"The sport of the woods": it’s time for Walking Orienteering on Alpe Cimbra!

What is orienteering?
Orienteering means orientation in the sense of “finding one’s position”, and comes from the Latin word oriens, East, where the sun sets.
It is also called the “sport of the woods”.
Orienteering was first established in Norway at the end of the 18th century, and the goal is to complete a predefined route as quickly as possible, stopping by some check points and using only a compass and a topographical map drawn for this purpose.
The difficulty consists of finding one’s way, following the route set by the organisation, stopping at all the intermediate check points, called lanterns (white-red signs), and getting to the end in the shortest possible time.

Walking orienteering: from sport to fun!
Walking orienteering is a non-competitive activity, where the time taken to reach all the check points does not matter. This experience offers the chance to be surrounded by nature, on your own or in a group, and to test your orientation skills while discovering the environment around you, the landscapes and the sounds and smells of the wood.
Do not worry if finding your way is not your strong point: just contact the Alpe Cimbra Orienteering School to learn how to use the compass and map. In summer, special, highly entertaining courses are organised for youngsters, entitled “Piccoli esploratori crescono” (little explorers grow up), with a splendid certificate at the end.
The maps can be downloaded from the website www.alpecimbra.it, or requested from the Alpe Cimbra Tourist Offices in Folgaria - Lavarone, Lusérn and Vigolana - together with the compass. Those who can prove they have completed all the routes will receive a nice gift.

WALKING ORIENTEERING:
• the aim is to move around the wood and test your skills to reach the “marked” points by using the maps of the permanent route. This allows you to follow routes similar to the competitive ones, but at an amateur level;
• this activity is suitable for everyone: from athletes with competitive ambitions to aficionados and families wishing to have fun and spend a day outdoors;
• you can tackle the routes on foot or by mountain-bike;
• you are free to choose the date and time;
• there is no time-keeping or ranking;
• you can take part in a group, or “team”.

ALPE CIMBRA BECOMES A FEDERAL ORIENTEERING CENTRE
The Italian Orienteering Federation chose Alpe Cimbra as their federal headquarters. The FISO is the only national federation based in Trentino, indicative of the strong bond between this sport and the region: there are 17 associations, 374 athletes, 311 amateurs, 56 instructors and 107 managers, in addition to the other prestigious Italian federations that have chosen Trentino as the location for the retreat of their national teams.
Sergio Anesi, President of the Federation, says: “Trentino is a region particularly suitable for orienteering, also known as the sport of the woods, boasting a natural bond with this
sport, renowned for its culture of fair play and zero environmental impact. Indeed, no sports facilities are required: all that is necessary is a map and a compass”.
Alpe Cimbra is the area selected for the federal training camps at all levels, from the Master category athletes looking for an active holiday that respects the environment with compass and map, to the professionals. Over the last few years, several important events have taken place here: for example the 2014 World Championships, the Italian Championship, the trials for the Italian Cup and the “5 Giorni dei Forti” competition. Above all, two significant international events will be organised here in 2023.
Daniela Vecchiato, director of the Alpe Cimbra Tourist Office, says: “Becoming the FISO Federal Centre is a huge achievement, the culmination of a project regarding orienteering that began many years ago in the area and is a starting point to develop valuable new projects for sports and tourism, in collaboration with the Federation and Trentino Marketing”.

Events 2023:

MTB-O WORLD CUP
September 20^th - 23^th
“3rd Round World Cup MTB-O 2023” valid for the Under 23 World Championship and which will involve 500 athletes.

ARGE ALP
October 14^th - 15^th
Gronlait Orienteering Team, in collaboration with Apt Alpe Cimbra, with the approval of the National and Trentino Federations of the F.I.S.O, will organize on October 14 and 15, 2023, the ARGE ALP orienteering race on the Alpe Cimbra.