Orienteering offers exercise, adventure

Although he was only 7 years old, Joseph Sackett clearly remembers the first time he heard the term "orienteering."

"My dad told us about it at the dinner table one night and said we were going to try it," said Joseph, 12, of Libertyville. "I was so excited. It sounded like a real adventure."

Joseph's father is Joe Sackett, secretary for the Chicago Area Orienteering Club, which hosted two events at Adler and Butler Lake parks Sunday in Libertyville.

Orienteering is the sport of navigation using a map and compass.

Key to the navigation are the strategically placed "controls" along the course. Participants insert radio frequency identification chips at these checkpoints, allowing organizers to record and verify individual times.

"It's a very athletic event," Sackett said. "It's basically cross-country without a known-in-advance route."

Peter Friddle, 34, of Lake Zurich began orienteering about six years ago as a way to complement his other hobby: adventure racing.

Now orienteering has replaced adventure racing as Friddle's favorite sport.

"There is something great about the combination of running and trying to figure stuff out while you run," he said.

Sackett said while orienteering is a competitive event, it is also a great activity for families who want to get outside and enjoy the local parks.

About 40 people participated in Sunday's event. Many were solo runners while others chose to go in groups.

Father and son team Jess and Jackson Smith of Libertyville finished the Adler Park course in about 35 minutes.

"Not bad for our first time, I think," said Jackson, 12.

Nick Preys, 43, of Oak Park has been orienteering for about three years and tries to do seven events per year. The trick, Preys said, is not to look at the time.

"I had always been interested in backpacking in remote areas and figured this would teach me to navigate better," Preys said. "I find it incredibly addictive."