FAQ

FAQ Page

Participant guide here.

Question: Who can come?
Answer: Come as an individual, or a small group or the whole Troop/Pack/Crew!

Question: What are the difficulty levels?
Answer: Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced

Question: How can I promote within my scouting organization?
Answer: Here is a flyer to share and these are Top 10 reasons to go Orienteering

Question: What is the difference between the Score-O and Night-O course?
Answer: A Score-O course is limited by time. Runners must strategize plotting their route to maximize points while returning in the allotted time.  Night-O is the same but after dark with reflective markers and flashlights.

Question: What is the Orienteering Merit Badge Clinic?
Answer: Geared with Scouts BSA in mind, a scout can attend this clinic and complete the vast majority of the merit badge.

Question: What is the Beginners Clinic?
Answer: A condensed clinic to give the basics of how the event is ran. Including basic compass and map skills.

Question: Who is invited?
Answer: All Scouts and Youth Organizations and Orienteering Clubs

Question: How old do you have to be? 
Answer: This event is for all scouts, all ages. Adults can compete too!   10 and under must be on the course with an adult. This should not imply that older scouts get dropped off, this is not a drop off event. Each group of scouts should have adult leadership present.

Question: Do I need special instruction or skills to do this?
Answer: No. if you can use a map to find the bathroom at the Zoo, you can navigate the beginners course. There is a beginners clinic at the event as well as a Merit Badge for BSA-Scouts. Novice can navigate the beginners course without a compass.

Question: Is there camping?
Answer: Camping is OPTIONAL.  (LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE) If you’re not camping, just be sure to get here before check-in closes at 10:30am to get your start time and punch card.  You can leave when you are done with the course, and/or stay for Awards, and/or stay for the Night-O
50% of participants typically just come for the day.

Question: Will there be food available?
Answer: There is no food service. There will be water available to fill your own bottles but you need to come prepared with your own food and/or snacks.

Question: What is a Point-to-Point?
Answer: (sometimes called “Cross Country”) An Orienteering event where 8-12 control points must be navigated to (in order) and punch-card punched to show evidence that you found each point.  Our Spring-O courses will range from 1.5 to 3.5 miles.  You can go at your own pace just for fun, or run as fast as you can and compete for the best time in your class (and a medal or ribbon to prove it!)

Question: What is a Score-O?
Answer: An Orienteering event where participants search for as many control points as they can (worth varying points) within a time limit.  Participants should consider the point value and think about how they can maximize their points in the short time-frame.  Our Score-O will be 45 minutes.

Question: What is Rec?
Answer: Rec is Recreational class/category for participants who are not competing.  You are timed but not eligible for a medal.  If you want to run in a group of more than 2, you are in the REC category.