Jump to Orange

[1]

September 30
Saturday

Occoquan Pre-registration is required and will open Monday, Sept. 25 at 6pm and close on Friday, Sept. 29 at 12 noon; there is no day-of registration.

Welcome to QOC’s Jump to Orange training event at Occoquan Regional Park (Shelter 3)!

Instead of the usual full slate of courses, this special training event is focused specifically on those interested in moving up to an Intermediate-level (Orange) course. For those interested in our customary full slate of White through Blue courses, please visit this webpage [2] for the Sunday, October 1st event.

This event is an excellent opportunity for those of you who usually do White or Yellow courses to make the jump up to Orange with the help of an experienced QOC orienteer to coach you on the course. Coaches will offer participants as much or as little advice as they want or need. Course setter Victor Lin has designed a fun course to help get you off the trails to experience a whole new level of orienteering.

In order to be prepared to make the most of this opportunity, please check out our Moving Up to Intermediate Courses [3] webpage. It is loaded with helpful information to help you succeed on your first Orange-orienteering adventure.

We encourage everyone to arrange a coach/guide on their own, but if that’s not possible, we will be happy to assign you one.

Wondering if Saturday's Orange course will be different than Sunday's? Yes, absolutely! Saturday's Jump to Orange participants can register for Sunday's Orange course and try out their newfound skills solo (or with a friend) on a typical Orange course.

The Jump to Orange event will use Shelter 3 for check-in and map distribution, and the nearby parking location is best viewed on this locator graphic [4]. Standard fees are in effect for those doing the Jump to Orange course; there is no charge for coaches. Note that there will be no punching of any kind (e-punch or pin-punch), since timing isn't important for this type of training.

[5]
Volunteer SignUps: If you'd like to help at this event, click here [5] or contact the Event Director [6]. Advanced orienteers willing to coach: Please be sure to sign up – thank you for being a coach!

Reminders:

Porta-a-Johns will be located near Shelter 3.
QOC will continue to use pre-registration as the ONLY method of signing up for our events. There will be NO day-of, on-site registration. Refunds are paid only in the case of event cancellation. We are unable to handle cash transactions at the event.
There is no water to drink on the course. Participants are responsible for their own hydration. Please come prepared!
QOC provides no snacks.
As always, please be off the course no later than 3 pm and remember to download at our e-punch station even if you did not finish.
This event will have 15-minute check-in windows from 9:45 until 12:00.
Since this is a training event, with trainers and trainees working closely together in a group setting, pets are not allowed.
Nearby Eats & Sweets! The nearby Brickmaker's Cafe [7] is located in Occoquan Park and is open from 11 am to 8 pm, so orienteers have the opportunity to enjoy food and drinks either indoors or on their outdoor terrace overlooking the Occoquan River (mention 'QOC' to get a 10% discount!)

Location

Occoquan Regional Park, Shelter 3, Lorton, VA (Training)

Registration

Registration for this event opens at 6pm on Monday Sept. 25 via this link [8]. Registration will close at 12 noon on Friday Sept 29 (the day before the event). Pre-registration is mandatory.

Who's registered? Check by clicking here [9]. Sorting by column is possible too - click on the column name.

Start Times

Start times will be by windows (to be defined for this event before registration opens).

Schedule

Saturday, September 30

10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Training:

Volunteers

Event Director:	Be&#224tri Bennett [10]
Course Designer:	Victor Lin [11]

Location Details

Training
Occoquan Regional Park
Shelter 3
Lorton, VA
Google Map [12]

Take exit 160B off of I-95 onto Route 123 north, follow 123 north 1.5 miles to park entrance on right. As as alternative, from exit 163 make a left at the new traffic light onto Workhouse Road, and then go left at the next two traffic lights.

Be aware that I-95 heading south after ~11am on Saturday mornings is when the express lanes reverse, usually causing a back up starting at Route 123; avoid using I-95 between exits 160 - 163 on a weekend afternoon if you can.
Google Maps Link [12]
Apple/iPhone Link [13]

Course Details

Training

Course Name	Length (km)	Climb (m)	No. Controls
Orange	3.9	100	14

Course Notes

Training

All courses start and finish at or near the event registration at the picnic shelter.

The standard orange course for this training event has 14 controls, then follows the blazed trail to the finish. For a slightly longer (by 0.3km) and challenging option, after control 14, you can continue to bonus controls 15 and 16 and then to the finish.

The training course starts easy by taking you down the blue-blazed trail. Please note that a short 200 meter section of the blue-blazed trail that follows the stream was recently rerouted slightly higher up on the slope away from the stream (to avoid being constantly flooded by the stream). The trail is slightly different than what is mapped, but just follow the trail to go from control 1 to 2.

After finding control 2, you will begin to navigate more off-trail and start to practice different orienteering techniques.

From control 14, you can take the trail to the finish, or you have the option to continue to bonus controls 15 and 16 and then to the finish. But please note the following:
- The mapped vegetation in the area around control 15 and along the route from control 15 to 16 is a bit out-of-date and inaccurate, so you should mainly use elevation contours to navigate this section.
- Route choice options from control 14 to 15 can be a bit more physically challenging due to the steepness of the terrain.

Entry Fees

Individual Entries

Note: juniors = under 21

	Club Member, adult	Club Member, junior	Non-Member, adult	Non-Member, junior
	$10	$5	$20	$5

Group Entries

Participants are welcome to orienteer together as a group (up to the maximum for that event; usually 4). Each member of a group is charged their individual rate as shown above, up to a group total of $30 (maximum), and each receives a map. A group receives one epunch. Individuals or groups desiring to compete on a second course after completing their first can do so for a reduced fee of $2/map subject to approval at the event by the Event Director.

Important Notes

If you wish to become a QOC member you should join online in advance via this webpage [14] (which also explains the member benefits). Membership is completely optional.
Most of our events use an 'epunch' timing chip for electronic timing. Individuals or groups without their own epunch will be loaned one for that event. Loaned epunches that are lost incur a $40 replacement fee. Epunches (also known as SI-cards or finger sticks) can be purchased from online vendors as described here [15].
Former QOC members who have let their membership lapse pay non-member fees.
Compasses are available at no charge, but if lost incur a $15 replacement fee.
Please provide collateral (such as car keys) when borrowing a compass or epunch.
There is no planned, on-site beginner instruction, but beginners are encouraged to watch relevant videos such as this one [16] created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst

Jump to Orange

September 30 Saturday

September 30
Saturday