In 1988 the Winter Olympics came to Alberta, the events being held in several venues in and around Calgary. All of the the cross-country ski and biathlon events took place here at the Canmore Nordic Centre above the town of Canmore. Since that time the facilities here had become obsolete due to advancements in technology and changing international competition standards. As a result the facilities have been upgraded by the Government of Alberta, allowing the centre to once again stage international competition.
Front and centre in the park is the day lodge, a legacy of the 1988 Winter Olympics and still in use today. Across the roadway to the east is
Trail Sports, the locus of the orienteering courses, of which there are four of varying difficulty and length.
Trail Sports is a renter and purveyor of all things related to outdoor sports. It is here where one picks up the requisite map(s) and rents any other equipment they may need, such as compasses. At the northwest corner of the
Trail Sports building is the starting point for all courses. The finish is about 40 metres due west. Courses can be done on foot, mountain bike or, in the winter, on skis.
Today the centre is home to the Canadian cross-country ski and biathlon teams, as well as being a training facility for the public. In the summer it becomes a mountain bike paradise, with miles and miles of trails, as well as a mountain bike skills park, a disc golf course and four all-season orienteering courses. It has also become a provincial park.
Following is a rundown of the orienteering opportunities available at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
Orienteering
Adventure Course: 1km - 8 km, depending on which checkpoints are visited
This is a good course for exploring the park at your own pace and developing navigation and map reading skills. You choose which checkpoints to visit and in which order.
Competitive runners score maximum points by visiting all controls in the least amount of time. The adventure course requires travel on and off the trail network.
Selecting some of the closer controls is great way to introduce kids to navigation and map reading in a "treasure hunt" atmosphere.
Green Race Course: 1.5 km - 2 km
Once you've mastered the basic concepts of orienteering, challenge yourself to see how fast you can complete the race courses.
The Green Race Course is the easiest with minimal off-trail travel required. It's suitable for children and beginner adults.
Checkpoints must be visited in the specified sequence.
Blue Race Course: 4 km - 5 km
Navigation on the Blue Race Course is more difficult. Checkpoints are located in less obvious positions.
This course is suitable for mountain bikes, with checkpoints on trails.
Black Race Course: 7 km - 8 km
This course is the ultimate test of speed and navigation.
Mountain Bike Orienteering
Challenge yourself to navigate the park on your bike using a variety of trails. The Green Race Course, Green Plus Race Course, and Blue Race Course are suitable for mountain bike orienteering.
Course maps and compasses are available for a small fee at Trail Sports, located on-site.
From the Canmore Nordic Centre