[Triangle-AR] Night Navigation Practice?

[Charlie Roberts]

 >   Charlie - You are right on with those Suunto watches, re-calibration
 > is key.  Could you expand on your technique of using elevation catch
 > points?
 >

Sometimes its easier to measure elevation gain/loss than distance.  It 
just depends on how steep the terrain is.  In a race last year for 
example, we were on easy to navigate roads for a while, but we had to 
find and take a faint trail after many miles. A "faint" trail on a USGS 
quad (usually updated decades ago) could either be non-existent or a 
converted to a road at the present.  The map showed us topping out on a 
major hill/mtn a couple of miles before our trail and then descending a 
twisty gravel road.  Even if you took the time to trace the map with a 
distance wheel, its likely that you would be off on the exact milage due 
to all of the switchbacks that just don't show up.  But by reading the 
contours and determining how much elevation loss is between the top of 
the hill and the trail, you can just blast down the hill until within a 
hundred feet or so and start looking.

Another time on a dark, moonless night we had decided to follow a 
rolling ridge line trail, reach an attack point, and then bushwhack to a 
CP.  It was impossible to see anything in the distance to associate, but 
the map showed the trail crossing a peak at a certain elevation, going 
through a gap, and then across another peak. The elevations though that 
section were unique and allowed us to verify our position. From there it 
was a short, easily measurable distance to the attack point.

I almost always use both distance and elevation clues whenever possible, 
but altimeters are always allowed and elevation can sometimes be easier.


 >   Last year we started using pace counting for the O portion of 
races, especially for sections where the terrain is not obvious.  Wow 
has it made a difference, saved us on a couple of controls per race.  We 
have a system, but in general one of us pace counts and rough nav's out 
from the control we just found, the other of us fine navs between 
controls and punches the card.  If you know how fast you are going based 
on exertion and terrain, your discipline is way, way above pace counting!
 >

Pace counting is great for orienteering, but AR usually consist mostly 
of what I refer to as land nav.  If you're going approx 10k and know 
that an average trekking pace for you is 4.5 km/hr with a medium pack on 
hills, then its easier to think "about 2hrs 10mins" than to count paces 
for that long.  Often times, that type of estimation is fine for AR 
since you will travel longer distances using major landmarks and then 
get more precise as you get close to the point. (if its an OP).



 >   Thanks again for all the advice.  Compass needles still point north 
at night, right? :-)
 >In are

Yes, they do, but if you get really sleepy and start shooting bearings 
off the white-tipped side of the needle it doesn't really matter.  Just 
trust me on that one :-)