For the past few weeks, residents and tourists in the Villé Valley have been able to have fun and discover the second permanent orienteering course set up by our Tourist Office in the Villé Valley.
This route is set up in the Neubois forest.
For the implementation of this route, we worked in collaboration with the municipal team of the village but also with the ONF in order to ensure that this route respects the environment but also the forest owners and their work.
This article will present the work we have done, but we will also push our curiosity a little further and present what competitive orienteering can look like, as well as its different categories and practices.
To begin, let's briefly review what orienteering is.
The idea is simple: markers equipped with a punch are hidden in the forest. Using a map, you must find your way, orient yourself, and locate these markers to punch your map.
Each beacon is equipped with a different punch.
This activity is both fun and technical because you will need to demonstrate method, reflection and observation to achieve your goals.
In Neubois, you will need to find the 8 markers that we have hidden in the forest.
The route we propose is longer and slightly more difficult than the one in Villé. The challenge lies in navigation, elevation gain, and the demanding terrain.
Don't panic, this route remains accessible to most people as it measures 4,5 kilometers with a positive elevation gain of 147 meters.
It will take approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to do.
We designed this route to help you discover the somewhat "secret" spots in the Neubois forest. Of course, those familiar with this forest could show you many more, but you'll see, there are already plenty of beautiful things to discover.
Keep your eyes peeled, game likes to rest on the upper part of this route.
On this permanent course, there is no question of competition, of timing or of pushing oneself to the limit.
On the other hand, if you have the opportunity to see an orienteering (CO) competition, you will see that this activity can quickly become very physical and comprehensive.
Imagine that…
You need to run several kilometers (as fast as possible of course) while remaining lucid and focused enough to orient yourself and find all the markers.
Orienteering is divided into several disciplines which are called specialties.
So it is on foot, by mountain bike, on skis in raids, in multi-activities or even in precision orienteering that the competitors face off.
Let's give a quick overview of each of these specialties.
On foot:
This practice originated in Scandinavia and arrived in France in 1960.
In orienteering on foot, you have to find the markers in a set order and as quickly as possible.
The necessary equipment: a map, a compass and sneakers.
By mountain bike:
This specialty arrived in France in 1987.
In 1990, the first French Mountain Bike Orienteering Championship was held.
This activity requires good mountain biking skills and map reading abilities. Competitors race on courses ranging from 10 to 25 km over sometimes very rugged terrain. Unlike orienteering on foot, the checkpoints are placed only on roads, paths, or trails.
The necessary equipment: an XC type mountain bike, a map holder, a compass and a helmet (mandatory).
On skis:
This specialty comes straight from Scandinavia.
Wearing cross-country skis, participants must find markers placed on cross-country ski trails. Everything takes place on groomed tracks, and there is generally no off-piste skiing.
The orienteer is equipped with a special map holder which is placed in front of him.
The necessary equipment: a pair of cross-country skis, a map holder, a compass.
On a steep slope:
Raid orienteering is a timed race open to all, which takes place in complete autonomy over two days, with a bivouac common to all participants.
The best route must be found, and of course, the markers must be followed. Teams of two, freely formed, must complete their course while remaining together at all times and be self-sufficient in terms of food and drink.
The specificity of this specialty lies in the equipment.
The necessary equipment:
per group : 1 two-person tent with attached groundsheet, 1 stove (self-heating trays prohibited), 1 mess kit, water for the stage (supplies at the bivouac), food for two days, 1 first aid kit.
Per person : shoes with lug soles, 1 warm top and 1 warm bottom, rain gear, 1 sleeping bag, 1 compass, 1 pen, 1 whistle, 1 lamp, 1 survival blanket.
Multisports:
Multisport orienteering is a series of sporting events that are practiced in teams of 2 to 5 participants.
The most popular activities are mountain biking, running, and canoeing. But all other sports can be offered: rollerblading, archery, tug-of-war, etc.
Raids can last from a few hours to several days, and can take place day or night, with or without assistance, with teams needing to be self-sufficient at each transition of activity.
Multisport orienteering calls upon values of effort, solidarity, adaptability, teamwork and knowledge of one's limits.
To be precise:
It is a specialty of orienteering based on reading and analyzing the terrain using a map. It is particularly suited to people with reduced mobility, while also being practiced by able-bodied people.
Competitors must remotely identify the points indicated on the map on the ground while staying on routes that are passable and usable by wheelchair.
With only the aid of a compass, they must choose from a cluster of several markers placed on each station, which one is actually well placed on the ground compared to the map and the definition of the station provided.
Resources: https://www.ffcorientation.fr/
Orienteering is therefore a very comprehensive activity that allows you to have fun and let off steam in many ways.
We hope this article has made you want to come and discover the permanent trail in Neubois and to go and rediscover the one in Villé.
You can download the maps by clicking on the links below.
Neubois: https://www.tourisme-valdeville.fr/fr/bouger/randonnees/224004762
Villé: https://www.tourisme-valdeville.fr/fr/bouger/randonnees/224004450
You can also pick up the maps directly from our offices at the Villé tourist office located at 14 Place du Marché.
Lace up your sneakers and happy hunting!