Orienteering notes

ORIENTEERING NOTES

VOCABULARY

ORIENTEERING DEFINITION: It  is a sport that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points

ORIENTEERING TERMS

·         mapa de orientación: orienteering map

·         carrera de orientación: orienteering course

·         recorrido: course

·         control: control/checkpoint

·         pinza marcadora: control punch

·         baliza: control marker

·         número del control: control number

·         tarjeta de control: control card

·         círculo del control: control circle

·         tramo entre dos controles: a leg

·         plabra pista: key Word

·         plano guía : master map

·         rumbo preciso: precise bearing

·         rumbo de seguridad: safety bearing

·         una curva de nivel: a contour line

·         punto de ataque: attack point

·         objeto del control: control feature

·         símbolos: symbols

·         leyenda: legend or key

·         brújula: compass

·         escala de la brújula: scale of the compass

·         localización: location

·         talonamiento: pace counting/pacing

·         símbolo de salida: start symbol

·         símbolo de llegada: finish symbol

·   un montículo: a knoll

VERBS AND EXPRESSIONS:

·         doblar el mapa: to fold the map

·         sujetar el mapa: to hold the map

·         orientar un mapa: to orient a map

·         hacer coincidir la orientación  del mapa con los detalles del terreno : to match the orientation of the map to  the features on the ground

·         dirigirse hacia la derecha/izquierda: to head right/left

·         usar una brújula para orientar el mapa: to use a compass to orient the map

·         orientar el mapa hacia el norte. To orient the map to the north/to point to north

·         atravesar la vegetación: to run through vegetation

·         medir la distancia entre dos puntos: to measure the distance between two points

·         contar pasos hasta cubrir la distancia: count paces until the distance is covered

·         tomar un rumbo: to take a bearing

·         marcar la tarjeta de control con la pinza marcadora: to mark/punch the control card with the control punch

·         visitar un control en un tiempo determinado: to visit a control within a fixed time

·         asignar un valor a cada control: to allot a point value to each control

·         descontar puntos por el tiempo en el que el particpante llegue después del tiempo asignado: to deduct points for the amount of time the participant gets after the allotted time is up.

·         técnica del pulgar. thumbing

PARTS OF A COMPASS

Baseplate/Placa base	hard, flat surface on which the rest of the compass is mounted. It has a ruler on its edge for measuring distances on maps. Its edge is straight and useful for laying lines on a map
Scales/escalas	each edge of a compass may have different rulers for use with different map scales
Direction-of-Travel Arrow/Flecha de dirección	marked on the base plate. You point this the way you will be traveling
Index Pointer/Index line	butt end of the direction-of-travel arrow. It ends right at the edge of the dial and is where you take degree readings
Dial/Dial	ring around the housing that has degree markings engraved. You hold the dial and rotate it to rotate the entire housing
Orienting Arrow/Flecha Norte del limbo	marked on the floor of the housing. It rotates with the housing when the dial is turned. You use it to orient a compass to a map
Orienting Lines/Líneas norte sur del limbo	series of parallel lines marked on the floor of the housing and on the base plate
Magnetic north needle: aguja norte magnética	magnetized piece of metal that has one end painted red to indicate North. It sits on a fine point that is nearly frictionless so it rotates freely when the compass is held fairly level and steady
Compass Housing/Limbo	main part of the compass. It is a round plastic container filled with liquid and has the compass needle inside

THE MAIN USES OF A COMPASS

1)    To draw a north arrow on our  school map by using Magnetic North (instructions/steps to follow)

·         Lay your school map out in front of you on a relatively flat, smooth surface, keep in mind that the map must be horizontal in order to be oriented with a compass.

·         Match the orientation of the map to the position of features on the ground

·         Place the compass on the school map and rotate the compass until the direction-of-travel arrow is aligned with the red part of the magnetic needle.

·         Draw an arrow along the compass edge and keep in mind that the tip of the arrow must point to the same direction that the direction –of- travel arrow.

2)      To orient a map (instructions/steps to follow)

·         Lay/Spread your school map out in front of you on a relatively flat, smooth surface, keep in mind that the map must be horizontal in order to be oriented with a compass.

·         Find North on the map. Maps are generally pointed so north is at the top of the paper.

·         Turn your compass housing so that the orienting arrow (the “N” on the compass) is aligned with the direction-of- travel arrow.

·         Place the compass on the map so that the orienting arrow arrow (the “N” on the compass) is aligned with the north of the map and place it with the edge of the baseplate parallel to the north and south meridians on the map. Notice the orienting lines and the direction – of- travel arrow are all parallel with the map lines.

·         Turn/Rotate map and compass together until the red part of the magnetic needle is boxed in the orienting arrow (Red in Shed) The map is now oriented and ready to read bearings.

3)    To obtain or take the bearing between two controls on the map

·         Lay/Spread your school map out in front of you on a relatively flat, smooth surface, keep in mind that the map must be horizontal in order to be oriented with a compass.

·         Find North on the map. Maps are generally pointed so north is at the top of the paper.

·         Place the compass on the map so that the direction –of- travel arrow or one edge of its baseplate connects both controls on the map. Make sure that the direction –of- travel arrow point to the control you go and not to the control you leave.

·         Turn your compass housing until the orienting arrow is aligned with the north- south meridians on the map.

·         Take or Read the bearing at the index pointer line.

4)    To take/follow a bearing from a control of the map

·         Orient the map

·         Turn your compass housing so that the value of the given bearing to follow is placed at the index pointer, just above the direction –of- travel arrow.

·         Place one edge of the base plate of your compass in the center of the control point and turn the compass without moving the map until the magnetic needle is boxed in the orienting arrow (Red in Shed)

·         Draw an arrow along the compass edge and from the control point to the taken bearing. Make sure that the tip of the arrow must point to the same direction as the direction –of- travel arrow

5)    To take/follow a bearing from a control point on the ground

·         Turn your compass housing so that the value of the given bearing to follow is placed at the index pointer, just above the direction –of- travel arrow.

·         Turn the compass with your hand until the red part of the magnetic needle is boxed in the orienting arrow (Red in Shed)

·         Then, you must run and follow the direction –of- travel arrow.

6)    To obtain/take the bearing from your position to another object on the ground

·         From your current position point to the desired object by using the direction –of- travel arrow to connect both points

·         Turn the compass housing until the red part of the magnetic needle is boxed the orienting arrow (Red in Shed)

·         Take or Read the bearing at the index pointer line.