Rookie orienteering enthusiast Simon Boyer is congratulated by John Charlow, co-founder and current director of the Ramblers Orienteering Club, an organization that has been promoting the benefits of the great outdoors among people of all ages for the past 40 years. Why is Simon smiling? Because he has just successfully completed his first 4-km orienteering course. "Orienteering is an awesome experience!" sums up the eleven-year-old.
(Photo: Alex Fulleringer, Ramblers Orienteering Club)
Photo: Orient 2
'An awesome experience' at the Ramblers Orienteering Club
Members meet at Laval's Centre de la Nature for an exciting outdoor adventure
Editor's note: Courrier Weekly News, Laval's only weekly English newspaper, regularly publishes items submitted by readers who have a story to tell and views to express about various matters they consider important and of interest to the community. These reports, published under the individual's own by-line, are part of our 'Special to Courrier Laval Weekly News' service we are proud to provide for the community-at-large. The following story was written by an eleven-year-old budding young journalist who wants everyone to know about the exciting and challenging pursuit of orienteering.
“This is awesome!” declared Simon Boyer, 11, at his first orienteering meet.
The meet, held last Sunday, September 23, at the Centre de la Nature de Laval, was organized and hosted by the Ramblers Orienteering Club. The event consisted of two courses, one beginner and one intermediate. The easier course was 3.3 km long and the intermediate one extended to 4 km.
There were a dozen checkpoints, or controls, on each course. As competitors arrived at the starting point, they were given a map of the park showing the location of the controls and a card to be marked at each of these 12 check points. Once their start time was recorded, the competitors were on their way to the course they had chosen to explore.
From tiny tots to golden-agers
Orienteering started in Scandinavia as a military exercise. Its competitive form originated in Norway. Currently, 67 countries have national orienteering federations. Across the world, there are clubs for foot, ski, and bike orienteering. Participants range from tiny tots carried in backpacks to golden-agers, and from amateurs to world-class athletes. Orieteering is both mentally and physically challenging.
40 years of orienteering
The Ramblers Orienteering Club was started by John Charlow and his wife Gloria in 1967. It was one of the first orienteering clubs in North America. It currently has about 100 members. The club is a year-round activity which organizes about 10 events spread across the four seasons, including a couple of winter events on snowshoes or cross-country skis. Meets are held in parks in the Greater Montreal area, such as Bois-de-Liesse, Mont Royal, and at the Morgan Arboretum.
A favourite locale for meets organized and hosted by the Ramlers Orienteering Club is Laval's Centre de la Nature, one of Quebec's and Canada's most magnificent expressions of a rural park that lives and breathes smack in the middle of a large urban centre, the modern and large city of Laval, population 375,000.
The next orienteering event organized and hosted by the Ramblers Orienteering Club is scheduled for October 23. In the meantime, John Charlow will be happy to provide further information concerning the club and its activities. Mr. Charlow can be contacted at john.charlow@sympatico.ca
Photo: Or
(Photo: Alex Fulleringer, Ramblers Orienteering Club)
Photo: Orient 2
(Photo: Alex Fulleringer, Ramblers Orienteering Club)
Photo:Orient 1
(Photo: Alex Fulleringer)
Météo: Laval, 22 mai 2008 / 12°C
/ Faible averse de pluie
/ Vents: 9 Km/h / Humidité relative: 67 % 
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Steven Guilbeault - 
