Learn Radio Orienteering (ARDF) as the pros learned it. Nadia Scharlau got her start in ARDF at age 13 and went on to become a world champion, and taught classes to beginners who became world champions themselves. She still uses the same no-frustration, step-by-step approach she used to learn the sport. Now you can learn that way too.

Classes are free, but you need to register:

Details

• Dates
  Three consecutive Saturdays – May 16, 23, and 30
• Location
  Address: 6898 Stagville Rd, Bahama, NC 27503
  GPS: 36.141983, -78.851534
  This is a private residence not far from Horton Grove. Please drive slowly on the gravel roads and park only in the indicated locations near the house. Do not drive into other driveways (this one is marked “6898” on a stone pillar at its entrance).
• Start Time: 11 am (Everyone should arrive by 11 am)
• Course Closes: 2:00 PM (but class finishes earlier)
• Event Director: Nadia Scharlau, KO4ADV

There will be two unique class sessions with new material for those who can attend both days. The third session is a short course for individual practice and also serves as a make-up day for anyone who missed an earlier class. Both class sessions and the practice course are available all three days. (But you can only participate in one activity per day because they are held concurrently.) If you can’t make all three, attend the day(s) you can.

Class 1: A short beginner course with constantly operating transmitters. You will learn how to use your receiver.

Class 2: A longer beginner course with “cycling” transmitters. You will learn how to efficiently locate radio-orienteering “foxes”.

Class 3: Go solo on a “cycling” beginner course to practice your skills / Make-up day.

We will be hiking the courses together as a group, so please arrive on time to avoid getting left behind.

Equipment

All necessary equipment will be provided at no charge. New concepts will be introduced in sequence at each session; if you can’t attend all sessions, come when you can. Previously covered concepts will be reviewed each time, so you can jump right in.

Those who have completed the first class session can elect to use a competition-grade receiver, which can be rented for $5 per day. A competition-grade receiver operates much like the instructional receivers used in the classes but offers improved sensitivity and frequency stability, providing an experience closer to that of competitors. Renting a competition-grade receiver is optional, but suggested for those who have completed at least one beginner class.

Those who complete the first two class sessions should acquire the skills needed to participate in BOK’s 80m radio-orienteering practice events.

On Sunday, May 17, 2026, we will host an OPEN orienteering event at Raven Rock. We will have all regular courses from beginner to advanced, White through Red. We’re pleased to introduce a brand new professional re-mapping of this area by Will Dickinson of Wild Terrain Navigation.

Upon arriving to the park, use the southern parking lot on the east side of the main road. Registration and starts for will be in the large shelter to the east of the parking area. (GPS = 35.461882, -78.911587)

Start any time after 10:00 AM and everybody must finish by 2:00 PM when we’ll start control pickup.

If you are new to orienteering we recommend that you check out these short videos to prepare for the event. We will have members of the club available to answer questions and help get you started if this is your first event.

• An Orienteering Class (Video 14:24) This class video includes the information in the following two videos:
• An Orienteering Map Explained (Video 3:52)
• An Orienteering Thumb Compass Explained (Video 1:26)

Click the following button to go directly to the registration page. Register before 10pm on Friday, May 15.

We will use LIVELOX so you can see your route on the map after the event, along with everyone else on your course. LIVELOX is great because you can learn a lot about route choice, and it is fun to see how others’ choices affect their runs. The easiest way to use LIVELOX is to download the LIVELOX app to your phone. Then, when you start your course, open the app on your phone, click “Start Recording,” and then “Stop Recording” at the end of your run. Later in the day, the event will be published on livelox.com, where you can select your course for viewing. Uploading your route from your Garmin or Strava account is also possible.)

If you’re able, we always appreciate help with control pick-up.

Dave and Brian

We had a beautiful morning for our May 3rd event at White Pines Nature Preserve; sunny, a little chilly, and perfect for running. Thank you to everyone who came out. We had 25 starts, and it was great to hear that several participants were visiting this preserve for the first time. This 285-acre peninsula, located […]

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We will have an OPEN event at Umstead Park (North) on Sunday, May 10, 2026.

Take Glenwood Ave to the park entrance. Go south past the visitor center to the parking lots at the end of the road. Registration and starts will be in the large picnic shelter to the east of the parking area. (GPS = 35.871668, -78.759166)

The event starts at 11.30 am and everybody must finish by 2.30 PM.
We will have all regular courses from beginner to advanced, White through Red.

If you are new to orienteering we recommend that you check out these short videos to prepare for the event.

• An Orienteering Class (Video 14:24) This class video includes the information in the following two videos:
• An Orienteering Map Explained (Video 3:52)
• An Orienteering Thumb Compass Explained (Video 1:26)

Click the following button to go directly to the registration page. Register before 10pm on Friday, May 8.

We will use LIVELOX so you can see your route on the map after the event, along with everyone else on your course. LIVELOX is great because you can learn a lot about route choice, and it is fun to see how others’ choices affect their runs. The easiest way to use LIVELOX is to download the LIVELOX app to your phone. Then, when you start your course, open the app on your phone, click “Start Recording,” and then “Stop Recording” at the end of your run. Later in the day, the event will be published on livelox.com, where you can select your course for viewing. Uploading your route from your Garmin or Strava account is also possible.)

Help with control pick-up would be greatly appreciated.

Vladimir and Tatyana

Join us for an advanced classic orienteering event on Sunday, May 3^rd, 2026, at White Pines Nature Preserve, managed by the Triangle Land Conservancy. The park is located 14 minutes south of Pittsboro, NC

Registration is now closed.

Please register before 6:00 PM on Friday, May 1st, to ensure we have enough maps.

On the day of the event, you will park in the main parking lot (548 S Rocky River Rd, Sanford, NC 27330).

Check-in is open between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM.  Make sure that you finish by 1:30 PM because we will begin clearing the courses at that time.

You must return to the check-in area after completing your course. This is where we will download your results.

Orange Advanced courses: Off-trail navigation is necessary. There is a “catch feature” or an “attack point” within 100m of a control.  Trails can frequently be used as a route choice, but are usually not the best way.

Expert brown, green, and red courses are all as complex as the terrain allows, with minimal use of trails, and differ only in length.

All maps are printed at a scale of 1:7500. Contours 5m. There are many controls in this park due to its small size, so make sure to check the control description!

• Advanced (Orange) 3.5 km
• Expert Short (Brown) 3.6 km
• Expert Medium (Green) 5.3 km
• Expert Long (Red) 6.7 km

We will use LIVELOX so you can see your route on the map after the event, along with everyone else on your course. LIVELOX is great because you can learn a lot about route choice, and it is fun to see how others’ choices affect their runs. The easiest way to use LIVELOX is to download the LIVELOX app to your phone. Then, when you start your course, open the app on your phone, click “Start Recording,” and then “Stop Recording” at the end of your run. Later in the day, the event will be published on livelox.com, where you can select your course for viewing. Uploading your route from your Garmin or Strava account is also possible.)

There are no bathrooms in this preserve, so plan accordingly.

Welcome!

Lina