Master map copying at Colour coded events.

You are the 1878th orienteer to start the Wight-O WebO.

The orienteering season in the UK runs from from September to June. WightO usually puts on one event a month, at such local colour coded events, the maps do not have a course pre-printed on them. You have to do that yourself just after the start. A little distance, say ten to twenty metres away from the start, you will find the master maps. There will be at least one copy of the master map for every course, there are generally two, more at larger events.

For most of our events we offer five colour coded courses. Generally Yellow (easy), Orange, Light Green, Green and Blue (hard). For all of these you will have to find the appropriate map and carefully copy the route on to your map using the pens provided. Some clubs don't provide pens so it's best to take one just in case. The best pen to use is a red ball-point. You could have bought one at registration!

It is important to get the copying right as if you mis-mark your map you will almost certainly not be able to find a control, and that would mean you would not be able to complete the course. So make sure you get it right and don't allow yourself to be pressurized by other impatient orienteers.

At regional and national events, which have no entry on the day, you will have to enter the event by post a few months before the event. You be supplied with a map when you start with your course pre-printed on it and so you will not need to copy the map at all. But you will have to pay a lot more to enter such events, e.g. £7.50 and in advance too, but they can be great days out.

Copying Master Maps Orienteers copying their routes at a WightO colour coded event in Firestone Copse.

This is what map copying looks like, set at the edge of a dense coniferous plantation on a beautiful June day. You should try it on a wet morning in February! We at WightO are proud of our record in providing red pens that actually work. Don't think of running off with our pens, they are firmly attached to the map boards by strings!
Now that you've marked up the route on your map you had better go back and have a look at your map and description sheet. If you feel really brave, you can try running direct to control 1, where you can find out more about navigation in the forest.