Orienteering is called “the sport of the woods” because the woods are the ideal venue where to practise it. Orienteering is the right activity for those who want to escape from the usual paths, to explore new areas and discover the hidden corners of the Asiago Plateau.
Those who practice orienteering normally use specific clothes and a compass. Beginners can easily start without any special equipment, they just need a map. When you register, you are given a number to put on the chest, a map and a tag that you have to stamp at each control point as a proof that you went through all the control points indicated in your map. Recently, in more important competitions, an electronic system with a microchip has been introduced to stamp the tag more efficiently and precisely.
The participants start running with a time difference of few minutes from each other. All participants receive a map with the marked control points they have to find; the starting point is marked on the map by a triangle. Control points must be found in the same sequence as they are numbered on the map. Each control point is provided with a bright white-orange flag; an identifier, know as a control code; and a special recording mechanism for contestants to record proof that they visited the control point itself. At the end, when all control points are found, the organization goes through the tags of the participants to check the time used for the search and if all the control points on the map were visited correctly. If all the checkpoints were found in the right sequence, the one who completed the task in the shortest time wins the competition. Orienteering can be practiced outdoors throughout the year. There are four disciplines of orienteering you can practise in the Asiago Plateau:
· Classic orienteering, CO
· Mountain Bike Orienteering, MTB-O
· Cross-country skiing Orienteering, SCI-O
· Precision Orienteering, TRAIL-O
There are fifteen facilities on the Asiago Plateau to practice orienteering, from the simplest to the most challenging, covering over 100 km2 in total.
Every year, in early June, Plateau hosts an important international competition in orienteering, called “Open Highlands” that lasts three or four days and welcomes thousands of participants from all corners of the world.
Would you like to try this new and exciting sport? Are you interested in the upcoming events? Would you like to get more information? For all details contact the Office of Tourism, where you can find even some maps of the area, or visit the website www.asiago7comunisok.eu.