Orienteering is an adventure sport using a map and compass to navigate a running course on a pre-printed map provided on the day of competition. Orienteering is a worldwide sport usually organised from September to May in the northern hemisphere, and often run in snow. (High growing fern limits summer orienteering.) The Irish Connacht Championships, for example, was run in snow 2cm deep, November 2010. An orienteer punches a Sportident Timing unit at each red and white control with the winner the fastest on each age course.The Flickr photo sequence (see Sources, below) shows orienteers in the International Irish Three Day Orienteering Championship Co Donegal, June 2010.
Mapping is Essential for Orienteers
Orienteering mapping has developed from using vintage, probably inaccurate, 6" to one mile base maps to satellite Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) techniques involving an overflight in a propellor driven light plane, of specific areas by prior arrangement. The contour detail achieved allows the map maker to use the printed digital base map with inbuilt Global Positioning System (GPS) co-ordinates and then proceed to add detailed features such as walls and tacks to complete the orienteering map. Modern map makers are highly motivated and very specialised. A LIDAR map includes contours only, walls and other detail are added in carefully and accurately with the designated mapper walking the ground to be mapped to draw the features onto the base map. A hand held GPS allows its uploaded data to be downloaded onto the OACD10 program. The map drawing process is thereby completed ensuring a high degree of accuracy.
A Map is a Military Aid
Map drawing is a military skill and was usually part of the Ordnance Section of a military organisation. Ordnance usually refers to ammunition, heavy artillery and other munitions. Artillery and aerial bombardment of enemy held areas during wartime demanded gridded maps to increase their accuracy thereby ensuring grids and co-ordinates were incorporated into topographic, orienteering and specialised maps.
The first orienteering event was held in Sweden in 1915 on a large scale map over 15km. The Swedish Oringen Swedish Oringen held annually attracts some 30,000 competitors for competition, clinics and map making seminars.
OCAD10
OCAD AG is an Austrian company dedicated to highly technical mapping for orienteering, technical, architectural and other specialised purposes. OCAD (Orienteering Computer Aided Design) has incorporated all technical map drawing advances into modern mapping techniques benefitting all map users including the Olympic Games.
OCAD started off with simple graphic detail imposed on an uploaded base map. The map drawer was subject to the inherent inaccuracies of the antiquated imperial measurements of the 1850s surveys where surveyors used chains and triangulated areas between three mountain tops in each land area to be surveyed. These trigonometrical points are still in place in modern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. They are no longer used.
The Future
Global Positioning System satellites orbiting Earth at 16,000km from Earth based on highly accurate time and position provide mapping detail of specific orienteering competition areas combined with LIDAR to produce highly reliable base maps completed by experienced orienteers and cartographers.
The black and white base map and completed full colour highly detailed maps pictured show the stages of map making.
Sources
- LIDAR Base Maps
- Orienteering in Ireland
- OCAD10
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/9820745@N08/collections /72157624342455434/S
Michael Manning - ' The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity' W.B.Yeats
