"An orienteer doesn't search, he finds"

Working for the Zug Orienteering Association for decades: Moritz Keller

Every stage of the Zugerberg Finanz Trophy can also be completed in the orienteering category. This is thanks to the active support of the Zug Orienteering Association. One person who has been involved in this sport for 67 years is Moritz Keller.

Before his very first official participation in a team event, he hardly slept, Moritz explains as we set off from the Trophy start at the Hünenberger Badi: "Back then, there were hardly any individual competitions; orienteering was done as a team. There were usually four of them: one led the team and read the map, the second checked it, the third stamped the controls and the fourth simply ran along." Moritz was a good map reader right from the start. "Sometimes, in my role as a follower, I found the way better than the 'officially appointed' map reader," says the man from Cham with a grin.

Practising without a compass
The writer only knows orienteering from elementary school, but finds the sport very exciting and is currently learning a lot: "Orienteering maps are drawn by the club's own specialists. The green areas show you how dense the forest is, the darker green the denser. These lines also inform you about obstacles on the ground, such as blackberry bushes." We have now found the first post. Moritz checks whether it is really where it is marked. "It fits!", he concludes. We continue through the neighborhood. How did he find this sport in the first place? "Via the techniques we learned in the scouts. That's where we started to find our way around with a map and compass." A lot has happened in this sport since then. "Back then, we were still using black and white maps at a scale of 1:25,000, so you had to have luck on your side. And with the badge that you swipe over the control today, you not only save a lot of time when running, but above all when evaluating the results." And one final tip? "For the Trophy-OL, I recommend practising without a compass. This helps to develop the relevant skills. And like everywhere else, practice makes perfect - or the orienteer who doesn't search but finds."

Moritz and the OLV Zug have a big event coming up: on Sunday, June 23, they are holding the Swiss Sprint Relay Orienteering Championships in the Herti district of Zug. The spring orienteering event will take place on the same afternoon and anyone interested can take part (see www.olv-zug.ch).

This Sunday stage change
The orienteering posts of stage 03 can still be found until next Sunday, June 16. Then we move on to Menzingen. From June 17 to July 14, we will be making a guest appearance with all formats in the Zug Highlands.

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