Complete orienteering course

Orienteering combines map reading, compass bearings, pacing, and terrain awareness to navigate through a series of wilderness checkpoints (control points). In addition to finding your way over at least one mile, this requirement challenges you to estimate heights and widths of natural or manmade obstacles using practical field geometry.

Completing an Orienteering Course

An orienteering course consists of a start, a designated sequence of control points (marked with orange-and-white nylon markers or permanent wooden posts), and a finish.

Core Course Strategies

• Know Your Pace Count: Know how many paces (every 2 steps) you take per 100 feet. Count your paces between control points to monitor distance traveled.
• Identify Handrails and Catching Features: Use prominent linear terrain features—such as following a stream, logging road, or ridgeline (a handrail). Identify distinct features behind your control point (like a trail or power line) that will act as a catching feature if you walk too far.
• Aiming Off: When navigating to a point located along a linear feature (like a bridge on a stream), deliberately aim a few degrees to one side (e.g., 5° upstream). When you hit the stream, you will know with 100% certainty which way to turn, eliminating guessing.

Measuring Heights You Cannot Climb

Method 1: The Proportional / Stick Method (with a Buddy)

1. Have a buddy of known height (for example, exactly 5 feet tall) stand directly beside the base of the tree, flagpole, or tower.
2. Step back far enough that you can see the entire object from base to top.
3. Hold a straight pencil or stick vertically at arm’s length. Close one eye and sight the stick against your buddy: slide your thumb down until the stick visible above your thumb matches your buddy’s height from head to toe.
4. Keeping your arm fully extended and your thumb locked in place, move the stick upward along the tree, counting how many “buddy heights” fit between the base and the treetop.
5. Calculate the Height: Multiply your count by your buddy’s height (e.g., 6 stick lengths × 5 feet = 30 feet tall).

Method 2: The Felling / Lumberjack Method

1. Hold a straight stick vertically at arm’s length.
2. Sight the stick against the tree: align the top tip of the stick with the treetop and your thumb with the tree base.
3. Keeping your thumb anchored on the tree base, rotate the stick 90 degrees horizontally to the ground (as if the tree were chopped down and falling sideways).
4. Direct your buddy to walk out to the exact spot where the tip of the horizontal stick points on the ground.
5. Pace off the distance from the tree base to your buddy’s spot. That distance equals the tree’s height!

Measuring Widths You Cannot Cross (Rivers, Canyons, Ditches)

Method 1: The Congruent Triangle Method (Napoleon / 90° Method)

1. Pick a clear landmark point A on the far side of the river or canyon (a distinct rock or tree trunk on the shoreline).
2. Stand directly opposite landmark A at point B (forming a 90° line with the bank). Drive a stake at B.
3. Walk along the straight bank at a 90° angle from line AB for a measured distance (e.g., 50 paces). Drive a second stake at point C.
4. Continue walking in the exact same straight line for the exact same distance (another 50 paces). Drive a third stake at point D.
5. Turn 90° away from the river (inland) and walk until you reach point E, where stake C and landmark A line up in a straight sightline.
6. Measure the distance from stake D to point E (pace it off). Because triangles ABC and EDC are congruent right triangles, the distance DE equals the river’s width AB!

Method 2: The Compass 45-45-90 Triangle Method

1. Sight landmark A across the river directly perpendicular (90°) to the river bank. Note the compass bearing (for example, 90° East).
2. Add 45° to that bearing (90° + 45° = 135°). Rotate your compass dial to 135°.
3. Walk along the straight river bank until your compass’s direction-of-travel arrow points directly at landmark A when the needle is boxed in the shed.
4. Pace the distance you walked along the bank. In a 45°-45°-90° right triangle, the two legs are equal: your walking distance along the bank equals the river’s width!