The courses are named by color using a scheme established by the U.S. Orienteering Federation. Generally, longer courses involve more challenges and more difficult off-trail navigation.
As a courtesy to others on the course – please limit your group per map to the size noted in the description of each course.
WHITE COURSE
The Short Introductory course for beginners. Perfect for those who are unsure of themselves in the forest, or who have little or no topographic map experience. No compass skills are needed.
Challenge: Easy navigation, controls mainly on trails or along streams and lakes.
Length: Usually under 3 km.
Maximum Group Size per Map = 6.
YELLOW COURSE
The Long Introductory Course for newbies. For those with some basic knowledge of map reading and terrain identification. A good course to practice compass skills.
Challenge: Navigation problems are easy to moderate. Controls are not too far off a trail. Fairly easy to identify terrain features.
Length: Usually 3km to 4km range in length.
Maximum Group Size per Map = 5.
ORANGE COURSE
The Intermediate Course. For those with some experience in map reading or those who are ready for more than the yellow course challenge. Ideally, much time is spent off trails. Controls typically have a “catch” or “handrail” feature to assist in navigation. Compass skills are needed from time-to-time.
Challenge: Navigation problems are all moderately difficult. Uses major or more evident terrain features.
Length: Usually in the 3km to 5km range.
Maximum Group Size per Map = 4.
BROWN/GREEN/RED/BLUE COURSES
All are Advanced Courses demanding both very good map reading and compass skills.
Challenges: Navigational challenges are at the same level of difficulty with most controls well-off trails. Course design gives flexible route options and more time away from readily identifiable features.
Length: Courses become progressively longer in length, requiring better physical conditioning. Brown 3-5km, Green 4-6km, Red 5-8km, Blue 7-12km.
Maximum Group Size per Map: Brown/Green = 3, Red/Blue = 2.
SCORE-O COURSE
Unlike the usual courses – consisting of a sequence of controls to visit in a prescribed order. Score-O allows you to visit a large number of controls in any order you like.
Challenges: We usually have a fixed time limit, with more controls than you could possibly visit in that time, and we usually have varying point values for the controls depending upon their difficulty. The maximum accumulated points is the objective.
NIGHT-O COURSE
Controls will have lights/reflectors inside or on them, courses will be a bit shorter, and flashlights are a MUST. Otherwise it’s the same as SCORE-O.