After reading this article, you will become familiar with the concept of orientation. What such a concept implies, what its methods and types are, the history of orienteering - we will cover all this in our story. First of all, you need to determine the key term. Let's talk about such a thing as orientation. What such a concept exists, each of us knows. And many can even explain it: this is the ability to correctly determine the cardinal points, as well as imagine the location of settlements and the direction of roads to the place where you are. You can always find the way if you know about the location of the four cardinal points. These are south (S), north (N), west (W) and east (E). Now let's talk more about the concept of orientation.
What is terrain orientation
This is a very broad concept. You can navigate by compass, map, sun, stars, clocks, natural phenomena and signs, as well as various tips. For example, if you look out the window in the morning and see people walking with umbrellas, you will realize that it is raining outside. If you notice snow, you’ll dress warmer. This, so to speak, is a "household" orientation.
What is orientation, why is it necessary? It represents one of the most important conditions that ensure human life, as well as necessary for the successful solution of tasks. Using a compass or map is easy. However, sometimes it is necessary to act without a compass or a map. Therefore, you should know other ways of orienting yourself on the ground.
When preparing for a hike, you need to pay special attention to instilling appropriate skills, methods, rules and techniques that will help you do without using a compass and map.
Sun Orientation
You may know that the places of his sunrise and sunset vary depending on the time of year. The sun rises in the southeast in winter, and sets in the southwest. In the summer, it rises in the northeast, and sets in the northwest. In autumn and spring, the sun rises in the east, and sets in the west. It must be remembered that at noon it is always located towards the south, regardless of the time of year. At 13 o'clock the shortest shadow from objects is observed. At this time, its direction from objects located vertically indicates north. If the sun is hidden by clouds, you can put a knife on a fingernail. A shadow will appear, even a small one, and it will be clear where it is.
By the sun and the clock
The hour hand should be directed to the Sun. The angle that is formed between the number 1 (13 hours) and the clockwise direction must be divided in half using an imaginary line. She will show you the direction: from behind - north, in front - south. It must be remembered that the left should be divided up to 13 hours and the right - in the afternoon.
Across the polar star
There are many ways to navigate the terrain. One of the most famous is the Polar Star. This star is always in the north. In order to find it, you must first find the constellation Ursa Major. This constellation resembles a bucket, which is formed from 7 stars, quite bright. Then through 2 extreme right stars you should mentally draw a line. It is necessary to postpone the distance between them, multiplied by five. At the end of the line we will find the North Star. It is located at the tail of Ursa Minor, another constellation. If you face this star, we will stand in the direction of the north.
On the moon
In order to navigate the terrain well, it is necessary to remember that the Moon is visible in the south at the first quarter at 8 p.m., at 2 p.m. in the west. If we are talking about the last quarter, then in the east the moon will be at 2 in the morning, and in the south - at 8 in the morning. The sides of the horizon at night during the full moon are determined in the same way as by the Sun and the clock. In this case, the moon is used instead of the sun. It must be remembered that when it is complete, it is opposed to the sun. In other words, it is located against him.
Snow melting orientation method
We continue to talk about what orientation in geography is. We have described far from all of his methods. This article only talks about the main ones. One of the most common methods is snow melting orientation. The south side of all objects, as you know, heats up more strongly than the north. This means that on this side, snowmelt is also faster. This is clearly noticeable in early spring, as well as in winter, during thaws, by snow adhering to stones, holes in trees, and slopes of ravines.
By the shadow
At noon, the shadow is as short as possible, and its direction points north. In order not to wait for its appearance, we can act as follows. You need to stick a stick into the ground, the length of which is about 1 m. Next, you need to mark the end of its shadow. Then you should wait about 10-15 minutes, and then repeat the procedure. From the first to the second position of the shadow, you need to draw a line, and then extend it beyond the second mark by about a step. With the toe of your left foot, stand opposite the 1st mark, and place the toe of your right at the end of the line you drew. Now you are standing in the north direction.
By buildings
A certain type of buildings is oriented strictly to the cardinal points. These include churches, synagogues, mosques. The chapels and altars of the Lutheran and peasant churches are always facing east, and the bell towers of these buildings are facing west. You can navigate by the dome of the Orthodox Church, or rather, by the cross on it. The edge of its lower rung, which is lowered, faces south, and upward to the north. On the west side are the altars of Catholic churches. The doors of Muslim mosques and synagogues face approximately north.
Usually, they leave the yurts to the south. In villages in houses, more windows are done on the south side. Another important sign - on the south side, the color on the walls of the buildings fades more and becomes a withered color.
Clearing in the forest
You can determine the cardinal points in the cultural forest massifs by clearing. Usually they are cut along the east-west and north-south lines. You can also navigate by the inscriptions of the quarter numbers, which are made on poles placed at the intersection of clearings. At the top of each such column and on each of the 4 faces are numbers. The north direction shows an edge between the two faces with the smallest numbers.
Definition of time without hours
If you have lost or broken your watch, you can find out the local time with relative accuracy using a compass. For this, azimuth orientation is used. What it is? It is necessary to measure the azimuth of the sun. After you determine it, you must divide the resulting value by 15. This is the amount by which the Sun rotates in an hour. The number that appears in the end will indicate the time. For example, azimuth along the Sun is 180 °. Therefore, the time is 12 hours.
Orienteering
Surely you know the phrase "orienteering." What it is? This sport is based on the fact that participants must pass the KP (Checkpoints) located on the ground using a compass and a sports card. As a rule, the results are determined by the time taken to complete the distance (sometimes the penalty time is taken into account). You can also use the method of calculating the number of points that the participants scored.
Today, competitions in this sport are held in various groups. They can be both in terms of skill and age. The length of the distance and its complexity are determined by the complexity of the terrain and age group. The route (distance) should be unknown to all participants, as well as contain certain difficulties that must be overcome, having a good physical shape and ability to navigate.
Orienteering History
Since ancient times, people knew what orientation on the ground is. It is known that even then they used the skills associated with it. However, a review of historical facts usually begins with military contests held in the northern states of Europe. It is believed that orienteering as a sport appeared at the end of the 19th century. It was then that the first competitions were organized between a number of military garrisons in Norway, Sweden, and Great Britain. On October 31, 1897, the first mass competitions among citizens were held. So, a lot of people learned about what orientation is, the definition of which in our time every schoolchild can give. However, the real birth of this sport took place in 1918. It was then that Major E. Killander from Stockholm decided to use the Swedish countryside environment to organize a new sport. During the competitions invented by him, the runners not only ran, but also had to choose their own routes using a compass and a map.
Orienteering as a sport by 1934 spread to Switzerland, Hungary and the USSR. National championships for women and men began to be held annually in Sweden, Finland and Norway at the start of World War II. In 1960, Open International Competitions took place in the Stockholm area. Representatives of 7 countries participated in them. Today this sport is very popular. There are several types of it: orienteering by running, skiing, cycling, trail orienteering, etc. Competitions are held for each of them.
Now you can talk about what orientation is. And tourism, and sports, and survival in extreme conditions combines this concept. Orientation allows you to find the road, being anywhere in our planet in an unfamiliar area. Knowing its basics, you will not be afraid to get lost in the forest or anywhere else.