Orienteering

Find fun, fitness, and adventure in this physically and mentally challenging sport. With Orienteering, you'll gain all the knowledge and skills necessary to participate safely and successfully in one of the world's fastest growing activities.

Author Tom Renfrew, an expert orienteer and a top instructor in the U.K. for more than 20 years, is an enthusiastic and insightful teacher. He covers basic map reading, compass skills, completing a course, and what to do if lost. The richly illustrated book features 70 colorful maps, drawings, and photos that show beginners how to get started and that help more experienced orienteers assess and hone their skills.

Readers will also learn:

- how to select proper equipment,
- what happens at an orienteering event, from registration to crossing the finish line,
- how to read a map, recognize control features, and determine the best route
- how to adapt orienteering activities for people with disabilities,
- where to find the best orienteering in the United States and around the world, and
- how orienteering opportunities--like cross-country orienteering, night orienteering, street orienteering, mountain-bike orienteering, and even mountain marathoning--can provide further adventure.

Orienteering provides a sample course with detailed instructions for choosing the best route, and the book includes self-tests for determining skill knowledge and course readiness.

After mastering the basic techniques of orienteering, participants will be able to:

- sharpen outdoor skills and improve fitness;
- enjoy both recreational and competitive orienteering;
- add orienteering to other outdoor activities like mountain biking, skiing, and hiking; and
- plan scenic, exciting adventures during getaways or vacations.

This book is part of the Outdoor Pursuits Series from Human Kinetics. Like all the books in the series, Orienteering emphasizes safety, environmental responsibility, and--most of all--the fun of outdoor activity!

Tom Renfrew, an expert orienteer and a top instructor in the U.K. for more than 20 years, has developed and taught orienteering techniques and programs across the U.S. and in Europe. Since discovering the excitement of orienteering in 1976, he has been involved in the sport from the grass roots to the international level. Considered the leading authority on the educational values of the sport, Tom has been a driving force behind the development of orienteering in the national school curriculum throughout the United Kingdom.

After earning an advanced diploma in physical education from the University of Leeds in 1971 and a bachelor's degree in educational studies in 1977 from the Open University, Tom completed a master of science degree at Stirling University in 1983. His research has subsequently focused on introducing and developing orienteering techniques, adapting orienteering opportunities for people with disabilities, mainstreaming individuals with disabilities into orienteering, and teaching map skills to those with learning difficulties.

Director of sport and outdoor education at the University of Strathclyde, Tom has written eight books, including Teaching Orienteering and Orienteering for Children, and has created audiovisual resources that are used worldwide. He is member the British Orienteering Federation and has served as chair of its Coaching Committee.

Tom resides in Beardsden, Scotland. He shares his love of orienteering with his wife, Fiona, and their children.