Bearing Sections: More Than Just a Line

Lately, I haven’t had much free time to analyse courses and legs in detail. I’ve been fully immersed in finishing Confident Orienteering Book 2, the continuation of the Practical Guide "Confident Orienteering", and I want to make sure it’s done to a high standard and on schedule (October 2025).

But I’m sure there will be more in-depth analyses here once I wrap up work on the Practical Guide "Confident Orienteering" project.

Right now, I’m in the middle of making adjustments based on feedback from test readers. At the very start of Chapter 5 (one of 9 chapters in this book), “Planning Bearing Sections”, I received a comment from Klas Karlsson:

“This is a good chapter, I like it! Good examples as well. Not many comments from my side :)”

My response?
“I’m really happy about it.”

Why? Because bearing sections can be approached in very different ways, and in this chapter I’ve tried to explain how I see these options. I’ve also used more diagrams without maps this time, to encourage readers to think strategically when they look at a specific leg and consider going “straight.”

Running “straight” should always be based on a solid foundation — it’s not just about taking the shortest line between two points, but also about ensuring reliability.

Have you ever thought about how differently we execute bearing sections in different circumstances?

They differ not only in terms of technique, but also in the types of target features we use and the concepts we rely on to check our progress along those sections.

Here’s a quick sketch of an example from the book.
(I’m not including the full explanation here — that will be in the book.)

By the way, my approach to designing these illustrations is simple: they should be understandable even without additional text.

Does this one make sense to you?
I hope so.

Klas Karlsson’s review of my Confident Orienteering Book 1: Fundamentals

or Also here:

I really like this review — and not just because it’s positive, but mostly because it very clearly highlights the main ideas behind Book 1.

I’m looking forward to realise Book 2: Planning Reliable Routes once it’s ready!

Confisent Orienteerng Book 1:Fundamentals is here

July 21, 2025, Aleksandr Alekseyonok.

Comments

Left, Right, or Straight: Leg Analysis #18

Left, Right, or Straight: Leg Analysis #18 Presented leg 6-7 from the middle distance of the Norwegian Masters Championship 2024 (15.09. 2024; M65 class). Of the possible three routes, the left route goes over the hill and has almost the same lengthening as the right route (which has no climb). So we're not considering left route for execution. On the direct route there is a very steep slope to climb up. It takes a lot of time. See a comparison drawing of the best routes of straight and right. The right route turns out to be the fastest, while it is possible to see other legs ahead on the road. However, it is important to take the shortest route to the road from control 6. See a comparison drawing of two right routes on this leg ( best time on the leg and the course leader who only had 7th time on this leg). See also all routes of M65 class on this leg Source: https://www.livelox.com/Viewer/Veteranmesterskapet-mellom/H65-?classId=84...

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Two new o-books are coming this fall!

Two new o-books are 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 7 languages , alongside the original English version. It had 8 chapters and 140 pages , and I’m still amazed at how warmly it was received by orienteers all over the world. 🌍 As we continued working on the next part of this complete practical guide , it became clear the project had grown into something massive — not least because of the huge number of examples and illustrations included throughout (they are about 250). At this stage, we’re leaning towards splitting the material into two logical volumes to make it easier for readers to absorb step by step. This isn’t a final decision yet, and even the titles below are working titles – but right now, this feels like the most reader-friendly approach: 📖 Book 2 (working title): Planning Reliable Routes – how to design routes that accoun...

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