Permanent Orienteering Markers for Fixed Navigation Courses
A permanent orienteering course removes the need to put out and collect control kites every time somebody wants to use the area.
Fixed control markers can be installed at mapped locations around school grounds, parks, woodland, outdoor centres and other suitable sites. Once the area has been mapped and the posts installed, it can support repeated navigation sessions, independent use, coaching and organised activities.
Compass Point currently stocks dedicated long-term markers rather than treating ordinary event kites as a substitute.
Setting Up a Permanent Course
Planning starts with the purpose.
A school may want accessible controls around its grounds for lessons and introductory navigation. An outdoor centre may need a layout that can be reused by different groups. A club or land manager may want a more extensive network that gives visitors several route options.
Control locations should correspond accurately with the map and make sense for the intended ability level. It is also worth thinking about access, vegetation and how easily each site can be inspected later.
Fixed does not mean maintenance-free. Changes to vegetation, paths, fences and other mapped features can affect the layout over time, while the markers themselves should be checked periodically to make sure they remain present and identifiable.
This makes it an ongoing resource rather than a one-off installation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a permanent orienteering course?
It is a mapped navigation route with control points that remain installed rather than being put out for one event and removed afterwards. This allows the area to be used repeatedly for navigation activities.
Where can they be used?
In suitable locations such as school grounds, parks, woodland and outdoor activity centres, subject to permission from the landowner or organisation responsible for the site.
Are they suitable for schools?
Yes. A fixed layout gives a school a reusable outdoor learning resource without teachers having to set out every control before each session. Pair it with class sets of compasses and the course is ready for whole-class lessons.