Night navigation coaching session (Tues 22 July)

NIGHT NAVIGATION: Tues, 22 July 2014

You know how it goes. A friend says, "Let's get together for coffee". And then a year passes...

Once my navigation coaching routine from March / April got out-of-sync with the April/May public holidays, our National Orienteering Squad coaching weekend and then Expedition Africa and then Metrogaine... Well, my AR-style nav coaching sessions went a bit like that coffee arrangement. They didn't happen.

Over the Easter weekend I was involved with our youth, junior and senior orienteering squads and in addition to coaching I participated in a fun relay event (daylight) and a night O. Running through those forests in the pitch-black night... I'm still tingling with delight! I had the most superb, spot-on run. Not everyone did.

Navigating at night is a totally different game. It can be stressful but it can also be good fun - if you know where you are.

In low visibility conditions (night, forests, vegetation, fog) your compass is key. You need to know how to use it and trust it. Your map orientation also has to be spot-on and you've got to keep distance judgement in mind too, especially for technical controls.

"How do I navigate at night?" is a question I often hear from my navigation students and adventure racers.

On Tuesday, 22 July 2014 I'll give you some of the tools that will see you through the night. Of course practice-practice-practice is also key. Practice in daylight hones your skills; practice at night builds your confidence.

Date: Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Venue: Delta Park. Use the parking off Pitcairn Road (near the intersection with Penelope Avenue)

Session 1: 17h00 to 17h45: Compass use (orientating map with compass; direction of travel)
Session 2: 18h00 to 19h00: Practical activity

Cost: R50/session

To bring:

• Headlamp
• Warm clothing
• Base-plate compass (I have got a number of compasses available for your use if you don't yet have your own compass)

If you walk/run with a mobile app (or other device) that tracks your movements by GPS, I'll gladly give you feedback on your route choices.

Please book, don't just rock up. Payment confirms booking and map printing. And also gives me an idea of numbers so that I know how many other coaches to pull in.

Note that this is NOT an event or race. It is for the express purpose of coaching compass and night navigation skills.

We (Adventure Racing Club) are cooking up a Night Series for summer (similar but different to our Summer Series which we held earlier this year). You can race then.

I hope to see you on the 22nd.

Lisa

lisa@ar.co.za

P.S. If you have not yet considered entering the annual foot & mtb rogaining event on the weekend of 26/27 July, please give it some thought. Phone me if you have questions about it. Navigation and strategy in one event. www.roc.org.za/rogaine.