This information has been designed to assist those involved or interested in the technical aspects of orienteering.
The inclusions enclosed have been sourced from various areas within Orienteering Australia. Orienteering Queensland has utilised the expertise of the chairs of each area to ensure the standard within Queensland has been met. We hope you find this information useful. If there is anything further that you would like to see in this section please advise our technical advisor Eric Andrews with your input.
Organising An Event
So you are organising an event. Here are some forms that will assist you.
- Need to get access to the property, click here to download the insurance receipts required for all requests. This policy will expire 31st January 2012.
- Need to provide OQ with all the relevant statistics and financial data, please find the event forms required for MTBO, local and state events.
- Need to claim some money for your expenses, you may wish to click here to access the file.
- There has been an accident or an incident during the organisation and running of your event. You will need to fill in the appropriate form, click here to access the form and on completion please send back to:
Secretary, PO Box 114 Spring Hill Qld 4004
Controllers
Controller Application (Level 1 and Level 2)
If you are interested in becoming a controller, click here for an application form. Approval process will be required
Accredited Controllers
See this recent list of those controllers accredited under the ASC's National Officials Accreditation Scheme. For more information please contact Eric Andrews OQ's technical advisor.
Mapping
Orienteering Queensland maintains map registers for bush, park/street, mountain bike and sprint maps. Central coordination makes it clear what maps are available and reduces overlaps and duplication that might otherwise occur.
Information that will be available from this page in the future will be:
- Online register of all maps in Queensland
- Mapping Standards
- Map printing and tips and hints - good places where to get maps printed at reasonable prices
To get started:
List of all OQ owned maps. Please remember that permission may be required to gain access for most properties and or parks.
Information for the SEQ Regional Agreement and access to Forest Recreation
Information for Orienteering and Rogaine in QPWS Managed Areas
Feedback is welcomed, and suggestions for improvement and information for inclusion should be sent to the OQ's Mapping Chair Steve Doyle
MTBO Technical
The information provided is for all events Orienteering Queensland host for Mountain Bike Orienteering.
Please ensure that you view this information prior to all MTBO events listed.
Standard Safety and Environmental Rules
International MTBO Rules
MTBO Course Planning
Navigational Standards
There are two standards of navigation in relation to MTBO course planning Easy and Hard
Planning aspects common to all forms of MTBO
- Fairness is paramount. i.e. minimise the possibility of riders taking unmarked tracks and short-cuts. Riders are not allowed to ride off tracks, except on areas of mapped yellow and sometimes grey, if the event organiser permits such action.
- Select an assembly area that provides plenty of room for car parking and pre-event preparation. Be very careful about using tracks in the assembly area as part of the courses. Safety should be paramount. Marshals maybe necessary.
- Ideal finish is slightly uphill. Also allow sufficient distance for riders to pull up safely.
- Avoid legs that encourage riders to ride down single, or narrow tracks in opposite directions. Not an issue on wide roads with good surfaces.
- Avoid legs that could bring riders into conflict with private landholders, or environmentally sensitive areas, such as marshes or erodable tracks. Planners need to be aware of requirements of land managers.
- Crossings of major roads should only occur on straight stretches of road, with good visibility in either direction. Placing a control just prior to the road crossing is a way of slowing riders down, before they go out onto the road. Sometimes a marshal maybe necessary.
- The course is measured on the shortest possible track route NOT as the crow flies.
- Climb is the number of contours crossed on the optimum route, and is expressed in metres.
- Control markers are hung beside the track so that riders do not have to leave the track, or dismount, in order to punch. I.e. not too high, or too low.
- Provided that the control marker is hung accurately (for distance), the marker can be hung anywhere along the track. i.e. it is not necessary to hang the marker on a definite feature.
- The start triangle should be a definite point, on the map and on the ground.
- Courses should generally run in the same direction.
- Wherever possible courses should be set to minimise the element of luck.
- Courses are set to achieve certain winning times applicable to age categories. Looking at past results in similar areas will provide information to calculate the course length required.
- The terrain and its track systems really dictate what sort of course you can set. Divide the map into areas, bland areas for long legs, steep areas for route choice and detailed areas for short legs.
- Be constantly aware of the speed of the best bike riders and how that speed can affect the safety of other riders.
Hard Courses
Within the category of hard courses, there are two standards. Open standard for MTBO riders 18 to 49 where few areas of the map are off limits. The second standard is restricted, which is aimed at the 17 years and under, and over 50 years age classes.
Restricted courses should avoid really rough tracks, dangerous areas, steep ascents and descents.
Legs for Hard Courses
- The navigational skill, concentration and cycling ability of the riders should be tested.
- The leg is the most important aspect of any course. The control markers are simply checkpoints along the way.
- Each control should have a purpose; be the start of a good leg, or the finish of a good leg.
- A variety of leg lengths and changes of direction are essential, map permitting. A leg which does not even change direction is generally a wasted leg.
- Use steeper areas and complex track systems to set navigational challenges, long fast legs and short technical legs.
- Generally every leg should have more than one route choice. Adding a short leg can sometimes set up a better route choice leg. Remember, at the end of the race, it is the different route choices which create the most discussion.
- Do not be frightened of setting really long legs, but only if there is route choice. Be aware that the best riders will not go as wide as others. They know that they can ride the rough tracks fast. Be familiar with how far riders will go out of the way to avoid climb, it can be a long way.
- Be prepared to offer a change of map to make best use of a small map and sometimes make extra use of good detailed areas. A map change control must not be used on any other course.
- Do not worry about large maps which have to be re-folded during the course. It is the same for everyone.
- Be careful of course crossovers causing confusion.
- Try to set legs where cheating will not be rewarded.
- Dog-legs in course planning are acceptable in MTBO.
Controls for Hard Courses
- Control markers must not be hidden.
- Do not place control markers in areas of low visibility, behind bushes, etc.
- Do not place controls on steep slopes, up, or down.
- Do not place consecutive control numbers, or conflicting numbers,( e.g. 69 and 96) within 400 metres of each other.
- Do not place any control marker within 150 metres (along tracks) of another control.
- Do not place controls on main roads.
Easy Standard Courses
- Easy courses are meant for beginners, young riders and inexperienced or unfit riders.
- Length 8 12 km
- Simple route choice
- No crossing of main roads
- Obvious routes do not go into dangerous areas, steep ascents or descents, or really rough terrain
- No controls on steep slopes
- No requirement to locate overgrown or indistinct tracks
- Dog-legs in course planning are acceptable in MTBO
Key skills on easy courses
- Setting up on bike
- Map orientation (use of compass)
- Use legend
- Rough distance estimation
- Checking control number
- Punch in correct square (where necessary)
- Simple route choice and route simplification
- Very basic contour recognition
MTBO Mapping Standards
As a result of meetings held at the 2006 World MTBO Championships, there have been a few changes to MTBO mapping standards. In due course these amendments will appear on the IOF web site. Until that time the following criteria should be used for classifying tracks and other features on MTBO maps.
It should be understood that in MTBO mapping the fieldwork can be to an absolute standard, whereas foot O mapping tends to be more contextual.
The authorised map scales are:
- 10000 for sprint
- 10000 or 15000 for middle and relay
- 15000 or 20000 for long distance.
NOTE: The track symbols stay the same size, whatever the scale.
- The colour violet is used for all "black elements", except for tracks and buildings.
- Built-up areas are coloured light grey.
- Buildings are coloured dark grey.
- The course overprinting is magenta.
- Vegetation boundaries shown with dark green.
- Dark green track to show an allowable route where there is no track (to be confirmed)
- Roads - bitumen road – no change
Wide tracks 0.6mm and narrow tracks 0.4mm:
- solid line, fast riding, usually a good dirt road, or very good tracks.
- long dash, medium riding.
- medium dash, slow, should be rideable for a competent rider.
- short dashes, very difficult to ride, get off bike, but good riders may still manage to ride.
- Dimensions, long dash 4.50mm, medium dash 1.50mm, short dash .75mm. Gap 0.60mm.
Indistinct tracks, show junction appropriately and then grade track on riding speed taking into account surface and fallen vegetation.
Overgrown tracks: We are able to experiment with a wide dark green line 1.2mm wide framing the appropriate black track symbol. This can be used where the track has started to re-vegetate and riders can expect to ride through prickly bushes and slow down to search for the edges of tracks.
Eric Andrews
OQ Technical Officer
To download this information click here. (pdf)
Technical Workshops
From time to time, our technical team will provide training and information sessions.
For more information please contact Eric Andrews
