Welcome new orienteering participants! Try Orienteering for FREE on our National Orienteering Week meet on Saturday, September 6.
{PLEASE READ LIABILITY WAIVER MESSAGE AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT!}
The Georgia Orienteering Club invites you to try the sport of Orienteering at their annual National Orienteering Day, Saturday, September 6, 2014. Participants can start from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jones Bridge facility of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (Education Center; entrance at 3803 Barnwell Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022 (33.991017, -84.259198) ). No entry fee will be charged for this special one-day event. Also, GAOC will have hot dogs, chips and soft drinks for participants.
Orienteering is a fun and challenging activity for individuals, couples and families. Each person or group goes out in staggered starts and navigates their way through a beautiful natural environment, using a large-scale topographic map and a compass. Orienteering is "the Sport for All" as there are several levels from a competitive and difficult wilderness race to an easy and enjoyable short hike with the added challenge of navigation.
Please note that the National Orienteering Day event will be directed towards new and novice participants with ONLY beginner (white) and novice (yellow) courses being offered. Beginner-friendly courses will highlight the basics of navigating in the woods. Experienced GAOC members will be available to help with topographic maps and finding your way with a compass. A brief description of the courses is provided below.
Also, check out the rest of the Georgia Orienteering Club website for more information, directions and a Beginner's Guide.
Have a great time,
from all the members of the GAOC.
From I-285 in Atlanta, take GA-400 north. Go approx. 9 miles to the Holcomb Bridge Rd (eastbound) Exit 7A. Follow Holcomb Bridge Rd. approximately 4.5 miles, turn left on Barnwell Rd., then approximately 0.8 miles to first park entrance on right. The gate is the entrance to the Jones Bridge education center.
White Courses – for brand new participants who have not orienteered before. This will keep you on, or very near, paths. Markers will be generally very visible.
Yellow Courses – for novice participants who want to get a bit more challenge off paths and for a slightly longer distance.
The Jones Bridge map, being used for the NOD meet, is a scale of 1:7500 which means that 1cm on the map is 75 meters in actual distance. The contour interval is 3 meters. This means that the upward (or downward) distance between the brown contour lines is 3 meters (or about 10 ft.)
| Course | Description |
|---|---|
| White X - Trainer | Easiest for those who have never orienteered before. Instructors will be available for the first 3 markers. |
| White Y | Easy with a slightly longer walk. |
| Yellow X | For those with some extra experience; if you enjoyed the white course and want something a bit more interesting. |
| Yellow Y | More off path excitement using some land features as handrails (obvious features that can be followed). |
This event focuses on providing an experience to new participants. For that reason, e-punch will not be used, and times will not be posted after the event.
GAOC has recently received clarification regarding waivers for ALL participants. EVERY participant must have a signed waiver of liability to participate. Youth participants must have a waiver signed by THEIR OWN PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN. It is no longer acceptable for a coach, group leader, scoutmaster, or other supervising adult to sign the waiver for them. Please be sure that any youth participants that you bring to this or future GAOC meets has a waiver signed by their parent or guardian. You can download the registration form from the web site and have a parent sign the waiver on the form and bring it to the meet.
Waiver can be found here.
For current forecast click here.
Jeff Lybarger 404-245-7398