Below is a map with a Trail Orienteering course.

As can be seen, the map appears identical in form with foot orienteering maps and is used for terrain interpretation in the same way, except that competitors have to remain on the tracks. The recognition of landform and features has to be carried out at a distance, possibly with reduced visibility. Sometimes parts of the map are blanked out, if they are being used for timed controls during or after the main course.
To give an idea of the nature of the problems that orienteers have to solve, the IOF published the document Technical Introduction to Trail Orienteering for Experienced Foot Orienteers which presents all the challenges proposed on the course shown in the image above.
This document, being from 2011, contains some outdated information, which we have corrected in the virtual course we present. For example, in 2011 the courses drawn on a Trail Orienteering map still had the lines connecting the control points, which have since stopped being used, so we removed them from all virtual course maps.
In this photo-O demonstration course each control has a photograph, taken from the decision point, or closer to the feature, on the same line. The reason for sometimes shortening the range for the photograph is that the flags always appear more distant and less visible in photographs than they do in the terrain. Moving closer to the feature offsets this effect.
Some controls have a second photograph taken from another position along the track, in order to supplement the view from the decision point. This mimics the movement permitted in the terrain and shows why it is often necessary to view the control from different angles.
The descriptions are standard IOF pictorial descriptions.
With each photograph is the solution map, which is an enlargement of a section of the competition map. On the solution map the red cross is the decision point and the red dots are flag positions.
Finally, comments on the method of solution, and any other relevant facts are added.
Virtual course
To complete the virtual course with all the information, click on the “CONTROL #…” links to go to the page with the complete description, images, solutions and comments about each control point.
The virtual course can also be done in a simplified way, using only the images in the table below (click on the images to enlarge them).
Control point | Control description | Map | Photo | Solution |
---|---|---|---|---|
CONTROL #1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #2 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #3 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #4 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #5 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #6 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #7 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #8 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #9 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #10 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #11 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #12 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
CONTROL #13 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |