“I heard about it, and I was like, hey, going out and getting lost in the woods sounds like fun. I’ve gotten lost in the woods before, and I haven’t been lost for years,” senior Gus Trimble said.
The last Saturday of November, Trimble tried out orienteering—a sport growing more popular at Liberty. Last year, Liberty alumni Siri Christopherson encouraged many cross country runners to try it out, and the orienteering club continues to garner more students because of its unique structure compared to other running competitions.
“I run cross country, and I race, but all I’m doing is running. Orienteering tests me and challenges me. I feel more accomplished when I’m done because not only did I show my athletic ability, but I showed my navigational abilities too,” senior and team captain Brigitte Larkin said.
Orienteering consists of a map with numbered checkpoints called controls, and participants run or walk through the course, sometimes navigating along wooded trails and sometimes urbanized areas. One can think of it as a scavenger hunt.
While a great deal of Larkin’s club also runs cross country in the fall, orienteering is not exclusive to runners.
“You can just go on a nature walk, or you can race. It’s pretty chill,” Larkin said. “Anyone who likes the outdoors would enjoy orienteering.”
In his first competition, the navigational challenge of finding the quickest route appealed to Trimble the most.
“People say getting lost is fun. I don’t know about that. It’s when after you get lost and you realize how to find your way—that feels good,” Trimble said.
Anyone interested in trying orienteering can talk to Larkin or visit Washington’s Cascade Orienteering Club’s website and register for an event.