RECREATION | Rochester Map Adventure

In an era of GPS and smartphone map services, getting your bearings the old fashioned way is unusual. Still, exploring your own city can lead to new discoveries or renewed interest in local gems that we tend to take for granted.

On Saturday, May 31, Rochester Orienteering Club will host its 3rd annual urban orienteering event, the Rochester Map Adventure. This year, the event starts at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 353 Court Street, at 11 a.m. (with registration opening at 10 a.m.), and includes locations throughout downtown, Corn Hill, the University of Rochester, Mount Hope, Main Street, and Cobb’s Hill.

People may participate individually or in teams, on foot or by bike. Maps will be distributed 15 minutes prior to the start, and there will be 3- and 5-hour time categories. The maps have circles on them marking areas of historic interest; at the center of each circle is a question to be answered (easily, based on observation of the area). The object is to get to as many circles as possible and answer as many questions correctly within the shortest amount of time. Food and drink will be provided at the end of each time block.

A pre-registration entry fee of $15 per adult ($10 for Rochester Orienteering Club members) and $5 for one or more children ages 18 and under (that’s as many children as a team has with them, not $5 per child). Participants are requested to register online by May 28, 10 p.m. An additional $5 fee is charged for registration on site, if space permits. For more information or to register in advance, visit roc.us.orienteering.org.

This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2014.