2.1 Orienteering and the map
Orienteering is a sport in which the orienteer completes a course of control points in the shortest possible time, aided only by map and compass. As in all forms of sport, it is necessary to ensure that the conditions of competition are the same for all competitors. The more accurate the map, the better this can be done, and the greater the opportunity for the course planner to set a good and fair course.
From the competitors' point of view, an accurate and legible map is a reliable guide for choice of route, and it enables them to navigate along a route chosen to suit their navigational skill and physical ability. However, skill in route choice loses all meaning if the map is not a true picture of the ground— if it is inaccurate, out-of-date or of poor legibility.
Anything which bars progress is essential information: cliffs, water, dense thickets. The path and track network shows where the going and navigation is easiest. A detailed classification of the degrees of hindrance or good going helps the competitor to make the right decisions. Orienteering is first of all to navigate by map reading. An accurate map is therefore necessary for a good and effective route choice. In the ideal case no competitor should gain an advantage or suffer a disadvantage because of faults on the map.
The aim of the course planner is a course where the deciding factor in the results will be navigational skill. This can be achieved only if the map is sufficiently accurate, complete and reliable, and is also clear and legible under competition conditions. The better the map the course planner has, the greater the chance he has of setting good, fair courses, whether for the elite or for the novice.
Controls are the most important building blocks of a course. Choice of sites, placing of the markers, checking their positions, and locating controls in competition, all put definite demands on the map. The map must give a complete, accurate and detailed picture of the terrain. For an international event, it must be up-to-date in all parts which could affect the end result of the competition. If it is not up-to-date it must be improved.
For the mapper, the task is knowing which features to map and how to represent them. A continuing involvement in the sport is important for a basic understanding of the requirements for the orienteering map: its content, the need for accuracy, the level of detail and above all the need for legibility.
