Welcome new orienteering participants! Try Orienteering for FREE at our National Orienteering Week meet on Sunday, September 25.
{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 Week event, Sunday, September 25, 2016. Participants can start from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Island Ford park of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. 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 Week 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.
Unlike previous years, there will be a parking charge of $3 per vehicle, including school buses. Please limit parking to the lined spaces in the parking lots.
If you are bringing more than 5 people, please contact Rick Shane to ensure that there are enough maps.
For more information, including a Beginner's Guide, please see the Georgia Orienteering Club web site www.gaorienteering.org
Have a great time, from all the members of the GAOC.
From I-285 in Atlanta, take GA-400 North. Take exit #6 and go West on Northridge Road, cross GA-400 and take an immediate right. Go approx. 4⁄10 mile and turn right on Roberts Drive. Island Ford is ½ mile on the right.
White Courses – for brand new participants who have not participated in orienteering before. This will keep you on, or very near, paths. Markers will be generally very visible. There will be a Short White course and Long White course.
Yellow Courses – for novice participants who want to get a bit more challenge off paths.
The Island Ford map, being used for the NOW meet, is a scale of 1:10.000 which means that 1cm on the map is 100 meters in actual distance. The contour interval is 5 meters. This means that the upward (or downward) distance between the brown contour lines is 5 meters (or about 16 ft.)
| Course | Description |
|---|---|
| Short White | Easiest for those who have never participated in orienteering before. Instructors will be available for the first 2 markers. |
| Long White | Easy with a slightly longer walk. |
| Yellow | For those with some extra experience; if you enjoyed the white course and want something a bit more interesting. More off path excitement using some land features as handrails (obvious features that can be followed) while giving opportunities for going off trail to save distance and time. |
| Course | # Markers | Distance | Elevation Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short White | 7 | 1.2 km | 45 m |
| Long White | 10 | 2.7 km | 75 m |
| Yellow | 11 | 2.6 km | 75 m |
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.
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 completed a waiver signed by their parent or guardian.
THE ANNUAL WAIVER CAN NOW BE COMPLETED ONLINE.
Please make sure that every participant (and parent/guardian as appropriate) goes to the following website to complete it: Online Annual Waiver.
This will save you and our volunteers a great deal of time at this and future events.
For current forecast click here.