RAF Orienteering Association

More than running with a map

I’d like to see anyone try and deny that navigation skills aren’t important, even in the world of GPS and mobile phone mapping. I sometimes wonder why other people struggle to remember directions, seem to have absolutely no sense of direction and can’t hold a map the right way round. Well, there is an answer. I would be the first to admit it can appear a crazy sport. But the basic principle is this: you have a compass, an electronic dibber thing and a ‘map’, which to the uninitiated looks rather like an artist’s impression of the London tube map overlain with hieroglyphics. And it probably makes about as much sense.

No other sport tests body and mind in quite the same way

Stick with it. With a little patience and humour, what is at first confusing, transforms into a delightful puzzle. There is no other sport that tests both the mind and the body in quite the same way. It’s like trying to solve a level four sudoku puzzle whilst simultaneously running an obstacle course.

Get involved – we are an inclusive and growing club

RAFO is an inclusive club. We welcome regulars, reservists, air cadets, veterans and family members. We have active coaches and provide training and loan equipment to novices. Members regularly attend mid-week military league and weekend civilian events. For the more adventurous we run a subsidised annual overseas visit. So, get out there and give it go. You never know, you might just get hooked!