DATE: April/May 2008

A New Approach to “anytime” informal Orienteering

from Badenoch & Strathspey Orienteering Club

 

Badenoch & Strathspey now has a new series informal orienteering maps edited and printed by Allan at O-Look Map Serevices. Four different maps are available. They are being sold in local village shops and tourist information points.

            They are known as             “QUIZ ORIENTEERING MAPS” . The users purchase a map pack from a retail point and then go out and follow it at any convenient time to a series of lettered red circles on the map. As you probably know, orienteers normally find an orange and white nylon flag at the centre of each red mapped circle (or a lettered wooden post, if it is a “permanent course”). Quiz Orienteering is different. No flags or posts are required. At the centre of each circle there is a feature which will be readily recognised on the ground – such as a gate or a park bench. On the back of the map there are 26 simple questions (such as “What colour is it?”) – A to Z – one for each circle. If you can map-read correctly you should get the right answers. Each retailer receives a sheet of Correct Answers so that customers can return and check how they got on. Alternatively, the club website is listed on the map and the answers can be checked there too.

            Each map is a special edition of one of BASOC’s standard orienteering maps – but adapted for use by a wide cross section of the public, including newcomers to this activity, visitors to the area and families. The 6-colour laser printed maps are supplied folded into a plastic wallet with the title and some of the terrain visible through front and instructions for use showing at the back.

            A number of different routes round each map are possible as users explore the places shown and often a Viewpoint or place of interest is highlighted. Some of the “control sites” are accessible to people with disabilities and these are mostly indicated on the back of the map.

            Four titles are available –

TITLE

Retail Price Each

Grantown-on-Spey

£2

Nethy Bridge

£2

Kingussie

£2

St John’s Church, Rothiemurchus

£1.50

The first three maps in the list all contribute a small sum to BASOC club funds. The St John’s map is on sale to raise money for their new church hall. Anyone unable to find a retailer with stocks of the map they want can phone Allan on 01479 821716 for their map which will then be sent upon receipt of a cheque in payment of the right amount (retail price plus post and packing). New retailers wishing to stock the maps are welcome to telephone too.