Orienteering is a sport in which participants navigate around a course using a map and compass.  Orienteering ACT is the body that organises and promotes Orienteering in the ACT.

For News/Info on Mountain Bike and Street Orienteering go to links in left sidebar. For 2012 ACT MTBO Championships info click on MTBO left sidebar.    

Saturday Orienteering for 2012 continues on 26 May at Campbell Park - 10.30am to 12 noon starts. All are welcome to take part. For information click here.  The first four weeks include the "Map Mates" series run by the Blue Sparks especially for juniors and their parents. 

Orienteering As It Was In 1971

Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Close to 100 attended the 41st anniversary event at Mt Ainslie and about half (48) opted for the 1971 black and white map, with 26 undertaking one of the three original courses, while the other 22 had the black and white map with shorter courses using some of the same control sites.  Scanned images of the five Red courses, some maps used over the past 40 years and the coloured map used for the other courses are here:

· Images 1 to 5 are the five Red courses for ACT League 5, with 1 to 3 being the original courses

· Image 6 – 1:20000 May 1977 (cartographer Kevin Paine)

· Image 7 – 1:15000 1985

· Image 8 – 1:10000 July 1994

· Image 9 – 1:15000 April 1990

· Image 10 – 1:10000 May 2012

Most competitors coped with the black and white 1:25000 map set to true north, not magnetic north, but a few seemed to have some trouble, including some not realising the tracks have not changed in 40 years.  The event was an ACT League event (# 5, but the fourth for the year given that event 1 had to be cancelled because of wet weather) and those who opted for the Red 5 course had a considerable advantage as they scored the top points, with Geoffrey Dabb (pictured) scoring a remarkable 131 points. The aberration caused by this event is not likely to impact on the final standings which will be based on the best seven scores from 12 events. 

The results are here and the progress points are here.

The next event will be at Mt Majura East on 3 June.

News
Orienteering As It Was In 1971 Tuesday, 22 May 2012 Close on 100 attended the 41st anniversary event at Mt Ainslie and about half opted for the 1971 black and white map
Numbers Boost for 2012 Saturday Metro Program Saturday, 19 May 2012 The numbers for the start of the 2012 Saturday Metro Program are 18 per cent higher than for the first two events in 2011.
Matt Crane Wins Treble in Hunter Valley Sunday, 13 May 2012 Canberra Cockatoos Matt Crane (Senior Men’s Division) was the only competitor to win all National Series races over the weekend
Flat Open Fast Then Hilly Rocky Slow Sunday, 6 May 2012 Competitors in the 2012 ACT Middle and Long Distance Orienteering Championships faced contrasting challenges
Blue Lightning school holiday training a hit! Friday, 27 April 2012 Sixteen juniors and ten adults enjoyed participating in a challenging array of orienteering training activities during the April school holidays.