Rogaining is an

orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a s ...

sport of long distance cross-country

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...

, involving both route planning and navigation between checkpoints using a variety of map types. In a rogaine, teams of two to five people choose which checkpoints to visit within a time limit with the intent of maximising their score. Teamwork, endurance, competition and an appreciation for the natural environment are features of the sport. Championship rogaines are 24 hours long, but rogaines can be as short as two hours.

History

Rogaining can trace its roots back to 1947 when the first of many events with some of the features of rogaines was organised by the

Melbourne University The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

Mountaineering Club. The events from the 1940s eventually led to the birth of the sport of rogaining in April 1976, in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The sport was named, rules were adopted and the world’s first rogaining association was formed (the Victorian Rogaining Association). Growth of the association and the sport occurred rapidly over the next decade. The word rogaining is derived from the names of three of the founders, Rod Phillips, Gail Davis (née Phillips) and Neil Phillips (RoGaiNe, hence "rogaining", "rogainer" etc.) who were all members of the

Surrey-Thomas Rover Crew Rovering in Victoria is part of Scouting in Victoria and is predominantly the Rover section of Scouts Australia in Victoria, Australia, which is run by the Victorian Branch Rover Scout Council. At the 2012 Census, there were 1033 registered Rover ...

which organised the world's first rogaine. The name was formally adopted by the Victorian Rogaining Association at its inaugural annual general meeting in August 1976 and accepted by

Scouts Australia Scouts Australia is a trading name of The Scout Association of Australia, which is the largest scouting organisation in Australia, with an estimated 55,038 youth participants in 2021, and a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movemen ...

and University

bushwalking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

groups to give the new sport an identity in its own right.

World Rogaining Championships The World Rogaining Championships are the championships of the International Rogaining Federation (IRF) and the pinnacle rogaining Rogaining is an orienteering sport of long distance cross-country navigation, involving both route planning an ...

were first held in 1992, and then every two years from 1996 to 2012. Since then they have been held annually, with the country chosen two years in advance by the

International Rogaining Federation International Rogaining Federation (IRF) is the peak international body for the sport of rogaining. The aims of the IRF are to promote rogaining worldwide, maintain the culture and the rules of the sport. The IRF has adopted the Rules of Rogaini ...

. As of 2017 this has changed back again to every two years. * 1st World Rogaining Championship (1992): Beechworth, Australia, about 200 teams * 2nd World Rogaining Championship (1996): Mt Singleton, Western Australia, 640 participants in 271 teams * 3rd World Rogaining Championship (1998): Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada * 4th World Rogaining Championship (2000): Christchurch, New Zealand * 5th World Rogaining Championship (2002): Lesna, Czech Republic, 202 teams * 6th World Rogaining Championship (2004): Arizona, USA, 380 participants from 15 countries and 33 U.S. states. * 7th World Rogaining Championship (2006): New South Wales, Australia; 691 participants (311 teams), 125 from overseas * 8th World Rogaining Championship (2008): Karula National Park, Estonia; 748 participants (339 teams) from 22 countries. * 9th World Rogaining Championship (2010): Cheviot, New Zealand; 522 participants (251 teams) * 10th World Rogaining Championship (2012): Přebuz, Czech Republic * 11th World Rogaining Championship (2013): Alol, Russian Federation * 12th World Rogaining Championship (2014): Black Hills, South Dakota, USA * 13th World Rogaining Championship (2015): Kiilopää, Lapland, Finland * 14th World Rogaining Championship (2016): Alice Springs, Australia * 15th World Rogaining Championship (2017): Rāzna National Park, Latvia * 16th World Rogaining Championship (2019): La Molina,

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

, Spain * 17th World Rogaining Championship (2022):

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevad ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, USA

Basic play

Teams of two to five members visit as many checkpoints as possible in the time allowed. Shorter duration rogaines often allow solo competitors. Checkpoints are scored differently depending on level of difficulty in reaching them; therefore teams choose a strategy (for example, to visit many low score checkpoints). Teams travel entirely on foot, navigating by map and compass between checkpoints in terrain that varies from open farmland to hilly forest. A central base camp known as a "hash house" provides hot meals throughout the event and teams may return at any time to eat, rest or sleep. Teams travel at their own pace and participants can practise cross-country navigation at their own level of competition and comfort. Team members stay within earshot of each other. The duration of a championship rogaine is 24 hours, but shorter variations such as 3-, 6-, 8-, 12- and 15-hour events are also held (sometimes concurrently with a 24-hour event). Depending on the terrain, experienced rogaining teams can cover more than over the 24-hour period. There have also been longer events (dubbed "Endurogaines") lasting 48 and 50 hours. In their native Australia, rogaines are usually held every month during weekends near full moons, with annual state championships and an annual national championship. They require dozens of volunteers to run, including course setters and caterers and are often attended by hundreds of participants. A competitive 24-hour rogaine requires a map area of around , for relatively flat terrain; terrain with significant climbs may require far less or far more area, depending on the placement of checkpoints.

Variants

Other forms of rogaining are popular, particularly in Australia during the months when normal rogaines are not held because of the weather. Popular variations include: * Metrogaine: An event of usually around six hours and held in predominantly urban areas. * Cyclegaine/Cyclogaine/Velogaine: Usually run for six hours in areas with trails suitable for mountainbiking. * Snogaine: Held in areas that are snowbound and participants may either

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

ski A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partial ...

to reach checkpoints. * Paddlogaine: A rogaine on a water covered area, such as a set of interconnected lakes. Participants can generally use any human-powered

watercraft Any vehicle used in or on water as well as underwater, including boats, ships, hovercraft and submarines, is a watercraft, also known as a water vessel or waterborne vessel. A watercraft usually has a propulsive capability (whether by sail, ...

. * Motorienteering: A rogaine with

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s. Event lasts 6h. Control points are located both in urban and rural areas

References

External links

History

Basic play

Variants

See also

References

External links