O-ringen: With a map and a compass

In late July 13,000 people, including my good wife and myself, gathered in Boden, on the edge of the Arctic Circle.

Nestled among spruce and birch forests strewn with moss covered boulders, it was the setting for O-Ringen, the largest orienteering competition in the World.

O-Ringen is Sweden’s national championships and consists of six days (including a rest day) of foot and mountain bike orienteering through the magical forests of Scandinavia.

And when the Swedes wish to organise something, they tend to do it well.

For those unfamiliar with the sport, orienteering consists of using a map and compass to find your way through unfamiliar terrain to a series of points in the shortest time possible.

The sport originated in Sweden as a training aid for military officers in the late 19th century and soon spread.

Orienteering came to Australia with Estonian Jess Jarver, with the first competitions being held in the Mount Lofty Ranges around Adelaide in 1955.

South Australia has a strong representation in the sport; however, it was not long before it spread around the country to the point where every state and territory has its own federation of clubs, which sit under Orienteering Australia.

The key to the sport is participation. As the control points can be placed anywhere, it is possible to create different courses of varying difficulty.

This allows for short and simple courses for very young children or beginners, longer and technically difficult courses for the fit and experienced all the way through to short and difficult courses for the elderly.

In O-Ringen, this allowed for approximately 120 different classes, and hence courses, ranging from boys and girls under 10 years old through to men over 90.

There was even a small enclosed course for children aged two to six who were too young to use compasses.

The result is that orienteering is a sport where generations of one family can compete. It is truly a family sport in the very real sense of the word.

And in the gorgeous everlasting summer sunshine of Nordbotten, there were Australians, and Japanese, and Kiwis, and Russians.

People from all over the planet descended upon this sleepy and remote part of the world, though clearly the Swedes were dominant. It was their party, after all.

I can’t say I did Australia proud, though I did manage to salvage some dignity after a disastrous day two. However, I was there for the enjoyment, and on that front it was a marvellous success.

So if you have a hankering to see some bush and challenging yourself check your local club and go orienteering. And if you have a family, bundle the kids into the car, it makes for a superb day out.

Oh, and don’t forget to pick up Grandad.