Skip to main content

Review on Confident Orienteering Book

 

Review by Klas Karlsson on Confident Orienteering Book

Getting feedback from highly experienced, top-level athletes is such a privilege! It’s incredibly rewarding to see how the ideas in the book are being put into practice. Positive comments like these aren’t just encouraging—they’re a real motivator to keep going.

I’m happy to share that Confident Orienteering: Book 2 is already in the works.

A big thank you to everyone who helped bring Confident Orienteering: Book 1 – Fundamentals to life!

Aleksandr Alekseyonok, November 22, 2023




Review by Klas Karlsson

"An impressive piece of work!
Short introduction of myself: I have run orienteering for 45 years now. I was very promising as a Junior, and after a bit of struggling as a senior reached the Swedish A-team on a few occasions. However I never managed to make top results. During that time I was most interested in winning, not to the same degree on HOW to win. I thought that by practicing a lot I would eventually succeed. However, that changed over time. Nowadays I am very focused on understanding the keys behind successful orienteering. Yes, I am a nerd. I have written many texts about different topics myself, and I have had thoughts about writing a book summarizing what I have learned in my way. However, after reading this book by Aleksandr, I can only lift my hat and conclude, there is no need for my book any longer!
Aleksandr has very high standards when it comes to describe what really constitutes the nature of navigation. He describes different types of inaccuracies, mistakes, methods and pitfalls while navigating, all supported by examples along the way. Personally I find this beautiful, even though I fear some more “get-to-the-point” readers will lose interest along the way.
I am amazed by the structure of the work, and can only imagine the effort put into all the examples. Very impressing!
To me there are three main takeaways, but I am sure others will find their goodies.

1. There will always be uncertainty! This conclusion should affect your actions. Some understand this intuitively, other just ignore it. By this book you get the possibility to learn it and adjust to it. Do that!

2. I like Aleksandr’s division of the navigation into two systems. One primary system leading the way, and one backup system identifying whether everything goes according to plan. Even though each of them may suffice in theory, balancing them is the key for fast and accurate navigation.

3. The “navigation model” as presented is new to me. Even though I, by experience, “see the same thing” directly from the map, this model is a good one for e.g. analysis of navigation strategy, and maybe shortcutting learning (so you don’t end up being too old when you finally get it… like myself)

This first book is labelled as “fundamentals”, and for the first parts this is really the case. First half of the book builds up a theoretical understanding, and as I said earlier, may be a little bit tedious for some readers. However the second half starts to reveal insights that are more tangible for someone eager to get results. From what I can see of book 1, including the description of book 2, I can hardly wait for it to be released. Thanks Aleksandr, for putting all the effort into this work!
/Klas Karlsson, IKHP, Sweden"
November 15, 2023



Confident Orienteering Book 1 is also available in French, Ukrainian, Danish, Polish and Italian.Links to these books can be found here.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

  Case Study #4 Case: You ran onto a narrow ride slightly below its end and are unsure which of several similar rides you are on.   Solution: In this situation, the relief profile can assist us. Even if the rides themselves appear similar, the relief profile along each ride differs , providing valuable clues for accurate positioning. This approach is discussed in Chapter 3 ( Using All the Indicators for Confident Positioning ) of the book Planning Reliable Routes . It demonstrates that relief can be used not only when we are uncertain about our current location , but also proactively during route planning . By analysing the map in advance, we can identify segments where linear features intersect with relief forms , creating distinct and easily recognisable points. These can serve as reliable positioning features . Additionally, flat areas and transitions between slopes and level terrain can also support effective location verification. (Example taken from my book Plann...
Post a Comment
Read more

Left, Right, or Straight: Leg Analysis #21

  Left, Right, or Straight: Leg Analysis #21 Today we will take a look at Leg 5–6 from the M18 Long Distance course at the   Novembertävlingarna, lång event (23.11.2025) Organising club Tullinge SK (Sweden) In the M18 class, the most successful route choices used a less distinct path running between the hills. In general, the approach to the control could be planned either contouring around the hillside or crossing over the top . This decision largely influenced the entire route choice on this leg. Interestingly, both of these approaches were used by the fastest runners on this leg (Carl-Meijer Axelsson and Jonathan Enarsson) — and both produced very similar results . The athlete who placed 3rd on this leg - Ivar Nordberg (and eventually 3rd overall ) most likely made a mistake. After reaching the top of the hill , he deviated down toward the open field — a move that doesn't seem justified. Most likely, he lost direction while descending the slope. This leg also ...
Post a Comment
Read more

New o-book is coming this fall!

  New O-Book Coming This Fall! Confident Orienteering: A Systematic Approach to Minimising Errors Book 1: Fundamentals was released in October 2023 and has already been translated into seven languages , alongside the original English edition. With 8 chapters and 140 pages, it introduced the core concepts of the author's navigation system — and I’m still amazed at how warmly it was received by orienteers around the world. 🌍 As we continued working on the next part of this practical guide, it became clear that the project had grown into something much bigger — not least because of the sheer number of examples and illustrations included throughout (around 250 in total!). To make the material easier to absorb, we’re now leaning towards splitting it into two volumes , each with its own clear focus. This isn’t a final decision yet, and even the titles below are working titles — but right now, this structure feels like the most reader-friendly option: 📖 Book 2 (working title...
Post a Comment
Read more