Tom Southworth loves being in nature. So, when he was introduced to the sport of orienteering, he was all game.
The sport involves physical and mental exercise, as participants are tasked with finding markers on an unknown course using only a map and compass. There are several of these markers, called “controls,” and whoever finds them all first wins.
It’s a bit “like a little mental puzzle,” Southworth said.
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“You’re out there exercising physically, you’re also having to mentally choose routes … and look ahead to what might be obstacles,” Southworth said.
Southworth participates in the sport through the Madison-based Badger Orienteering Club, where he serves as secretary. The club recently held its first event of the spring season at Blue Mound State Park. More events are planned through the fall.
The sport, which originated in the late 19th century as a Swedish military exercise, may sound intimidating to those who feel they have a bad sense of direction. But Susie Madden, vice president and mapping director of the Badger Orienteering Club, has an answer to that.
“I’ve heard many people say they just can’t read maps. But in fact, there is no such thing as a sense of direction or an innate ability to read maps and interpret them. Anyone can learn how to read a map. It’s a teachable skill,” she said.
Madden is also the president of On the Map, a nonprofit dedicated to introducing more people to orienteering. Her background in cartography got her interested. She’s a mapmaker by training and immediately took a liking to the sport when she first tried it.
The sport attracts people of all ages, from children to seniors.
“Older people who remember having to use maps before GPS came along appreciate the opportunity to return. And young people enjoy it because it’s something new to them. They think, ‘Oh, cool. It shows us that there’s going to be a stream coming up at the end of this trail.’ And sure enough, there’s a stream,” Madden said.
“It’s a sport [where] you can have your own goals and [compete at] your own level. You don’t need to be competing with the 25-year-olds,” Southworth said.
People can lose their way during competitions. That’s why all competitors are equipped with a whistle when they’re in the woods.
“But it’s hard to get completely lost because … you’ve got your compass, and … you know you’re not going to get lost where you can’t figure out a way out,” Southworth said.
“It’s not really getting lost. It’s getting disoriented,” Madden said.
