Orienteering Training at Homestead Ranch

Welcome to CoNav's Inaugural public event!

This will be a standard event with Newbie and Advanced tracks, and will be held on a brand-new map of El Paso County's Homestead Ranch Regional Park.

Select from either:

Newbie Track: a series of easy, self-guided courses on mostly gentle terrain designed to take you from "I can't even read a map" to the Advanced Beginner level.

- OR -

Advanced Track: for experienced orienteers only, this track will offer a set of challenges, customized to make the most of the terrain, to help you further develop your orienteering skills outside of a race environment. There will be a Green/Red level practice course to cap things off.

Newbies: consider attending this event and then participate in a formal competition event hosted by RMOC (Rocky Mountain Orienteering Club) at Fox Run Regional Park the following weekend.

Preregistration consisting of both payment and submission of a properly signed waiver is required to participate. Participation is limited.

Q&A

- Wait, what is orienteering?

Orienteering, it its most basic form, is a solo running sport in which participants navigate through a series of controls located on mapped features. Many recreational participants just walk their courses and enjoy a special kind of a hike. Visit https://orienteeringusa.org/explore/what-is-orienteering/ for an excellent overview.

- How long does orienteering it take?

For this event, plan on beeing on-site for about 2-4 hours. Courses will generally close in the early afternoon (see event listing for specifics), so you'll have plenty of time for other activities later in the day. Total distance for the Newbie Track will be around 3-5km, 5-7km for the Advanced Track.

- What if my skill level is above "Newbie" but below "Advanced?"

No instruction will be offered for the Advanced track, so you must be comfortable with all aspects of reading, interpreting, and using an orienteering map, and with standard orienteering meet procedures. If you'd like to get some experience, I recommend running a few Orange or higher courses at events hosted by other orienteering clubs. I'll be happy to include such courses according to demand.

- How much does it cost?

$20 per person, no charge for children aged 12 and under participating with a parent. The fee day-of registration will be substantially higher, cash-only, exact change.

Do I/we have to pre-register?

Yes.

- What should I wear?

Sturdy hiking or running shoes, comfortable clothing that you won't mind getting a little roughed-up if you go through brush. Don't forget sunscreen and whatever you deem appropriate for the weather.

- What should I bring?

Snacks, drinking water, and your desire to have a bit o'fun outdoors.

- Do I need a compass?

Not for the actual courses, as the emphasis will be on map reading and keeping yourself located on the map. You're welcome to bring a compass if you wish. There will be no compasses available to loan or purchase. If you want to purchase a compass, the "Silva Starter 1-2-3" and "Suunto A-10 NH" are recommended.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions. Thanks, we hope to see you there!