What is a Rogaine?
There are many variants however in general a rogaine is an event in which teams of two to five members visit as many checkpoints on a map that they can in an allotted time period.
Checkpoints are worth differing point values. The team that collects the most points is declared the winner. However beware that for every part minute that you are late back, points will be deducted from your score.
Rogaining is generally considered to be an endurance sport. A championship event is 24 hours in duration but there are also shorter events of 18, 12, and 6 hours (and even shorter). In New Zealand the terrain is usually open farmland but it is very likely to include steep hilly bush and scrub clad countryside and river valleys. Rogaining is a team sport and team members must stay together at all times. Teams travel at their own pace and are expected to select a route to match their ability.
Anyone from children to grandparents can experience the personal satisfaction that comes from cross-country navigation at their own level of competition and comfort. Successful rogainers are not necessarily those who travel the fastest. They will be continually reading the map and identifying the features on it with those that they are passing. Often this involves using a compass. Good rogainers should be able to picture themselves as an accurate dot on the map that they are carrying.
Maps are handed out up to three hours before the start with the checkpoint locations and their points value marked on them and a brief description of each location. In planning you should consider what pace you expect to travel in the terrain and what will be a good route to travel from one checkpoint to the next. Your plan should consider where you expect to be when it is dark.
