Orienteering: A Great, Outdoors Scandi Adventure for ALL!
Orienteering is good for EVERYONE, of ALL AGES. Anyone who likes a scavenger hunt in the outdoors, will like this. Anyone who doesn't like that sort of thing, needs to try it once in a while anyway to keep their brains active and doing new things!
Event Details
- There will always be easy and difficult courses in the orienteering events. The events are held mostly at local Metro Parks around Columbus.
- There is also always compass instruction available. There are several people available for instruction at every event, including Annie Almstedt, our Scandi Club Coordinator.
- Lastly, the Club (Central Ohio Orienteering) will also go looking for anyone we THINK got lost if they haven't checked back in. So - we have a safety net!
- Events occur, come rain or shine. If raining, consider bringing dry clothes/shoes for changing.
What is the connection to Scandinavia? Orienteering is a historically late 1800s Scandinavian military training task, which morphed over the decades into a sporting event. Every year, Sweden hosts one of the largest international orienteering events in the world, called the "O-Ringen".
If all other nudges to encourage you to get out there and go to a COO event have failed, then let me note this: Your Scandinavian heritage is calling you to go orienteer in 2024! We've formed an "Orienteering Scandi-League" this year, and we'll celebrate the results in December!
Brain Benefits: Time magazine - and other news outlets - reported on a study specifically done of orienteering and how good it is for our brains. It makes us use so much of our brain to figure out where we are and how to get to the next place we want to go. It is actually good to "get lost" and it is good to get out of the normal routine. Orienteering offers some risk of getting lost while we figure out a pathway, and for sure it gets us out into nature, outside of our daily routines.
Read more about the study here | Scientific study
2024 Events Schedule
- May 11 Saturday) - Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, Galloway
- June 1 (Saturday) - A. W. Marion State Park, Circleville
- September 14 (Saturday) - Sharon Woods Metro Park, Westerville
- October 19 (Saturday) - Alley Park, Lancaster
- November 10 (Sunday) - Great Seal of Ohio State Park, Chillicothe
- December TBD date (Sat or Sun) - Three Creeks Metro Park, Groveport
Event Logistics
Look for conspicuous signage at events, typically a large white/orange square at the park entrance and another near the reserved shelter/park section where the club starts and finishes.
Start your walk or run between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and details are available on the COO website or Facebook pages. If possible, let's meet at 11 a.m. at the start.
Contact
As Annie Almstedt, our Scandi-Orienteering Coordinator, says, "It's the perfect sport. I know I am better at it NOW than I was 5 years ago, but I have this crazy hope I can still get better. So, I go as often as I can, all year round. It's good to do hard things!"
Annie Almstedt,
ohioalmstedts@att.net
614-975-3413
Registration and Donations:
Register for events with the Scandinavian Club to gauge member interest.
Inform Annie of your attendance, at the event.
No charge for Metro Park events, but COO accepts donations.
