A change of direction in sport

GET YOUR KIT ON: ORIENTEERING: Emmet Malonemaps out a plan in our continuing series on taking up a new activity

IT’S PROBABLY not entirely surprising that a sport devised by a Nordic army officer to essentially make route marches more interesting for his troops has not displaced the likes of football, tennis or swimming in the popularity stakes here in Ireland.

Still, when the dust settles in the wake of last week’s World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, officials at the Irish Orienteering Association will look to build on what they say has been steady growth in interest over the last few years.

For anyone who has done a bit of running, the attraction of the sport is clear; it has nicer settings than your average road race and the added challenge of trying to find your way.

That, though, may well be too much of a challenge for most first-timers. Many events around the country, such as next month’s Scatter series, run by Fingal Orienteers at venues including Newbridge House, Ardgillan Park and Malahide Castle, cater for a wide range of abilities ranging from beginners and children to family groups.

“We run these annually and they mark the start of the season here,” says Fingal’s Tommy Burke. “At any of them you’ll come across newcomers and you don’t really need to bring along anything. If you have a compass and can read it then that’s a help, but it’s not really necessary in somewhere like Malahide Castle.”

While the sport is constantly trying to attract new adult members, Burke reckons that between a quarter and third of participants at these events will be juniors. The association has worked hard to get the sport into schools in recent years and is also attempting to broaden its base among children around the country through the Community Games.

As part of their work on that front, there will be a demonstration event in the IDA Business Park adjacent to the Institute of Technology in Athlone next Saturday and Sunday.

“The intention is to show the basic principles involved by mapping out an area that consists of buildings, car parks and green spaces because basically it’s about reading a map and negotiating your way over a course, regardless of what sort of terrain is involved,” says Frank Ryan of the Western Eagles, who is involved in the project.

Ryan has also been involved in an ongoing project to map out permanent courses, often on land owned by Coillte, so that people can download maps and enhance even a relatively short walk by challenging themselves to uncover a series of markers.

“It’s a relatively new thing,” he says, “but it gives people a taste of the sport in their own time and at their own level. If people decide they want to go on from there and get involved in organised events, then so much the better.”

The courses start at just a couple of kilometres and so taking part in an event needn’t be very time consuming unlike hill walking where outings start at a couple of hours and routinely run right up to hikes of more than six hours, sometimes over difficult terrain.

“For the longer ones you definitely need a decent level of fitness because if something happens or you’re not up to completing the walk, then everyone has to go back,” says Alan Finn of the Bogtrotters, a Dublin-based club that organises a wide range of outings.

The club runs regular Tuesday evening outings that last just a couple of hours (see bogtrotters.ie) around the Dublin area during the summer, with longer walks at weekends. “New people are always welcome although it’s not ideal if you get too many on the walk because there aren’t enough established members for them to talk to and they really don’t get a feel for it.”

Some people, he says, “find the going too tough while others might decide it’s not tough enough”, but many clubs run introductory events aimed at allowing people to find their niche.

WHAT THEY SAY . . .

‘I love sprint orienteering, there’s just so much pressure, everything’s on the map, and the maps easy to read, but there’s just . . . no . . . time!” An enthusiast articulates the balance between physical and mental challenges that have to be overcome when racing, in a message board entry.

WHAT IT DOES . . .

Both orienteering and hillwalking have the potential to be beneficial for participants, says Giles Warrington, DCU’s physical exercise expert. “In terms of orienteering, clearly there are very different levels involved and competing at the elite end of things would be hugely physically demanding, it’s a tough sport.

“One of the great things about it, though, is that at the other end of the spectrum there are courses that are pretty easy and so you can give it a try and figure out where you best fit it.

“Obviously, if you’re running over significant distances, you are going get fitter, but one of the advantages of orienteering is that you’ll tend to be running over more forgiving ground and so there’s less danger of picking up impact injuries.

“More than that, though, there’s a strong mental aspect to it. A key attraction is the challenge of having to think and make decision on your feet and the evidence suggests that you can improve your ability to cope with both the physical and mental challenges involved through regular participation.

“Obviously, the environment is also an attraction, just as it is in hillwalking. Ireland is a perfect setting for these activities and the reality is that you can do more intensive activity without feeling that you are putting in quite so much effort if you are really stimulated by your surroundings.”

WHAT IT TAKES . . .

Surprisingly little is needed to get started. Footwear can be important, with trainers or light boots preferable depending on the type of terrain to be covered and the pace at which you intend covering it. The type of clothing you need will also depend to a large extent on whether you intend to walk the course or tear around it in a life-or-death struggle to beat the competition. For those intent on the latter, dedicated studded running shoes, costing in the region of €80-€100 are ideal along with breathable, decent-quality running gear.

For hillwalking, an entry-level pair of boots as well as the range of clothes that will equip you for the range of conditions you can encounter while out for a long day in Irish weather can set you back a couple of hundred euro, but you might already have a few of the essentials. Ultimately, a good pair of boots can cost €250 but should give you many years of wear.

WHERE IT’S AT . . .

In parks and countryside pretty much everywhere. Orienteering.ie is the Irish Orienteering Association’s website, which provides useful links, and details of the Fingal Scatter League are on fingal.orienteering.ie. Other good starting points include mountaineering.ie, walkersassociation.ie, mountain views.ie and simonstewart.ie.