So there you are, waiting for your start time in a forest that
is new to you, possibly with a new or an ageing map, just raring to
get into your run when you can use all your textbook orienteering
skills to notch up a fast time. What you need to focus on is using
fully the information on the map to lead you into the controls without
mishap - but is it really so cut and dried? Many of us set out on
runs with the assumptions made that the map provided is accurate and
that we can interpret it fully right from the start - after all, our
navigational errors are normally the cause of lost time. But some of
those errors may well come from the above assumptions: an experienced
orienteer might not be so trusting, particularly early on in a run. A
list of possible problem areas is given below - all have cost me
significant time (> 15 minutes) in events.
Ditches - an area criss-crossed with ditches
may just have the larger (deeper or wider?) ones mapped. Remember
this on entering such an area, as the ditches you count off might not
all be on the map.
Clearings - the mapper may depict a clearing
as an area without trees, one with less dense trees or one with much
smaller trees in it. Also if the map was drawn some time ago trees may
have grown up.
Vegetation change - get a feel for what the
mapper sees as a vegetation change before you consider navigating
solely from one. Certainly do not use one as an attack point for your
first control.
Crags & boulders - one mapper’s crag can be
another’s rocky outcrop that is not worth marking on the map.
Generally the mapper will omit crags & boulders under certain heights
but you do not know the heights when you start (although control
descriptions can help define it). The heights will vary from area to
area.
Marshes - Marsh sizes can vary significantly
depending upon the weather in the weeks leading up to the event,
but the typical size should be marked on the map. Also remember
that streams can run dry in dry conditions while in a downpour there
might be other, unmapped streams present.
Path/ride ends - the path or ride would have
ended where marked on the map at the time of mapping but that is no
guarantee that it still ends where marked, particularly on older maps.
Paths - number & use - particularly on older
maps the number of paths in an area may have changed since the map
was drawn or the usage may have varied. What is marked as a small
path may be rather more than that once a few forestry vehicles have
been along it.
So, having spread possible gloom and despondency
with the above warnings, what is to be done during this exemplary run
of yours. Firstly you should develop a feel for the relationship
between what is on the ground and what appears on the map as your run
progresses: so if you are passing by a boulder or crag marked on the
map take a look at it and see what size it is - do the same with a
clearing. Secondly, be aware of these pitfalls, particularly early
on; take your time and rely on those elements in a map and your
technique in which you have confidence - contours, big line features,
path junctions, compass bearings and pacing. Also choose catching
features that are very, very definite early on.