Orienteering events occur all over the UK and are brilliant and great fun to take part in, pitting oneself against other likeminded folk.

Check out https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/home for more info.

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, orienteering can be undertaken as a sole or group activity, using apps such as ‘maprun’. In this case, a course is chosen, downloaded and printed out, and once started your mobile phones GPS is used to log control points as you find them. When you reach the finish, the app stops recording and uploads and displays the results on the maprun server, so you can see how you did compared to everyone else who has completed the course. Whether you are a beginner navigator who wants some practice, or a seasoned orienteer who fancies competing themselves against others, this is a great facility for developing and practicing your navigation.

At Yorkshire Dales Guides, we have developed a number of these courses located in the Yorkshire Dales for use in our own navigation courses, as well as for fun group events. So, if you are a group wanting an exciting and energetic day out (with a bit of healthy competition thrown in), why not give it a try. Courses range from easy to difficult, and all materials are provided (specially printed map, compass). All you need to bring is your phone with the ‘maprun’ software installed, appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear (don’t worry, we’ll provide a list), a sense of adventure and we’ll sort the rest.