Training day in Kirkel

19 club members (plus one overenthusiastic dog) gathered in the lush green beech forest near Kirkel on Saturday for a full day of orienteering training. The area was familiar to many from last year’s session.

Getting to the start proved to be a warm-up challenge in itself, with the whole group briefly lost – a fitting beginning to an orienteering training day. Our only excuse is that the map was drawn in 2009: some paths have mysteriously vanished, others have appeared, and the vegetation has confusingly changed.

The morning session featured a pair exercise with a fun twist: partners took turns navigating, but only one knew the next control. This format tested not only navigational skills but also trust and communication. Steep climbs, nettles and countless rock walls made this task even more exciting.

At midday, we paused for a sunny picnic. The absolute highlight was Marjanka’s homemade poppy seed and raspberry cake shaped like an orienteering flag – as delicious as it was thematic. Spirits were high, and we managed to enjoy the sun.

The afternoon brought the paradoxically sounding "one-man relay". Everyone tackled it solo, but with looping legs designed to mimic the excitement and challenge of a relay. It was a great way to finish the day. The results will be posted by Ondra later.

A big thank you goes to Ondra and Jonas, who planned the entire day and put out all the controls. They even managed to dodge the weather: only a few drops in the morning, and the downpour waited until we were safely in our cars.

Also worth noting: the Czech contingent was more than well represented, making up over half the group! A big díky to them for bringing the energy.

We hope that next year we can return to the whole weekend format, and we can attract even more participants.