The annual foot rogaining event will be held in the Parys area this year. The terrain is technical and challenging and the sport of rogaining is the original ‘Pokemon Go’. This is a must-do for adventure racers to sharpen navigation skills.
Rogaining is a close relative of orienteering. It is defined as an athletic or recreational long distance cross-country navigation sport. Using a standard topographical or (in this instance) a specially prepared map, rogaining involves map interpretation, navigation and route planning, tracking down control points in any order that you choose, within a set time.
You do not have to be an accomplished navigator or highly competitive athlete to participate in this event. Provided that you have the legs and some stamina, you run, walk or jog at your own pace, decide on your own time limit and enjoy the navigational challenge and the scenery.
At the start, each team member will receive a pre-marked map showing all the controls (orange and white flag markers) on the ground. The controls that are farthest from the start/finish and those that are more difficult to locate yield a higher point score than those controls that that are closer to the start/finish and easier to find. Teams that exceed their time limit will incur time penalties.
The event this year is held on a property just outside of Parys. It takes 1hr to 90-minutes to get to Parys from JHB. Around 20-25mins to get to the event start venue from Parys.
There is also a ton of accommodation in the Parys area so consider coming through on the Friday evening and spending the weekend with us.
Entice your family to come through with you. They can enjoy the day in Parys. Sat, 3 Sept is market day, our monthly market on the bank of the Vaal River next to the bridge. It opens at 9 and closes at 3. The stalls have great products and there is also a superb selection of food and craft beer from our local Dog & Fig brewery. It is lovely to sit next to the river and enjoy the live music and vibe. Plus the town is loaded with cute shops and good restaurants.
On Sunday, 4 September, try a dash of rafting or paddling with Karen and Graeme Addison from Otters’ Haunt. Rafting (2-man crocs) is R295pp (half-day trip) or hire a single or double sit-on-top (R80) and paddle around the islands on the stretch of river off Otters. The bird life out here is fabulous and I’ve had the pleasure to see Goliath Herons and Grey Herons from the river. I hear Fish Eagles all the time, but I’ve yet to spot them. I’ve seen river otters twice. Elusive, but a cool sighting. On Saturday afternoon I saw a long-crested eagle, less than one kilometre from Otters. You can also book accommodation at Otters. www.otters.co.za
Rogaining is THE best way to practice your navigation. This terrain out here is far more challenging than the forests of Lakenvlei, Kaapschehoop and Lydenburg, where previous rogaining events have been held.
The Event Information sheet is available on the Rand Orienteering Club website. Entries close Sunday, 28 August 2016.