If you are brand-new to the sport of orienteering, the first thing you should check out is our FAQ page. It will give you all the basic information you should know before you show up for a meet.
Come to A Meet
The Arctic Orienteering Club has a meet almost every week throughout the summer. Come on out and join us! Newcomers are always welcome. Almost all of the meets have a course suitable for beginners – no compass skills necessary. There are plenty of experienced orienteers hanging around the start area who are happy to help get you going on your first orienteering course.
Attend an Introductory Session
If you are are looking for a little more hands-on training, we offer free introductory training sessions in conjunction with several our regular meets. In these half-hour sessions, an experienced orienteer will teach you all you need to know to try the sport of orienteering, answer questions, help you get registered, and then set you off on an easy course. The course itself will usually take another 45 minutes to an hour, so plan on a total time of an hour and a half.
Permanent Courses
If you still want more opportunities to practice, try our courses at Ruth Arcand Park, or the Campbell Creek Science Center. These courses are permanent, so they are always ready when you are.
Understanding the Basics
You might find the following information helpful, but it is not needed to complete the easiest courses.
Learn More
Have you been to a meet or two and now you are looking for ways to improve? The US Orienteering Federation is your best resource.
Still looking for more? Google orienteering training.
Requests For Private Instruction
Orienteering is a great activity for groups. The Arctic Orienteering Club frequently receives requests to provide instruction for private groups, or to set orienteering courses for private events. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to accommodate all of these requests. However, we do have permanent orienteering courses that are available to everyone. We encourage you to download the maps and course information from this website, and take your group to that course. You’ll have all you need to organize a fun outing.
If you absolutely require private instruction or guidance, we are happy to ask our volunteers if they are available to help out. We can’t promise that we’ll find someone for you, but we are willing to ask around. Send an email to the Vice President of Training to see if something can be arranged.