You
might
think
of
school
trips
in
the
drizzling
rain
when
you
think
of
orienteering,
but
in
reality
it’s
a
thriving
sport
in
France.
If
you’re
looking
for
different
things
to
do
in
France
on
your
summer
holiday,
have
a
read
of
our
beginner’s
guide
to
orienteering
in
France
below!
What
is
orienteering?
Technically
orienteering
is
a
sport
that
uses
navigational
skills,
a
compass,
and
a
map
to
walk
or
run
your
way
around
a
course.
The
course
will
generally
be
unfamiliar
and
challenging
terrain.
Orienteering
used
to
be
a
military
training
exercise,
but
now
it’s
a
popular
thing
to
do
in
the
Alps.
It’s
a
great
way
to
get
the
kids
involved
in
a
long
country
walk,
as
it’s
basically
a
treasure
map!
There
are
big
events
as
well
as
small
family-friendly
courses
all
over
the
mountains.
If
it’s
a
big
orienteering
event,
the
professionals
will
likely
be
running
cross-country
style,
but
don’t
worry,
most
people
will
be
walking!
Don’t
believe
this
is
actually
a
real
life
sport?
There’s
an
International
Orienteering
Federation
with
guidelines
and
rules.
Plus,
World
Orienteering
Championships,
in
which
France
is
5th,
and
Great
Britain
is
9th!
If
orienteering
by
foot
doesn’t
take
your
fancy,
there’s
also
canoe,
car,
mountain
bike
and
ski
orienteering!
Where
can
I
try
orienteering?
The
options
of
where
you
can
try
orienteering
in
France
really
is
broad.
Aix
Les
Bains
features
a
great
course
through
the
Corsuet
Forest.
The
Kamelot
Camp
in
Courchevel
is
a
lovely
course,
costing
€10
per
person,
while
the
Équipements
Sportifs
et
Ludiques
is
free.
Les
Gets
also
has
an
orienteering
course,
as
well
as
Fontaine
in
Naves.
For
a
full
list
of
France’s
orienteering
courses,
visit
the
official
website.
Do
I
need
any
equipment?
To
go
orienteering
all
you’ll
need
is
comfy
walking
gear,
including
good
walking
boots,
a
rain
mac,
plenty
of
water,
and
a
picnic
highly
recommended!
You
should
be
provided
with
a
compass,
a
topographic
map
with
the
course
printed
on
it
in
red,
and
a
clear
plastic
map
case.
From
there
all
you’ll
need
to
do
is
find
the
markers!
Try
not
to
look
at
your
phone
or
GPS,
but
do
take
these
just
in
case
you
get
genuinely
lost!
How
about
prior
skills?
There
are
no
prior
skills
needed
to
go
orienteering.
Even
if
you
think
you’re
terrible
at
navigating
(ie.
You’re
the
one
who
gets
you
lost
on
a
road
trip,
and
can
be
found
holding
a
map
upside
down),
you
actually
have
the
skills
in-built.
Yes,
navigation
is
innate.
We
know
our
way
to
work,
and
how
to
find
where
things
are
in
a
supermarket.
It’s
all
about
knowing
what
to
look
for,
which
way
to
go,
and
how
far
away
it
is.
Those
are
the
key
skills
for
orienteering,
but
generally
it’s
just
a
great
way
to
spend
an
afternoon
romping
around
the
mountains!
