Find It Checkpoint Challenge

Lisa will do a repeat of this week's navigation coaching session on Friday, 24 Jan at 17h30 to 18h30 on the lawns near Trail Kiosk.

At the navigation session today, we added a few more tools to the navigation toolbox and polished others:

- pacing (measuring distance by counting your steps when running or walking)
- thumbing (keeping your thumb on where you are on the map and moving it as you progress)
- folding (we touched on folding the map so that it fits into your hand so that you can keep your thumb on where you are)
- awareness of map colours and symbols (we used an orienteering map today but this applies to any map; the colours and symbols give you information and tell you about the terrain and features)
- being aware of features on the map and where you are in relation to these features.
- and most important: keeping your map orientated to the terrain as you move and change direction.

Lisa will do a repeat of this session on Friday at 17h30 on the lawns at Trail Kiosk.

Next week we look at: "Attackpoints and the stories we tell ourselves"

On Lisa's To Do list this year is to develop orienteering in our area. Find It Checkpoint Challenge is a variation on a type of orienteering event so if you loved the event, you'll absolutely love other navigation-based activities - but you need a few basic skills.

Lisa is hosting navigation coaching sessions on Wednesday evenings (see below) in Jan and Feb with each session aimed at giving you additional skills. Sessions are 17h30 to 18h30 in the park at Trail Kiosk. Just come over.

George Trails Garden route Trail Running Trail Kiosk at GroundZero Garden Route Orienteering

Lisa will be hosting navigation coaching sessions on Wednesday evenings in January and February at Trail Kiosk, from 17h30 to 18h30. Starting Wednesday, 15 January 2025.

General navigation skills are useful for outdoor activities and sports as well as travel, touring and having confidence to visit new places. Having the skills and knowing that you can get yourself from A to B, and out of trouble, is a great confidence boost.

Sessions are progressive as each one builds on the next. Try to attend them all or tag-team with a friend to catch each other up.

Children of ages 12+ are welcome.

Sessions
15 Jan: Understanding map orientation, scale and pacing
22 Jan: Walking the line and thumbing
29 Jan: Attackpoints and the stories we tell ourselves
5 Feb: Understanding colours and symbols, and robot nav
12 Feb: Using a compass
19 Feb: Understanding contour lines

A 'test' event will follow. Dates to be discussed.

About Lisa de Speville
Orienteering and navigation is Lisa's passion and she has over 20 years of coaching navigation skills in the adventure racing and orienteering sports to hundreds of adults and students. Lisa is a qualified orienteering coach. She has coached at camps for Junior and World Orienteering Champs competitors, and she developed a coaching programme for schools.

George Trails Garden route Trail Running Trail Kiosk at GroundZero Find It Checkpoint Challenge

Here are some of the top-scoring routes at Find It Checkpoint Challenge on the run course, which covered a wider area than the 'walk' course.