Courses

The club this year will use the USOF "color" designations wherever applicable. A description of the courses is as follows:

Color	White	Yellow	Orange	Green	Red	Blue
Approximate distance	1.5 km	2.5 km	3.5 km	4.5 km	6.5 km	9.0 km
Difficulty	Easiest	Easy	Modest	Hard	Hard	Hard

The White course is intended to be easy enough for first-time participants after a short introduction to the sport. Control points are generally on trails or similarly easy-to-locate features.

The Yellow course is slightly more difficult than the White course. Control points are generally placed close to but not right at easy-to-find features, such as on a knoll that is 50 m away from a trail junction.

The Orange course requires more map-reading and course-planning skills than the Yellow course. Controls will generally have a good attack point, but the attack point may be more subtle than on the Yellow course, or the control will be placed further from the attack point. The route choice from one control to the attack point for the next control is often less obvious than on the Yellow course.

The Green, Red, and Blue courses differ from each other only in length. At local parks, they are usually the most difficult course that can be set given the size and the terrain of the park. Map-reading, compass, and route-planning skills will be tested to a greater degree on this course.

Sometimes other courses may be offered, such as a Motala (a course which involves one or more map exchanges), or a Line-O or Score-O. These courses will be explained in the meet instructions at any meet which uses these formats.

Fees

The entry fees to ROC meets are $3.00 per map for ROC members and $6.00 per map for non-members. If several people (a family group for example) enter as a group using the same map, the fee is still $3.00 (members) or $6.00 (non-members). A person or group can do a second course using the same map for no additional charge (if you complete the White course and decide to try the Yellow course, for example).

Beginner instruction

Beginners are always welcome; there is an informal beginners' clinic approximately 15 minutes after the beginning of the event, and all meets offer a course suitable for beginning orienteers.