The 5K Land Navigation Orienteering Portion

At the starting point.

At the start point, you may weigh your gear to ensure it is of proper weight.  When you return off the course, it will be weighed by the W5K Officials.

At the start point, there will be an example of a check point. Each check point will have:

• A orange/white marker.
• A placard identifying the current Check Point grid location and the grid coordinates to your next Check Point.
• Also, the placard will have foreign enemy weapons and or vehicles to identify and to be noted in your Observation Log for additional points.
• As well as a message in Morse Code and POW Tap code to be decoded and noted in your Communications Log for additional points. 
  • To assist with these tasks, athletes may print and carry a copy of the provided Intel Report for a reference. 

While checking in, before the safety brief, each team will be assigned a orienteering Start Time.

Show up a couple minutes early before your start time, and you will be issued 2 paper maps (1 is a back up) and your patrol route card. 

WARNING: If you show up late, you only hurt yourself. If you depart on time or not, your 5K land nav time starts at your issued start time.

On the course.

Once you find the first Check Point, you will be given the grid coordinates to your next Check Point.

From CP to CP to CP... your route will be exactly 5 kilometers.  Although,  the direct line route from CP to CP may be the shortest route, it may not be the easiest or the fastest. Tactical decisions will need to be made in the field. 

Your team must stick together!!!  At no point should you be outside visual range of your team. This is for safety, to prevent cheating, and to instill good team tactics. 

There is no time limit per team, but there is an overall drop dead time at 1730.  You must be back to HQ by 1730 or a search party will be sent out for you. Plan accordingly. The faster you complete the orienteering course, the more shooting stages you get to battle. Historically, the average orienteering course take 2.5 - 3.5 hours to complete. 

First Aid and Buddy Aid

The only injuries ever to occur at the Wolverine 5K has been in the field.

Propper hiking shoes/boots are highly recommended. Bring an IFAC just in case, along with elastic bandages for sprains.

​Water, water, & more water. 

FRAGOS

FRAGOs are completely optional side missions you may find on the land nav course. Your team needs to make the tactical decision to complete the tasks for additional points, or bypass them completely.  Some FRAGOs are quick, some take time, some are simple and easy, some require critical thinking skills, and some are physically demanding. 

RTB

When you return to base, HQ, your time doesn't stop until all team members are present, and you turn in your Patrol Route Card with Obs Log and Comms Log.

​Declare any FRAGOs completed. 

At that time the official will weigh your combat load. 

The minutes it takes to complete the land navigation course is your base line time.  All points earned from FRAGOs, Obs Log, Comms Log, and stages of fire reduce your base line time. 1 point = 1 minute deduction. 

The winning teams typically earn more points than land nav time completion putting them at a negative time.