British Orienteering have this great summary of the appeal of orienteering to many people:
“Orienteering is an exciting outdoor adventure sport suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
Orienteering is an exciting outdoor adventure sport that exercises mind and body.
The aim is to navigate between checkpoints or controls marked on a special orienteering map. There is no set route so the skill and fun come from trying to find the best way to go.
In competitive orienteering, the challenge is to complete the course in the quickest time”.
You can learn more from this newcomers guide to orienteering on the British Orienteering Website which explains the types of events and courses available.
Here is an example of a map for one of our areas in Derby, showing how, if you want to, you can use your GPS watch to trace the route you followed and compare to others.
They have also produced a video called Orienteering Adventure sport for all explaining the basics.
A beginners guide is also available as a pdf download.
A set of Orienteering Skills Videos produced by South London Orienteers are available on the British Orienteering Website.