Image Gallery online for this event: gallery.WickedAR.com.

This class is now full and registration is closed. We're hoping to offer Advanced Navigation Clinics in Spring 2005. Please Contact Us if you'd like to be notified when the schedule is ready, or check back here for further information.

Instructor: Eric Bone
Start Date: Friday, December 3rd at 6:00pm
End Date: Sunday, December 5th at 4:00pm

This training camp is aimed primarily at adventure racing and rogaining-type navigation, using USGS topo maps. The emphasis will be on in-the-field practice, so expect to be on your feet for much of the time. The weekend-long program is limited to eight people.

Topics:

The camp will cover such topics as basic techniques, map reading and terrain association, navigation routines/systems, teamwork, compass use, route choice, precision orienteering navigation, night navigation, pacing, terrain evaluation and strategy, and some skills/techniques for specific situations. For simplicity, the practice courses will be designed for foot travel, and there will be longer and shorter variations to accommodate different ability levels. The camp will be physically and mentally rigorous and will require a good fitness level for maximum benefit.

You will be learning and training with other students in a team format. This will more closely match racing conditions and allow you to practice navigating with primary and backup navigators, rotating the primary navigation role, learn to delegate backup navigation tasks, and involve your entire team in the navigational choices and decisions you make.

Registration Fees

• Navigation Clinic with Lodging+Food Option only: $175 clinic + $140 lodging/food = $315

Registration Schedule and Details

• A deposit of $200 confirming your registration is required and needs to be in to us no later than November 12^th
  
• Complete payment for the Navigation Clinic must be completed no later than November 26^th.
• If we have not received your deposit on time, your spot will go to someone on the waitlist.
• $100 of the deposit is non-refundable (unless your spot is filled, in which case your full depost will be refunded)

You can make payments via either of the following methods:

• Online using Acteva Online Registration (note: there is a credit card processing fee that Acteva charges)
• Offline by sending a check made out to "Wicked Adventure Racing, LLC" and mailed to:
  
  Wicked Adventure Racing, LLC
  19395 SW Haide Rd.
  Sherwood, OR 97140-8929
  

Lodging

Lodging is in a large, beautiful vacation rental house in Welches, in the woods near the Sandy river. There will be 10 of us, so the accommodations will be "cozy". Please bring a sleeping bag to ensure you'll be warm and comfortable. The wrap-around deck and private hot tub have mountain and river views.

Food

Hearty and delicious breakfasts and dinners will be provided Friday evening through Sunday morning. All particpants need to provide their own lunches and on-the-trail snacks. Plan on packing your lunch with you on Saturday and Sunday. You'll be eating lunch on the trail. You will be required to eat while training on Sunday. Please ensure you bring adequate Electrolyte replacement - even though it's cold, you'll still be working hard and sweating.

Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions (eg allergies, Vegetarian, Vegan, etc).

What to Bring

• Outdoor clothing and shoes appropriate for cross-country travel in cold and wet weather (there will be frequent travel through vegetation and over rough terrain)
• EXTRA clothing should it get very cold, or you want to change into dry clothing between field training courses
• Wind/Waterproof shells (top and bottom) - it WILL be cold and possibly rainy or snowy
• Gaiters are HIGHLY encouraged
• Pack a Lunch for both Saturday and Sunday
• Water and "trail food" (gels, bars, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, GORP, Pringles, or whatever you like to eat when you engage in endurance exercise).
• A whistle (required) and whatever other safety gear you're comfortable with. We will try to look out for each other, but there is always some chance that you could get injured in a hard-to-find place and be alone for many hours. Cell phone coverage is spotty in the area, so don't count on using your cell phone.
• A pack to carry your water, food, extra clothing, dry socks, and safety gear in the field
• Maps and stories from previous races (for review; to suggest areas to target for improvement)
• Map case you usually use (at a minimum, 1 or 2 gallon sized ziplock type bags will work)
• A compass (preferably the one you usually use or one you wish to practice with)
• A UTM plotting tool, if you have one and want to practice
• An altimeter, if you have one and want to practice
• A good headlamp for the night navigation course
• Extra batteries for your headlamp
• Blister treatment if you are susceptible to blisters, we'll be on our feet a lot over uneven ground
• A good water resistant sports sunscreen
• Ankle tape or brace if you are susceptible to spraining your ankles

About the Area

Terrain
Steep hilly ridge and valley topography. The forest over most of the area is mainly evergreen, and it is mixed between passable to moderate bushwhacking. Some areas will require moving over fallen logs and through brush. There is an extensive network of dirt roads of various ages, however most of the clinic navigation will be focused on reading terrain and features, and not travelling on the roads.

Weather
The clinic is on the West side of Mt Hood and will be wet and chilly this time of year. Expect temperatures to be in the 40s and 50s during the daytimes, and as low as 30 degrees at night. Please ensure you bring adequate cold weather gear. Layering is your best approach. Bring more extra dry clothes than you think you need, especially socks! Keep your fingers crossed that we get a break in the weather for the weekend!

FINAL Schedule
Friday, December 3^rd:

5:00-6:00 pm Meet at the vacation rental
Get address/directions from the vacation rental office Friday afternoon.
Click here for a map to the rental office: Mt Hood Vacation Rentals
6:00-7:00 pm instruction: meet; discuss goals; review schedule
7:00-8:00 pm dinner break
8:00-10:00 pm instruction: map preparation; basic skills review
Saturday, December 4^th:

7:00-8:00 am breakfast
8:00-9:00 am instruction
9:30-9:45 am travel
10:00 am - 2:00 pm in-field navigation course
snack/lunch while training
2:00-2:30 pm travel
2:30-3:30 pm precision compass course
3:30-3:45 pm travel
4:00-5:00 pm instruction
5:30-6:30 pm dinner
6:30-7:00 pm travel to night nav
7:00-11:00 pm Night Nav course
11:00-11:30 pm return to base camp
Sunday, December 5^th:

8:00-9:00 am breakfast
9:00-10:00 am instruction: terrain evaluation and strategy; route choice
10:30-10:45 am travel
11:00 am - 2:30 pm advanced practice course
lunch will be in the field during training
3:00 pm departure
Driving Directions

Full directions will be emailed to you before the clinic. We will also post them here when available.

Eric's resume (in brief)

• 2004 U.S. Orienteering Championships, 2nd Place
• 2004 PURE urban adventure race, 1st place
• 2004 World Rogaining Championships, 7th place (out of about 175 teams)
• 2004 TRIOBA 24-hour AR Wenatchee race, 3rd (overall) and top trekking section performance (Team Rubber Chicken, navigator)
• 2004 Appalachian Extreme AR, 3rd place (Team Rock 'n Road Cycles, navigator)
• 2003 U.S. Orienteering Champion
• 2003 Six Degrees of Navigation AR, 1st place (Team Six Degrees in Navigation, navigator)
• 2003 U.S. Rogaining Championships, 2nd place
• 2002 U.S. Rogaining Championships, 1st place
• 2001-2002 Canadian national junior orienteering training camp, advanced group coach
• 1994-present U.S. Orienteering Team member