Suunnistamaan

Suunnistamaan is a Finnish verb meaning to orienteer, i.e., to navigate through unfamiliar terrain using a map and a compass. It is used for the activity of orienteering as well as for the general act of going to plan a route. The form is the infinitive, used with modal verbs or in non-finite clauses, for example “aion suunnistaa” or “mennään suunnistamaan.”

Orienteering, or suunnistus in Finnish, is a competitive outdoor sport that combines running with map reading and decision making. Competitors locate controls placed across varied terrain in a specified order, using only map and compass to navigate. Courses vary in length and difficulty and can be sprint, middle, long, or relay formats.

In Finland, the sport is organized by Suomen Suunnistusliitto ry, the Finnish Orienteering Federation, which oversees national competitions, coaching, and youth programs. Internationally, orienteering is governed by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF).

Key skills include map interpretation, precise compass use, route choice, and pace counting. Typical equipment consists of suitable running shoes, a compass, and the event map. Controls are marked on the map and on the terrain; in standard races they are visited in a prescribed order.

The activity emerged in Nordic countries in the early 20th century as a practical navigation exercise and grew into a formal sport. It emphasizes safety, staying on course, and environmental respect. It remains popular at amateur, youth, and elite levels in Finland and around the world.