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Rogaining is the sport of long distance cross-country navigation. It is
closely related to orienteering and many people enjoy both sports. The
key features that distinguish rogaining are:
1. it is a team sport,
2. rogaines are much longer events, usually 6, 8, 12 or 24 hours,
3. teams choose their own route as there is no set course, and
4. the emphasis is on participation and having fun rather than competition.
Teams of two to five members visit as many
checkpoints as possible in twenty-four hours. Checkpoints are scored
differently depending on level of difficulty in reaching them;
therefore teams choose a strategy (for example, to visit many low score
checkpoints). Teams travel entirely on foot, navigating by map and
compass between checkpoints in terrain that varies from open farmland
to hilly forest.
A central base camp known as a "hash house" provides
hot meals throughout the event and teams may return at any time to eat,
rest or sleep. Teams travel at their own pace and anyone from children
to grandparents can experience the personal satisfaction that comes
from cross-country navigation at their own level of competition and
comfort. Team members stay within earshot of each other.
The normal length for a Rogaine is 24 hours, but
shorter variations such as 6, 8, 12 and 15 hour events are also held
(sometimes concurrently with a 24 hour event). Depending on the
terrain, experienced rogaining teams can cover more than one hundred
kilometers over the 24 hour period.
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