Map reading
Also: Map navigation, Plotting
In map reading you find the route with a map instead of tulip diagrams. It is typical of navigation tasks.
In a rally, map reading means finding the route with a map instead of tulip diagrams in the roadbook. It is the classic task of the co-driver on navigation sections.
Common formats
- Marked route: the route is drawn on the map and you follow it.
- Join the dots: the map only shows waypoints. Depending on the regulations, you find the shortest road or a set road between them.
- Map extracts: small pieces of a map, often without north or at a different scale, that you have to match to the real roads.
Where you see it
Map reading is at the heart of many orientation rallies. Classic rallies sometimes include single sections with map tasks too, often mixed with herringbones or Chinese signs.
Tips for beginners
- Always turn the map to match your direction of travel. Then left on the map is left on the road.
- Use landmarks like churches, railway lines and rivers. They help more than road names.
- Take a good map light and a magnifier for night sections.
- Practise beforehand with a walking map of your area.
At many events, using phone maps or a sat nav during a navigation task is forbidden, depending on the regulations.