|
|
Welcome to WAOC! |
| Who are we? | What do we do? | How can I join? |
WAOC is the West Anglian Orienteering Club, so when you've
worked out where West Anglia is and what Orienteering is, you'll know what we
do.
West Anglia
West Anglia is the western part of East Anglia! In practice,
most of WAOC's members come from an area which stretches from Bedford in the
west to the Suffolk border in the east, and from Peterborough in the north to
Stevenage in the south. WAOC is responsible for mapping and running Orienteering
events in the Thetford Chase and other woodland, as well as parks in Ampthill, Bedford,
Peterborough, Huntingdon, Cambridge, Royston, Baldock and Stevenage, and urban events in towns such as Huntingdon, Ely, and Cambridge. Our major mapped areas can be found here.
Starts are staggered over a two hour period, so whilst you are actually out
in the forest no-one else knows how badly or well you are doing. The staggered
start also helps families: Dad can take the children around the string course
whilst Mum competes, and still have time to compete himself when Mum returns.
Every event has a range of courses. As well as the string course for the very
young, there will also be courses suitable for 6 year-olds and upwards to tackle
by themselves. At the other extreme, there are long, technically demanding
courses for the fit, experienced orienteers. The older age groups are also
catered for, with courses which are still technically challenging but less
physically demanding (there are often larger scale maps for older
competitors whose eyesight is not what it was!).
At Local events (level C and D) you enter on the day, and compete on whichever (clour coded)
course you choose. Larger Scale regional Level B events usually involve pre-entry online, and offer an extended range of colour coded courses
or you might compete according to age and sex. In this case, for each age-group there will be male and female courses, possibly with short and
long options. Womens courses are typically about 2/3 the length of the
comparable mens course.
Orienteering appeals to both men and women, with women making up 30-40% of
the competitors, more than for most outdoor sports.
For more detail about what happens at an Orienteering event and how it is
organised, visit our Introduction to
Orienteering page.
Orienteering
Orienteering is a sport, or recreation, in which you
navigate your own way at your own pace between controls laid out in forests,
fells and similar terrain, or increasingly also in cityscapes. The control sites are marked by circles on a special
large scale coloured map and by red and white flags on the ground. The courses
vary in length from less than 2km to over 12km and most WAOC events also have a
string course, which toddlers and young children can follow safely
through the forest.
Sport for All
Orienteering caters for everyone. Whilst elite orienteers
run at speed through complex terrain, reading the map as they go, whole families
frequently tackle courses together, with the children rushing ahead to punch at the control with the parents keeping an eye on the general direction,
and maybe providing the motor power towards the end of the course!
When? Where? How much?
Most Orienteering takes place on Sunday mornings during the autumn winter and spring,
and WAOC puts on a local event almost once a month. Neighbouring clubs do about
the same, so if you are willing to drive around East (and West) Anglia, you can
find a suitable orienteering event most Sundays. For a list of forthcoming
fixtures, see our Fixtures list.
If you become hooked on the sport, there are events held all over the country, and many WAOC members frequently travel to places like the Lake District, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Moors, Scotland and Wales to compete on top quality terrain, or to city centres including London for a "City Race".
There are also some big festivals of Orienteering: two, three, or four day events at the major bank holidays; and a week-long event in Scotland, Wales or the Lake District during August. WAOC members will be seen at all these events.
Most Local (Colour-coded) events cost £8 for an individual adult, with individual children and students at £2-£3 . Regional events often cost £10 -£12 for the adult entry fee. Adults who are members of British Orienteering obtain a £2 discount off most entries All the events are put on voluntarily by orienteers for orienteers, but the price reflects the costs of producing the special maps, and land access fees.
When you get more involved, you'll probably consider buying a good compass and fell-running (or similar) shoes. Most orienteers wear tracksters with optional "bramble bashers" to protect your lower legs and long sleeved top and perhaps additional layers according to the weather. WAOC has its own very sylish long and short-sleeved club tops made from hi-tech breathable fabric.
|
Our current membership fees are: |
|
|---|---|
| Juniors (20yrs and under) and full time students | £2.50 |
| Seniors (21yrs +) | £12.00 |
| Family | £12.00 |
| Groups (eg. School, Scouts) | £15.00 |
To join, print off, complete and send this membership form together with a cheque or postal order for the appropriate amount to our membership secretary, Anne Duncumb (email: memsec@waoc.org.uk, phone: 01223-843064).
Feel free to contact Anne by email or phone if you have any questions about WAOC membership.
|
|
WAOC is affiliated to British Orienteering, the national federation for the sport,
and most WAOC members are also members of British Orienteering.
We look forward to meeting you at our events. |
Back to WAOC home page
