BOF age classes explained
Seniors: M/W21, M/W35, M/W40, M/W45, M/W50, M/W55, M/W60, M/W65, M/W70, M/W75, M/W80
Your age class is dictated by the age that you will be on 31st December of the current year.
E.g. I will be 46 this year so fall into the M/W45 age class for the whole year 1st Jan to 31st Dec. On Jan 1st of the year I turn 50, regardless of when my birthday is, I then become M/W50.
Juniors: M/W10, M/W12, M/W14, M/W16, M/W18, M/W20
Same idea as above except it’s anyone that age or younger by Dec 31st of the current year.
Jargon Buster
Try this A-Z Jargon Buster on the SOA website and if you still don’t get it then ask one of the club old timers to explain.
O map and control description symbols explained
The SOA website has some pdfs and videos explaining control descriptions and how these relate to maps. The pictorial control description system used for Light Green standard and upwards is designed and regulated by the International Orienteering Federation so once you’ve got things sussed the world’s your oyster!
Map symbols and control descriptions explained
TIP: It’s a lot to take in all in one go, so concentrate on the 4th column first and make sure you can recognise the symbols for the most commonly used features: path, track, wall, fence, stream, boulder, re-entrant (think small valley), crag/cliff, vegetation boundary, distinctive tree, manmade object (aka prominent feature)
There are are also a handful of extra symbols specifically for urban maps such as steps, hedges and flower beds.
The other columns on the control descriptions add more detail to the basic description such as which feature if there are more than one in the control circle on the map – e.g. No 6 is north western most boulder of at least two – and also which side or part of the feature to help you locate the control – e.g. No 4 south side of a fence corner or No 7 upper part of a large re-entrant.
GRAMPIAN ORIENTEERS 