Combat Village

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January 26
Sunday

Updated 1/24:Terrain conditions as reported by VA/VP John Baker: Pretty runnable, over all! A little slow due to snow, but features are visible, even cairns, rocky ground. Snow is 1-2" in most places, compressible and showing footprints. Vegetation sometimes thicker than mapped, but still some nice white woods to be had. Some open woods have shin high briars or limited visibility due to pine saplings. Intermittent streams/marshes are all squishy under icy crust... Enough to know you're there, but not soak your feet. Creeks are iced over, but cross able on rock/deadfall. Speaking of which, lots of unmapped deadfall--shocker. Mostly very good visibility with the snow, but it is difficult to notice trails and rides until you are directly on top of them (or viewing abeam). NOTE: The Green and Brown courses will not have water at any controls. Bring your own if you anticipate needing it.

Updated 1/22: Course notes, course lengths, and an updated driving map are now all available (below). Attendees over 17 should have a picture ID to show at the MP gate, and each vehicle needs proof of registration and insurance. If your name is on this list, or you have a valid military or CAC ID, plan on coming and look forward to a fine adventure on the Quantico Marine Base. If not, sorry, you won't gain admittance, but why not register now for next week's Greenbelt event?

QOC returns to this classic terrain, and as those who were at our last event here will attest, time has treated this terrain (and our map) surprisingly well. Due to our permit conditions, we must submit a list of all potential attendees for them to be on the Sentry Guard's list on event day. Note to those with a valid CAC or military ID: signing up in advance is optional, since you are already authorized to enter the Base ... and you qualify for member (discounted) registration rates, so make sure to tell the registration volunteers that when you pay for your course. Allow 10 - 15 minutes to drive on base, and a few minutes to go through the Entrance; registration at our event site will be as usual from 10:45am - 1:15pm, start anytime between 11 - 1:30, and make sure to be back at the Finish to download no later than 3pm.

The sign up procedure is now closed. If you correctly submitted all of the requested information, your name will be on the 'Approved to Enter the Base' list ... and if not, not. Signing up to enter the Base is free and non-binding. Note that while all adults must provide their Social Security Number, birth date and place of birth (city/state if US-born, just country if not born in the US), the public list of attendees only shows participant names.

On the day of the event, once inside the Base, participants will head to the Registration/Start/Finish area where they can choose their course and pay the usual QOC event/registration fee. Courses will be the full set from white/beginner through blue/advanced, designed by Bob Turbyfill - have we mentioned that he and fellow QOC member Chuck Ferguson are the authors of the fine new book, Discovering Orienteering?

Youth groups and large groups: please contact us by January 5 with a spreadsheet containing the information requested above (including SSN for adults, but just name and place of birth if non-US for under 18's) for each person in your group, and we will add it to the Sentry Gate list. By Jan. 24, please send in the standard group registration and waiver form as indicated on our Group Leaders page. That form will be used for the actual course registration, and you can pay the corresponding (group) registration fee at the event site.

Nearby Attraction: The National Museum of the Marine Corps is open from 9am - 5pm everyday, and admission is free to this impressive $60 million structure. Upstairs there's also the Tun Tavern, styled after the original one in Philly, and open from 11 - 4.

Have any questions? Just use our handy Contact Us form.

Disclaimer: This event is not an official event of, and is not endorsed or sponsored by the Federal Government, Department of Defense, United States Marine Corps, or Marine Corps Base Quantico.