Step 1 - Find the Starting Point on the Map.  The starting point is indicated by a magenta triangle.  The center of this symbol is the starting point and where you should currently be standing on the course. NOTE - the start triangle is often in the same location as the finish, which is a double circle.

Step 2:  Find North on your Compass.  The red end of your compass needle always points north.  Note that the compass will only work if it’s held flat and always from metal objects such as zippers and belts.

Step 3:  Orient the Map.  Orienting the map properly is one of the fundamental skills in orienteering and leads to successful navigation.  To orient your map, rotate the map until it lines up with physical features around you, such as trails, lakes, and buildings. For example, if the lake is to your left, then rotate your map until the lake on the map is also to the left of your current location. You can also place your compass on the map and rotate the map until the north-lines line-up with the north-pointing needle.  Now that you have it, keep in mind that the most important lesson to learn on the course is to constantly turn your map - orient it - to match your surroundings. This means that if you are heading south, you should be holding your map “upside-down”. When your map is properly oriented, everything on the map lines up with your surroundings and makes it much easier to navigate on-the-fly.

Step 4: Find your First Checkpoint.  From the starting point on your map, locate your first checkpoint by following the magenta line from the start triangle to the next checkpoint.  Note that the location of the physical checkpoint on the course will be in the center of the magenta circle on the map.

Step 5: Face the Direction of Travel.  Keeping the map oriented, rotate your body until you are facing the first checkpoint.  Remember that major features on your map (buildings, trails, etc.) should now match the features on the ground in front of you.  This is good sign that your map is oriented correctly and you are facing the correct direction.

Step 6: Choose your Route.  Now that you’re facing your first control, what's the best way to get there?  If you’re on a Beginner course, you’ll usually follow trail.  If on an Intermediate or Advanced course, you’ll most likely find that going off-trail is the optimum route.  Though, when off-trail, you’ll still be presented with multiple route options.  For instance, do you go up and over a hill, or around it?  Or do you go through a short, dense area, or take a longer, less dense route?  These questions are the essence of orienteering and what make the sport so great.

Step 7: Proceed Feature-by-Feature.  While on your way to checkpoints, the best strategy is to break the route into smaller segments and conquer them one-by-one.  To do this, find a few notable features on your route and make sure you find each one along the way.  For instance, you may tell yourself “go until you reach the trail intersection, then turn right and run to the edge of the woods, then run along the stream until you find the checkpoint.”  This strategy ensures that you’re on-route and always know where you are on the map.

Step 8: Stay in Contact with the Map.  “Staying in contact with the map” means that you make sure you always know where you are on the map.  This sounds extremely basic, but it’s something that even the most experienced orienteers will miss from time to time.  To help with this process, remember to “thumb” and orient.   Thumbing involves moving your thumb along the map to track your progress.  For instance, once you arrive at a trail intersection, move your thumb to that location on the map.  This allows you to quickly know where you are when you glance at the map.  And also be sure to orient your map as you’re running.  For instance, if you’re running north and then change direction to west, be sure to rotate your map 90 degrees to the right to keep it facing north.  This keeps the map always pointing north and allows you to look at the map “in real-time” without having to do the rotation in your head.

Step 9: Find and Verify the Control.  The physical checkpoint that you’re trying to find is an orange and white flag.  Once you find it, look at your clue sheet and find the number that’s adjacent to the control you’re on.  That number should match the number that’s on the control flag.  You’ll want to make sure you do this because it’s sometimes common for two checkpoints to be very close to each other and you want to ensure you’ve found the correct one.

Step 10: ‘Punch’ the Control.  The e-punch not only proves that you visited the control, but also creates a digital time-stamp of when you arrived.  To use your e-punch, insert the tip of it into the hole on the base-station.  Keep it in the hole until the base-station beeps.  Once it beeps, you’re ready to proceed to your next check-point.

That’s it!  Continue to repeat the steps above until you’ve reached your final control.  Once done, head over to the finishers’ table and a volunteer will download the data from your e-punch.  Most events will have a monitor on the table, which will display the finish time from those have completed the course.  They’ll also provide a paper print-out which will show you your ‘splits’ (the time between your check-points).