Discussion: Navigation tactics for NAOC middle/long

Does anybody have any suggestions for navigation in the terrain of the middle and long at NAOC? What features are best to use? Is there any distinct vegetation? Should you avoid the limestone or aim for it?

Here is an ugly video of Mike Waddington talking about, among other things, how to orienteer in the NAOC terrain.

And he called it a "quick" description of the terrain!

Limestone may be useful for navigation to some degree, but it usually slows me enough that I avoid it. The limestone is usually in small pieces here and there, not in big expanses, though, so it's mostly a very micro route-choice thing (picking a line and where to put the feet), and a little bit of choosing routes to skirt the rock a bit.

But note that I grew up in New England in the USA, where the ground is often rocky. For me the penalty of running over limestone is fairly small, but for someone not comfortable with running on uneven bedrock (limestone pavement) or on loose rock (and I expect the area to have both), it could be a bigger hit.

Hm... sounds like people with bad ankles (i.e. yours truly) will have a rough time.

>Here is an ugly video of Mike Waddington talking about

Who you calling ugly!

Did they blur your face on purpose Mike?

All this will be in the race notes but here is some advice.

What features are best to use?

Contours. Yes, there aren't many of them and they are only 2.5m but they are mapped very well. If the contours have a rock face on them or chunks of rock they are even better.

Is there any distinct vegetation?

Nope...and because it is autumn you will find some white woods still lush and some light green wide open. Some trees have lost all their leaves. Others have not. So you can pretty much ignore light green. Some areas in the long have vegetation boundaries.

Should you avoid the limestone or aim for it?

Aim for it but avoid it. In many areas you can avoid it. In other areas you can't because the controls are in it. If you have bad ankles then tape. I have very bad ankles and with tape or active ankles I have not injured my ankle in the over 50 times I've been in the area in the last 2.5 years.

It certainly pays to use our middle/long training area. This is why we have the training area open on Friday AM, Saturday AM, and Sunday AM. Didn't order a training map? We will have about 20-25 extra maps for sale on a first come first served basis.

"Here is an ugly video of Mike Waddington talking about "

English is my second language therefore I read " ugly video "

Can we use old maps of Hilton Falls from the previous GLOF in lieu of a training map?

Due to liability reasons you can not go onto the training areas without purchasing a map but you will want to use the training map anyway. The training map includes a portion of Hilton Falls that was recently revised to the same rock mapping style as Rocky Ridge. The training map also includes a portion of the Rocky Ridge map not used in the NAOC.

When will the training map be available: mailed prior or pickup with registration?

Training maps (McMaster and Hilton Falls) are available with registration. See times and locations in the schedule.

http://www.dontgetlost.ca/glof/naocsked.pdf

It may be obvious, but another advantage of using the new training map is that the controls are flagged.