guiding you to the starting location. If you are planning to come with a
group of more than five, please e-mail us in advance and follow the group
pre-registration procedure so we will be sure to print
enough maps.We invite you to try orienteering with us. Everyone is welcome at all our events. We always offer beginning, intermediate, advanced and expert courses (routes through the woods) at every event. We have a beginners introductory training class starting at 12:30 at all of our regularly scheduled events. At selected events we have an intermediate skills class prior to the first start. The beginners class will explain the procedure for orienteering, an introduction to the map, and an introduction to the compass. The intermediate class will introduce skills and strategy to orienteers who are ready to move up to the advanced courses.
Beginning classes are free to everyone, and intermediate classes are also free, but reserved for members only. Of course everyone is welcome to become a member of BOK. Registration for a course is free for members and $10 for non-members, and includes one map and a "finger stick" time recording device. If you have your own finger stick the registration charge is $5. You may go alone or with a small group. Registration for a small group is only $5, and each additional map is $2. We recommend that each person who is trying to learn orienteering in a group have their own map.
We have some loaner compasses if you need one. The best compasses have a clear base plate so you can see the map through it. We require that everyone have a whistle while out on the course. We sell whistles for $1.
You will find directions to our events
(sometimes) linked to the on-line schedule.
When you arrive at an event venue look for our red and white signs
guiding you to the starting location. If you are planning to come with a
group of more than five, please e-mail us in advance and follow the group
pre-registration procedure so we will be sure to print
enough maps.
BOK Home Page BOK Schedule Treklite
Home Page E-mail 
Orienteering is a sport which involves the mind and body. It can be an individual sport, or shared with your friends or family. With the aid of a map and compass you find your way on foot across the countryside from check point to check point. Your imagination and skills help you to choose the best route. You set your own pace in orienteering. It can either be a casual hike through the woods with the added fun of using an excellent map to find the controls, or a competitive race of navigational skill, quick decisions and physical speed.
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The course has orange and white markers called controls at the check point locations designated on your map. You visit each control and verify that you were there by inserting your "finger stick" into the control station. After visiting all the controls on your course you proceed to the finish and check in. |
At each meet there will be at least four courses ranging in difficulty from novice to expert. The courses are designated by color. The entry level is White, about 1.5 kilometers long. It uses mostly trails. The next level is Yellow, intermediate, (3K) where some off trail shortcuts will come in handy. Then it's Orange, advanced, (4K) where off trail hiking becomes important. Finally there are the expert courses that attempt to challenge an expert's navigating skills -- the Brown, (4K), Green (5K), Red (6K), and Blue (8K). There will always be someone there to show beginners what they need to know to get started. The short beginners class explains orienteering, the map, and the compass. We even have compasses to rent. When you are ready to move to Orange we have an Intermediate Skills class to help you succeed.
Unless the schedule specifies a different time, you should arrive between noon and 1:30 PM. There will be a free lesson for beginners at 12:30 P.M. If there is an intermediate class you will need to pre-register for it on our website, and it usually starts at 8:30 am. The entry fee for the event is free for members and $5.00 for non-members. A "finger stick" is required and we rent them for $5 at each event. You can purchase them on our website for under $40. The entry can be for a single person, or for a small group, and includes one map. Extra maps for other group members are $2 each. We have some loaner compasses for your use. Orienteering can be an individual sport, or you can go out in small groups. If you finish your course quickly there may be time for you to try a more difficult one when you finish. The shortest courses are usually done in 20 to 60 minutes, while the longest most difficult usually take 1 to 2.5 hours. *Return to Contents*
You should dress for a walk through the woods. It is usually best to wear long pants in case you decide to take a shortcut off the trails. In the summer, even though we may put water out on the course you should carry something to drink. After you arrive, first look over the different courses that are available, and after deciding on the course you want you can fill out your registration card. Be sure to include your car description and license number. Then take your filled out registration form to the registration table. After registering, you get your map and "finger stick". On your map you will find the course. The course start is marked with a triangle, the controls are marked with circles, and the finish is two concentric circles. (Usually the start and finish are at the same place.) There are also descriptions of where the control is placed within the circle that you use in conjunction with the locations marked on the map. There is also a number on each control flag so you know that you have found the right one.
When you are ready to start, you go to the start table and give the starter your registration card. The starter will place it in an "Out on the Course" clipboard for your course. In a short time you will get the signal to begin. Then you put your finger stick into the "start control box" and your time has begun. After you finish the course you end your time by putting your "finger stick" into the "finish box". Then you take your registration card off the "Out on the Course" clipboard and put it in the "Finished Clipboard". If you don't take your registration card off the Course and put it in the Finished clipboard we will think you are still out on the course. We keep track of who is out in the woods, and will send a search party out for you if you are late. Be sure to move your registration form to the "Finished Clipboard" when you are done.
After you are told to begin, you figure out the best way to get to the first control. At the beginner levels there will usually be a trail that you can use most or all of the way. At the advanced level it is more likely that you will have to find your way without using trails all that much. When you get to the first control you should check the number code to be sure you are where you think you are. If you are right, then you insert your "finger stick" into the control box hanging at the top of the control flag. You should notice a "beep" and a light flash. Then you figure out how to get to the next spot. When you have found all the flags, or it is nearly 3:00 PM, it is time to return and check back in. When you finish, you will find folks hanging around eating snacks and discussing the courses with others. Shortly after 3:00 PM we will retrieve the flags from the woods. Those who want to go out again, divvy up the locations, and we go out and bring back the flags, water jugs and cups. Come to one of our meets -- if you like maps, you'll love orienteering. *Return to Contents*
Here are the detail on using the "Finger Sticks" at an event
Whether you want a pleasant walk with a map through places you haven't been before, or a challenging race through the forest, we hope you'll join us at our next orienteering event. About half the people at each event walk to enjoy the woods, and about half are racing for the best time on their course. *Return to Contents*
The Backwoods Orienteering Klub (with a "K" to reflect our Swedish heritage) is your source for orienteering meets and local and regional information. We are affiliated with the United States Orienteering Federation (USOF), and the International Orienteering Federation (IOF). Consider joining our club. Members can participate in our members only events like orienteering at night, and special training seminars. Membership is $25 for an individual and $35 for a family, and includes all local (class C) event fees. Memberships run from September to September. Memberships begun after March are half price, and memberships begun after June go until September of the next year. *Return to Contents*
To stay informed be sure to check the website regularly or join our Yahoo mail group which only sends out notices once or twice from the klub.
Our maps are five color IOF standard maps which we produce just for orienteering. They are so detailed, that boulders and gullies which are only three feet in size are indicated on the map. If you enjoy walking in the woods, or using topographic maps you will have fun orienteering. Once you are familiar with the maps you will be amazed at how easy it is to know exactly where you are when you are "out in the middle of nowhere". If you are looking for a challenging walk through the woods, or a competitive sport where strength and speed alone is not enough and thinking is very important, then orienteering is your sport. *Return to Contents*
904 Dorothea Drive Raleigh, NC 27603 Orienteering, The Thinking Sport (919) 828-6068 In the Raleigh Business White Pages under "Orienteering" http://www.treklite.com/bok
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