development and change, and its technology will also change because of this change. When orienteering in different events, the required skills are different because of the different equipment, equipment and methods of organizing competitions. Limited by space, here is only a typical orienteering event-orienteering skills.