What Should I Bring?

The only piece of equipment you really need to go orienteering is your brain. However, the following may also be useful:

• Suitable footwear: Light hiking boots or running shoes. For advanced courses, studded shoes such as baseball or soccer shoes are recommended for traction on steep slopes.
• Clothing: Dress as you would normally for a hike that might take you through some brushy areas. The beginner's (White) course generally sticks to trails, but other courses may go through fields and forests.
• Water/snacks: Water is almost always available, but you might want to bring your own for convenience and to drink on the course.
• Compass: Helps you orient the map to North and take bearings. You can also rent one when you arrive.
• Soap & water or Tecnu: Consider washing off exposed skin immediately after orienteering if you are off trail on any course except White. Poison Oak is common in most Bay Area Parks.

Should I Bring My Dog?

If you are a recreational orienteer on a beginning-level (White) course that stays on trails, bringing the family pet may be appropriate if park regulations allow it, the dog is used to crowds, and you are planning to walk, rather than run or jog. Please use common sense. If in doubt, check with the event director before the event to discuss your particular situation.

General Event Information

BAOC events take place rain or shine throughout the year, typically on Sundays unless otherwise noted. See the event schedule for a list of events, and see the events page for specific details.

Courses

Our standard events offer seven courses with different technical difficulty and lengths.

• White and Yellow courses are suitable for beginners, and are mostly on or near trails.
• Orange courses are intermediate level, with some off-trail navigation and moderate physical difficulty.
• Brown, Green, Red, and Blue courses have advanced-level navigation with increasing physical difficulty.

Our registration volunteers can help you select the course that is appropriate for you.

Standard Schedule

• Most Orienteering events are held on a Sunday with courses ready to run at 10am.
• Always check the schedule page for the event you are attending the day before.
• First time orienteering? Arrive between 9 and 10 AM so you can have a free "beginner clinic" before doing your course.
• Don't need a beginner clinic? Arrive at the event any time between 9 and 11:30 AM so you can register and get to the Start before it closes at 12:30.
• You must return by 2 PM, whether or not you finish the course. After you reach the course Finish, you must go to E-punch "download", so we know you are safely back and we don't have to search for you.

Standard Event Fees

Beginner Courses

All other courses

Juniors are age 8 to 20; under age 8 is free.

You may do a course with friends as a team. Every person on a team pays the entry fees listed above, and the team will rent a single E-punch finger stick.

We accept cash, checks, and credit or debit cards at our events. If you pre-register using our online entry form, you can pay with a card or your PayPal account.

A second course may be completed for no additional fee; just pay for the more-expensive course. Questions? Write to the Event Director with questions about a specific event. (There's a link with the Event Director's email address at the top of the event webpage.) Write to registrar@baoc.org with questions about event registration and general questions about orienteering.

What type of Events are there?

Orienteering has four official divisions, Foot-O, Ski-O, Mountain Bike-O, Trail-O, and numerous variants.

Foot-O

Most BAOC events fall into this category. There are several variations on the theme:

• Standard (Point-to-Point)
  The standard format, used for most events and all formal competitions. Competitors find several control locations in a specified order; the winner is the person with the fastest time. Competitors start at different times, usually separated by 2 to 4 minutes to discourage following. There are usually several courses available, from beginner through advanced.
• Score-O
  Competitors visit as many controls as they can, in any order, within a specified time limit. The controls are worth points, sometimes different amounts based on difficulty. There are usually penalty (minus) points for each minute (and fraction of a minute) that you finish over the time limit. The winner is the person with the most points; scoring ties are broken by the faster time.
• Goat
  A long-distance endurance event that is usually a point-to-point course. In addition to increased length (and climb), a goat usually differs from standard point-to-point courses by having a mass start, and often includes special rules such as permission to skip a control, the option to select which of two "equivalent" controls you want to visit, and a group of controls that can be visited in any order. BAOC has held an annual Golden Goat event since 1996. There is a shorter Golden Kid alternative for people with less stamina than those who tackle the full goat. Typically, the Goat and Kid start at the same time.
• Rogaine
  A really long Score-O event, with time limits of 3, 6, 12, or 24 hours, generally using really large maps. The acronym "ROGAINE" was invented in the 1970s from Rugged Outdoor Group Activity Involving Navigation and Endurance​—​or from a combination of the inventor's names (ROd, GAIl, and NEil)​—​depending on who you ask.
• Relay
  This is a variation on the standard format in which multiple (often three or four) team members run successive point-to-point courses, with a map hand-off from one runner to the next (i.e., the "finishing" runner grabs the next map from an array for the teams, and hands the map to the next runner). The Relay begins with all the first-leg runners doing a mass start, but with "forking" of the courses done to discourage following. After all the team members have run their courses, every team will have run the same courses, but in different orders because of the forking. The winning team is the one that finishes the last leg first. The hand-offs and the finish are often quite exciting for the team members and the spectators.
• Motala
  This is another variation on point-to-point orienteering in which the competitors pass through the start/finish doing multiple short loops (each with a new map) to create a long course. This format is often used on a small map to create a longer course. Named after the city of Motala, Sweden.
• Night-O
  An event that is held after dark is called a Night-O. The event might have the format of a point-to-point course or of a Score-O.

Trail-O

This variation involves precise reading of the map and terrain. Trail orienteers must identify decoys and the appropriate controls shown on the map. It is usually conducted on trails and is accessible to physically disabled participants. There is no timing between points nor any route choices. Accuracy is the objective of this variation. It's not as easy as it sounds!

Ski-O

Ski orienteering is similar to point-to-point foot orienteering, except that competitors are on cross-country skis. BAOC has hosted Ski-Os at Bear Valley and Royal Gorge.

Mountain Bike-O

Orienteering on mountain bikes is an endurance sport attracting both orienteering and mountain bike enthusiasts. It's the newest of the orienteering disciplines. Mountain Bike-O is not a regular part of the BAOC schedule.

What are Sprint, Middle, and Long Courses?

• Sprint courses often take place in urban environments (parks and college campuses) using a large scale (1:4000) map. They emphasize fast running and decision making. Expected winning time is 12–18 minutes.

• Middle distance courses are intended to focus on technical map reading in detailed terrain. Expected winning time is 30-40 minutes.

• Classic courses are traditional courses which combines route choice, terrain running, and technical navigation. Expected winning time is 30-80 minutes depending on course level

• Long distance courses emphasize route choice and terrain running. Expected winning time is 30-100 minutes depending on course level

What Are The Rules For Orienteering?

The U.S Competition Rules for Orienteering are established by Orienteering USA (OUSA).

The International Competition Rules for Orienteering are established by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF).

What Is A National Ranking Event (NRE)?

The designation "NRE" is given to the highest-quality orienteering events. In order to receive such a designation, the event must be sanctioned by Orienteering USA (OUSA), meeting strict criteria to maintain quality in both courses and organization.

Across the country, there are around twenty National Ranking Events a year. Many people travel great distances to attend an NRE. Out-of-town entrants for BAOC NREs generally make up at least one-third of the total number of entrants. OUSA maintains a ranking system whereby competitors can compare themselves to other competitors across the country. Only NRE courses count towards the rankings.

Usually NREs are held over a weekend and include two or more days. A common format is to have a three-day event with Sprint courses, Middle courses, and Long courses on the individual days.

When a club maps a new area of good quality, it will often hold an NRE on that terrain. Entrance fees for NREs are higher than those for local events (though still lower than a typical "big" running race).

Preregistration is required for NREs, often with phased deadlines and increasing fees. Start times for each event are assigned in advance, and the start procedure is more formal than at a local event, to make the event run smoothly.

Do not be intimidated by the extra formality of an NRE, nor by the fact that many out-of-town people attend. NREs still accommodate orienteers of all abilities and inclinations. Everyone can benefit from the extra-high quality​—​for instance, many BAOC members (ages 7 to 80+!) attend the annual U.S. Championships (the pinnacle of U.S. orienteering) wherever they are held. Even if you don't wish to travel around the country to attend NREs, you should make every effort possible to attend the NREs that BAOC hosts. These are opportunities not to be missed!

In order to serve people who don't want to participate in the competition, most NREs additionally offer some shorter recreational courses.

As one of the larger clubs in the United States, BAOC usually puts on one or two NREs per year. Sometimes a BAOC NRE will be a U.S. Championship event.

What Are the Hazards?

Usual precautions needed for Hiking in the Bay Area should be taken. Common hazards to watch out for are heat exhaustion, ankle injuries, wild pigs, rattlesnakes and ticks. Poison oak is a particular issue for orienteering on Intermediate and Advanced courses. Ticks bites are unusual but carry the risk of disease so should be monitored carefully if you do get one.

Poison Oak

• Some Bay Area parks have a lot of poison oak present especially if you are off the trail. Look up images online so that you are familiar with its appearance.
• Ask a club member whether Poison Oak is a problem in the park. Course setter notes often mention this along with other useful information.
• The oil from the Poison Oak plant brushes off on your skin and clothes - you cannot see it and it is easy to spread it around yourself if exposed. If not washed off immediately it can cause an itchy rash and blisters over the following days.
• The standard precautions as as follows:
  • Avoid touching the plant if at all possible.
  • Wear long sleeves and long pants.
  • As soon as possible after the event, remove all exterior clothes and shoes, do not touch them again until they are washed.
  • Use Tecnu or a strong soap and water on any exposed skin.
  • Wash all your clothes to remove any Poison Oak oil. Reapply soap or Tecnu and rinse off in the shower with lukewarm, not hot, water (which opens your pores and lets in the oil).

If you are very allergic or were in some serious PO, you may still get some rash in the next 24 to 72 hours. As soon as you notice some small red bumps or itching, wash again with Tecnu. If the rash is bad, you may need to see a doctor for a prescription strength steroid.

There are several products that claim to provide protection either before or after exposure. Many orienteers use Tecnu for prevention and treatment of the itchy rash that comes with exposure. It is available at local drug stores. You can also use a strong liquid dish-washing soap or various other products.

Heat Exhaustion

Know your limits and stay hydrated.

Foot/Ankle injuries

If you are off-trail and moving through tall grass, remember that the grass may conceal holes and depressions. Move cautiously until you have a “feel” for what the ground is like under the grass. Taping your ankles in advance can help

Wildlife

• Coyotes – Don’t approach.
• Mt. Lion – Don’t run; make yourself look large and noisy.
• Rattlesnakes – Don’t approach, back away.
• Wild Hogs – Don’t approach.
• Ticks - Check after your course and remove as soon as possible.

Getting Lost

If you can, go back to your last control point. If not, get to any control point. Signal any other orienteers, give them your name and what course you are running. Let them know if you need urgent assistance, or if they can finish their course and then report your situation. Remember: We will search for you, and we will pick up all control points beginning at 2pm. Likewise, if you come upon another orienteer lost or in distress, sportsmanship and human decency should guide your actions.

What Do the Abbreviations Found in Results Mean?

When an orienteer does not complete a course, one of the following abbreviations will appear in the finish-time column of the results:

DNF – Did Not Finish

The orienteer did not complete the course​—​that is, one or more controls are missing from their results. They may have gotten lost, tired, or injured, or they may not have found one or more of the controls. When the orienteer reports to E-punch Download, the E-punch computer will note the missing control(s), and the DNF classification will be applied. Notes: Everybody should punch at the Finish, even if they skipped/missed any controls on the course. For safety reasons, it is important that everybody go to E-punch Download after their course, so the organizers know they are back.

MSP, MP – Mispunch

The orienteer punched at an incorrect control instead of at the correct control. For example, this happens when someone punches at a control without checking the control code, and it's the wrong control for their course. This result can also be applied when an orienteer punches the correct controls, but in the wrong order. Notes:

Punching "extra" controls is not a problem as long as the orienteer ends up having punched all the course controls in the correct order.

DSQ, DQ – Disqualified

This means the competitor violated an orienteering rule, such as running through an out-of-bounds area, getting help from others, using an illegal navigational aid, or failing to download their results.

OVT, OT – Overtime

At a National Event, this indicates that the orienteer took more than the maximum time allowed to complete the course. Under OUSA orienteering rules, unless a longer or shorter time is declared in the event information, the maximum time allowed is 1 hour for Sprint courses, 2 hours for Middle (Short) courses, 3 hours for Long (Classic) courses, and 5 hours for Ultra Long courses. At other events, this indicates that the orienteer finished after the announced course-closing time, or took more than the announced maximum time to complete the course.

DNS – Did Not Start

Indicates that a registered orienteer did not show up to run their course.

SPW, SWD, SWL – Sporting Withdrawal

The orienteer aborted their course for altruistic reasons. They may have stopped to help an injured orienteer, for example, or discovered a missing control and returned to report it.