Bowness Park Unsupervised Course with Optional GPS Orienteering

Organizer: Teresa (Course Planner)

Map: Bowness Park + Baker Park

"Somewhere Over the Bow"

This week's course will take you through Bowness and Baker Parks in a loop. Two options are available. The two courses are exactly the same, but choose a regular or advanced map. The courses will be posted on our members-only site at https://members.orienteeringcalgary.ca/other-courses

1. Regular Course - just like it says - regular point to point course
2. Corridor/window advanced option - much of the map has been blanked out. Legs will mostly be either "window" or "corridor". Window legs will test your compass skills. The area around the next control is shown on the map, the bit in between is blank - use your compass to run in the correct direction and find the control. As the parks are super open, you will likely be able to spot the feature right away, if you look carefully. Corridor legs show a corridor of map between two controls. Try to follow the corridor carefully to arrive at the next control. The corridor legs will test your map reading skills. The phone version will show the regular map, so you can use this as a back-up.

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The control locations have NOT been flagged or marked in the park at this time. We will update this page if any control markers are put out. Please time yourself and let us know you've completed a course using the instructions in the members-only site so that we can gather feedback and assess demand for these types of activities.

If you have a smartphone, you can have it record your track and "beep" when you get to a control using the free MapRunF GPS app. A GPS version of each course is now available on the members-only site at the link above. Note that you will need to download the free MapRunF app (iPhone or Android), download the course(s), and enter the PIN code for each course prior to starting the course in the MapRunF GPS app. Full instructions are on the members-only site above.

Important Safety Precautions: This is an unsupervised activity. You are responsible for assessing risks and managing your safety. Ensure that you are properly trained and aware of the risks before embarking on any unsupervised orienteering activity. Always carry a whistle, a communication device, go with a "buddy", and obey all government and local health and safety regulations.

Please be courteous to other park users and respect all health and safety regulations including the 2m distancing requirements. Do not go out on the course if you are feeling unwell or have recently been in close contact with others who are feeling unwell.

If controls locations are marked, please do not touch or move any controls or flags, even if they are in the wrong location or missing. Instead, inform the course planner when you return. Note that some control markers may go missing. We will collect them after this unsupervised event ends.

Due to insurance and Orienteering Canada requirements, anyone participating must be a member of Foothills Orienteering and must have signed the online waiver (this is separate from the online registration agreements). This includes family members (youth memberships are very reasonable!). Note: SOGO program registrations include a Foothills Orienteering Club membership for the current year for the SOGO youth registered (or the adult and youth if registered for a parented program).

Printable PDF maps and optional GPS instructions are available in the "Other Courses" section of our password protected site members.orienteeringcalgary.ca. You can request access to the members-only site by following these instructions.

Once you have completed a course, please log in to the members-only site and let us know you have completed a course (finish time is optional) so that we can get feedback on the course and decide whether there is sufficient interest in future self-led courses. GPS users should also upload their split times in the app. You can check submitted course times here.

Location