On Sunday, August 2, Orange's local orienteering club, the Goldseekers Orienteers, held a training event at Forest Reefs ahead of the NSW Schools Orienteering Championships, which are being held in Orange for the very first time later this month.

For two days, August 15-16, more than 500 competitors from schools all over the state will descend on Orange for the championship event of this unique sport.

Originating in Sweden, the sport of orienteering requires participants to use a map and compass to navigate unfamiliar terrain as quickly as possible.

Day One of the NSW Schools Orienteering Championships will be a ‘middle distance’ race held in bushland at Vittoria, to test competitors' cross-country navigation. Course lengths vary from 1.5-6 kilometres depending on the age group.

Day Two will consist of a sprint and relay race with courses 1.5-3 kilometres in length that include lots of twists and turns. This will all take place on the Kinross Wolaroi School grounds on Bathurst Road.

Ahead of the championships, students from a number of local schools have taken part in other training events hosted by Bletchington Public School.