Orienteering

***  what is Orienteering?  ***

main international events (photos & maps):

2010 - XVIII Troféu CPOC - Cascais (Portugal)

2010 - XXII Trofeo Murcia Costa Calida - Cehegin (Spain)

2010 - Trofeo Andalucia - Ronda (Spain)

2010 - Norte Alentejano O Meeting - Crato (Portugal)

2010 - Portugal O Meeting - Figueira da Foz (Portugal)

2010 - V Troféu de Orientação Funchal - Madeira (Portugal)

2010 - Madeira Orienteering Festival - Madeira (Portugal)

2010 - II Troféu do Sorraia '10 - Coruche (Portugal)

2010 - Meeting Internacional de Arraiolos (Portugal)

2009 - XIII Meeting "Evora patrimonio mundial" (Portugal)

2009 - XXI Trofeo Murcia Costa Calida (Spain)

2009 - XI MOC - Meeting Orientação Centro (Portugal)

2009 - Portugal O' Meeting - POM 2009 (Portugal)

2009 - NAOM 2009 (Portugal)

2008 - XVI Oriberico (Portugal)

2008 - OO CUP 2008 (Slovenia)

2008 - Lake Tahoe (California - U.S.A.)

As a teenager I was a middle-distance runner (also competing in cross-country and steeplechase Junior Italian Championships), and a basketball player (3rd national division), then in 1990 just by chance I got to know about Orienteering and immediately resumed my competitive sports activity. During the previous years I only did sports at an amateur level (basket, mountain bike, handball, water polo, soccer, sailing, and so on). In the ’80s I combined my love of travelling and sports carrying out two long kayak crossings in France: Dunkirk (on the Channel), Lyon, Arles (close to the Mediterranean shore), Toulouse, Bordeaux (on the Atlantic), almost 1,100 miles (1750km) along French canals and rivers in 31 days and the following year I paddled from Brussels to Paris in one week.

Practicing Orienteering I succeeded in combining outdoor physical activity, cartography and the discovery of new places. I'm Master, Trainer and map Certifier (I certified all the maps used during the World Cup 2005 Final) of F.I.S.O. (Orienteering Italian Federation) and have been National Councillor.

Competing in over 250 races (about 150 of which international events) I achieved remarkable experience running in any kind of environment from the sandy dunes in France and Hungary, to the steep and rocky terrains of the Alps in Switzerland and France, the karst areas in Slovenia, the hills and forests in Norway, Czech Rep. and Austria, and recently (winter 2008/09) the peculiar cork-oak, pine and eucaliptus forests in Portugal and Spain.

Besides running in 14 Italian Championships, in 2004 and 2006 I participated in the World Master Orienteering Championship ending on both occasions “in the top half of the world” in my class.

I often teach map-reading and cartography both to students, guides and professionals and Orienteering in schools.

qualification 1 (click to enlarge)

qualification 2 (click to enlarge)

FINAL (click to enlarge)

Bohemia Cup 2003

Novy Bor (Czech Rep.)

map samples

(1:10.000  scale - 5m contour)