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Difficulty level explained

Each of the OY events are available at four different difficulty levels, indicated by colour. This makes it possible to organise an event for the country’s elite runners, while at the same time catering for any other level of experience. The text below explains the different difficulty levels, from ‘easy’ (white) to ‘hard’ (red).

Sprint courses also have different difficutly level, indicated with the words ‘easy’ to ‘hard’, but do not use the colour system.

White courses:

• White courses must follow drawn linear features (tracks, fences, streams, distinct vegetation boundaries, etc.).
• A control site must be placed at decision points (e.g. turning points such as a track junction, or a change in the type of linear feature – from following a track to following a stream).
• All control markers must be visible from the approach side.
• Where the course has to deviate from the handrail feature (e.g. to cross through a forest block), the route must be marked all the way with tape until a new handrail feature is reached.
• The Start Triangle must be on a linear feature. If no such feature is available, then there must be a taped route from the start to a linear feature (i.e., the first control).
• Compass use is limited to map orientation only.
• No route choice is offered. Doglegs are permitted.

Yellow courses:

• Control sites must be on or visible from drawn linear features (tracks, fences, streams, distinct vegetation boundaries, etc.) but preferably not at turning points. This gives the opportunity to follow handrails or to cut across-country (i.e. limited route choice).
• Control sites must be visible from the approach side by any reasonable route.
• Compass use is limited to rough directional navigation.
• Contour recognition is not required for navigation but simple contour features may be used for control sites.
• Doglegs are permitted.

Orange courses:

• The course should have route choice with prominent attack points near the control sites and/or catching features less than 100 m behind.
• Control sites may be fairly small point features and the control markers need not necessarily be visible from the attack point. Exit from the control must not be the same as the entry (doglegs are not permitted).
• Simple navigation by contours and rough compass with limited distance estimation required.
• The use of a chain of prominent features as “stepping stones” is encouraged.

Red courses:

• Navigation must be as difficult as possible with small contour and point features as preferred control sites (no obvious attack points, no handrails, etc.). Control sites should be placed in areas rich in detail.
• Route choice should be an important element in most legs.
• Doglegs are not permitted.
• For older age classes, extra care must be taken so that navigation is still technically difficult, but the terrain androute choices are less physically challenging. Courses should avoid, to the extent possible, excessive climb, high fences or fences that are difficult to cross, steep erosion gullies and rough terrain that is physically challenging to get through.