Course Setting (Part I) by Mike Schuh Before anyone can try their hand at orienteering, a course must be set out in the forest. This is the task of the course setter, sometimes referred to as the course designer. Technically, the course designer is the one who figures out where to place each control marker and writes the description for each control location. The markers are then physically placed in the forest by the course setter. At some of our more important events, the placement will be verified by a course vetter; ideally, the course design at our largest events is also carefully scrutinized in the forest by a course controller (this is required in many foreign countries; in the United States, the design is approved on paper by a course consultant). At most Washington State events, the course designer and course setter are the same person; we rarely have a course vetter and only once or twice has anyone served as a course controller. Course Standards First, a bit of background on the different courses offered at various orienteering events. In the United States, events are classified as Class A, B, or C. The first two must meet certain rules set by the United States Orienteering Federation, while Class C events have no national rules (most of the events in Washington State are Class C). USOF has specified the following courses for sanctioned Class A meets: Course Winning time Length White 30 minutes less than 3 km Yellow 40 3.5-4.5 Orange 50 4 - 5 Brown 50 3.5 - 4.5 Green 50 4 - 5 Red 60 5 - 7 Blue 60-80 7-12 The use of colors to identify the courses is historical. Nearly all other national federations use numbers, as do the clubs in Washington State and British Columbia. (The USOF rules also specify age groups for each of the courses.) Beginning in 1988 COC has usually set at least four courses at our regular events (novelty and special events - canoe and ski O' for example - might have fewer courses). These courses have been intended to meet the following criteria: Course Winning time Length Description 1 10-20 min. 1.0-2.5 km EASY! on handrails, ideally at junctions 2 15-30 1.5 - 3.0 still easy, controls adjacent to handrails 3 30 - 40 2.5 - 4.0 controls just beyond collecting features 4 40-60 3.0-? controls in front of collecting features Some definitions: a linear feature is an easily followed "line" on the map, such as a trail or road, or the edge of an areal feature such as a lake or clearing; a handrail is a linear feature that roughly parallels the desired route of travel; and a collecting feature is a linear feature perpendicular to the direction of travel which provides the orienteer with an unmistakable navigational aid. Winning time is loosely defined as the time the fastest participant will take to complete the course, typically by running. It should be remembered that everyone else will take a much longer time, particularly on Course 1, which will be attempted by many first-timers. The lengths given can only be approximate, as differences in the forest - topography, vegetation, amount of detail, map scale, quality and accuracy of the map, even the weather and time of day and season - will affect how fast an orienteer can move through it. The best way to judge the length of a course (in minutes, not kilometers) is to test run it. If, for example, you typically take twice as long as the fastest person on Course 4, then you should be able to get around your proposed Course 4 in 80 to 100 minutes OR LESS. Less because you will have the advantage of knowing in advance where the course goes and will have studied it, thereby gaining an intimate knowledge of it, which will make it easier for you to go around it quickly. Rarely will participants complain if the course is too short; you can be assured that they WILL complain if the course is too long. Technical Difficulty Strive to find interesting legs FIRST, then look for control locations for the endpoints of the legs. Adroit navigation of a leg between controls is the goal in orienteering; the controls serve to merely define the leg. For the more advanced courses, a leg becomes more interesting as it has more opportunities for fine map reading (through areas of fine detail) and many possible route choices (but do not confuse a multiplicity of route choices with good design - many dumb route options do not an interesting leg make). Remember that orienteering is a combination of running/walking and navigation. The goal is to combine these skills in equal amounts. Generally speaking, if you have found a course leg on an advanced course where the fastest route is the one requiring the most attention to the map - the most map reading - then you have probably found a good advanced leg. Physical Difficulty Technical difficulty, however, should NOT be confused with physical difficulty. Physical difficulty arises from the length of the course (measured as the shortest route between successive controls), the amount of climb, and the condition of the forest. Climb is measured by tracing, on the map, the best route (the route the winner will most likely take), counting the number of contour lines that are crossed in the uphill direction, and then multiplying this number by the contour interval. Generally, this should not exceed 4% of the length of the course; it should never be as high as 10%!! Thick vegetation will also increase the physical demands of a course, as will a rocky forest floor. Compare a 10 km springtime course at Cle Elum Ridge (a joy!) to 10 km at St. Edward State Park in late July. If you would not enjoy running the course that you have designed, then DON'T SET IT!! Novice Courses The novice courses (1 and 2) require a different mind set. The goal here is to provide an enjoyable experience (as it is on Courses 3 and 4) with the understanding that finding out who is the fastest, "best" orienteer is quite unimportant. Ideally, everyone who tries a novice course should finish it. Therefore, the novice course should be as easy as you can make it, with few route choices. One idea is to set the first control marker so that it is visible from the start - and why not? It is not a serious championship, but rather is often the first introduction many individuals have to the sport of orienteering. We can help our sport and ourselves by making the novice course fun and doable for those people who might be unfamiliar with basic map concepts. Many times I have enjoyed watching first-timers as they puzzle out how to read a map, figure out which to way to head to find the first control, look around, spot the marker on the far side of a field, and - excited that they found the first one by themselves - joyfully take off on the course. Often as not, they're hooked on the sport right then and there. DNF and DSQ/MSP At every meet and on any course, someone will either not finish (DNF, Did Not Finish) or will mispunch a control (DSQ, Disqualified or MSP, Mispunch). MSPs are usually the fault of the participant, though confusing description sheets, illegible master maps or poorly placed control markers tend to exacerbate the problem. Some DNFs arise when participants attempt a course that is beyond their ability or the weather is extreme, but most are caused by courses that are more difficult than usual. If the total DNFs for a course exceed about 4 or 5%, then the course probably should have been easier. In the next issue of Bearing 315, I will give some specifics on course design and a few practical tips on course setting. Sometime soon COC will hold a clinic on course design, open to interested orienteers. If you would like to attend, please contact me or another club leader.