What we’re about
The Central Va Orienteering Club (CVOC) is a group dedicated to orienteering and adventure racing in the Richmond and central region of Virginia. We are chartered with the national organization, Orienteering USA. Orienteering is the sport of navigation with map & compass and can be done on foot, bike, or by boat.
Head out into the woods to find specific locations shown on your map, making choices along the way of the best routes between them. Orienteering is great for improving your map reading or wilderness navigation skills or preparing for adventure races. Race against the clock for the shortest time or do it as a fun walk in the woods!
People of all ages and skill levels are welcome. Come join in the adventure!
Check out our Facebook page! CVOC Facebook page
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Upcoming events (2)
See all- Powhatan State ParkPowhatan State Park, Powhatan, VA
Pre-registration details, including the required Google form link, are below in the "Pre-registration & Payment" section.
We haven't been to Powhatan State Park for a couple of years, but it's always a good location. It's one of the less-developed state parks & is fun to explore. Not too much elevation change, but it does offer some nice navigational challenges. Four courses to choose from this month! Check out the details below.***
STARTS: Check in begins at 11:30 am and starts run until 12:30 pm. (Everybody must be back to the start no later than 2:00 pm.) Feel free to arrive any time after 11:15 am.
COST: Maps are $5 each (pre-registered); $10 day-of (if available).
PARKING FEE: A parking fee of $5 per car will be collected at the park entrance station (unless you have a State Parks parking permit).
LOCATION: Powhatan State Park. 4616 Powhatan State Park Rd, Powhatan, VA at the equestrian parking area. Look for the red & white arrow orienteering signs leading the way.
INSTRUCTION: 11:45am - 12:20pm
- Instruction will be available during above times for beginners or those who would like some help to get started. We can also offer some tips to those who've been out a few times and want to advance their skills a bit.
- See links at the bottom to some reference materials that you can review in advance in lieu of in-person instruction.
OTHER:
- Bring your own compass or borrow one of ours (on a first-come basis). Be prepared to leave car keys as a deposit when borrowing.
- Dress appropriately for the weather and for travel both on & off trail. You are strongly encouraged to bring water, sunscreen, and bug spray.
- Feel free to post comments or contact one of the organizers if you have any questions!
*** Our meets are put on by volunteers & we could use your help. Please consider offering some of your time at this or an upcoming meet or for other help in running the club. ***
PRE-REGISTRATION & PAYMENT:
We require everyone to register on the Google form & pay for their maps in advance. This cuts down on the amount of time needed on event day for waiver signing & payments. It also guarantees you a map. Minors cannot participate without a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.Register by Friday December 6th at Noon to give us time to print maps and reserve one for you. Only a very limited number of extra maps will be available; we cannot print them on site.
Please register and complete the waiver using the Google form link below. You will be shown payment info after registering there.
Google Form RegistrationGroups: Organized groups of minors: Don't use the registration form above. Please contact us at [email protected].
MEET DETAILS:
4 courses to choose from. All are traditional orienteering courses that are completed in the numerical order indicated on the map.- White (Beginner) - Great for first-timers & practicing your skills.
- Yellow/Orange (Novice/Intermediate) - Starts out a bit more challenging than White and good for building your skills, but then the difficulty increases with some off-trail travel.
- Brown (Short Advanced) & Green (Advanced) - More route choice decisions, with much of the travel off-trail.
Course Designer: Alec Richardson
----- Be sure to join our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CentralVAOrienteeringClub/ -----
BEGINNER INFORMATION:
Below is some instructional information that you can check out to learn about orienteering before heading out on the course.- What is orienteering: https://orienteeringusa.org/explore/what-is-orienteering/
- See the "How to Navigate" section & the video. (Ignore the info about electronic punching.): https://orienteeringusa.org/explore/how-to-orienteer/
- See the "Basic Techniques" info: https://orienteeringusa.org/resources/training/
- First Day Orienteering at Pocahontas SPPocahontas State Park, Chesterfield, VA
Note: We are doing pre-registration for this event. Details, including the required Google form link, are below in the "Pre-registration & Payment" section.
Start the New Year off right by spending it in the woods! We'll be putting on our 8th annual orienteering meet in conjunction with the Pocahontas State Park "First Day" events. Come on out and join us on one of the four courses! See below for all of the registration and course details.***
STARTS: Beginner course folks start any time between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. For all other courses, start between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm (Everybody must be back to the start no later than 2:00 pm.) Feel free to arrive any time after 10:45 am.
COST: Maps are $5 each (pre-registered); $10 day-of (if available). The beginner course is free for this event, but we still need you to preregister so that we know how many maps to print.
PARKING FEE: No fee this day!!!
LOCATION: From the main park entrance on Beach Rd, follow the signs toward the Visitor Center. There will be red & white arrow orienteering signs pointing the way as you get closer. If the weather is nice, we'll be in the center of the traffic circle in front of the Visitor Center. If it's pretty cold or bad weather, we may be inside the building.
INSTRUCTION: 11:15am - 12:30pm
- Instruction will be available during above times for beginners or those who would like some help to get started. We can also offer some tips to those who've been out a few times and want to advance their skills a bit.
- See links at the bottom to some reference materials that you can review in advance in lieu of in-person instruction.
OTHER:
- Bring your own compass or borrow one of ours (on a first-come basis). Be prepared to leave car keys as a deposit when borrowing.
- Dress appropriately for the weather and for travel both on & off trail. You are strongly encouraged to bring water.
- Feel free to post comments or contact one of the organizers if you have any questions!
*** Our meets are put on by volunteers & we could use your help. Please consider offering some of your time at this or an upcoming meet. ***
PRE-REGISTRATION & PAYMENT:
We require everyone to register on the Google form & pay for their maps in advance. This cuts down on the amount of time needed on event day for waiver signing & payments. It also guarantees you a map. Minors cannot participate without a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.Register by Sunday 12/29 at Noon to give us time to print maps and reserve one for you. Only a very limited number of extra maps will be available; we cannot print them on site.
Please register and complete the waiver using the Google form link below. You will be shown payment info after registering there.
Google Form RegistrationGroups: Organized groups of minors: Don't use the registration form above. Please contact us at [email protected].
MEET DETAILS:
4 courses to choose from. All are traditional orienteering courses that are completed in the numerical order indicated on the map.- White (Beginner) - Great for first-timers & practicing your skills. FREE
- Yellow/Orange (Novice/Intermediate) - Starts out a bit more challenging than White and good for building your skills, but then the difficulty increases with some off-trail travel.
- Brown (Short Advanced) & Green (Advanced) - More route choice decisions, with much of the travel off-trail.
Course Designers: Alec Richardson & Ellen Stefaniak
----- Be sure to join our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CentralVAOrienteeringClub/ -----
BEGINNER INFORMATION:
Below is some instructional information that you can check out to learn about orienteering before heading out on the course.- What is orienteering: https://orienteeringusa.org/explore/what-is-orienteering/
- See the "How to Navigate" section & the video. (Ignore the info about electronic punching.): https://orienteeringusa.org/explore/how-to-orienteer/
- See the "Basic Techniques" info: https://orienteeringusa.org/resources/training/
