Orienteering is a sport with a cult following and a global reach that saw the Canadian championships staged recently in Hillsborough.

About 250 participants raced through the woods last weekend, armed only with a map and a compass. Among them was CBC outdoor adventure columnist, who was participating in the sport for the first time.

Orienteering is a mixture of cross-country running, map-reading and navigation, where you have to hit a number of checkpoints or "controls" along the way. It's a sport that tests you both physically and mentally.

Two participants are proud to have completed the middle distance course of the 2015 Maritime Orienteering Festival as part of the Canadian Orienteering Championship. (Calixte LeBlanc) LeBlanc said it was a fairly easy sport to pick up and the barriers to entry were few.

"At the beginning, to be honest, I was a little confused, but after about 10 minutes and once we started finding the controls, then it wasn't so bad."

LeBlanc praised the course at the White Rock Recreational Area as an ideal venue for orienteering, with varied terrain and four kinds of trails that offer different challenges.

"It's a cool spot.``

The other thing that surprised LeBlanc was the diversity of the crowd at the championships. There were teen participants and senior citizen and representatives from all across Canada, the United States and from a handful of European countries.

Even running after one event, LeBlanc was impressed with the sport.

"It was a lot of fun," he said. "And it gives you more confidence in the woods, and that's great."

After checking in at one control during the 2015 Maritime Orienteering Festival in White Rock Recreational Area, Adam Kochanek, Woods Canada Ambassador, uses his map and compass to orient himself in the direction of the next control. (Calixte LeBlanc) Orienteering at White Rock Recreational Area: White Rock Recreational Area near Hillsborough is the site of an old gypsum quarry and offers several kilometres of trails, extending from Hillsbroough to Albert Mines. There are four kinds of trails to be found in this area: wider dirt roads (cars could pass with caution), narrower dirt roads accessible by ATV or dirt bike, and well-groomed, wooded trails appropriate for mountain biking and/or hiking. Some of the trails are more challenging, requiring some careful footing as you hike. The trails are maintained by volunteers of the Hillsboroough Mountain Bike Association. For maps or more information about WRRA visit the Mountain Bike Association's site at : White Rock Recreational Area near Hillsborough is the site of an old gypsum quarry and offers several kilometres of trails, extending from Hillsbroough to Albert Mines. There are four kinds of trails to be found in this area: wider dirt roads (cars could pass with caution), narrower dirt roads accessible by ATV or dirt bike, and well-groomed, wooded trails appropriate for mountain biking and/or hiking. Some of the trails are more challenging, requiring some careful footing as you hike. The trails are maintained by volunteers of the Hillsboroough Mountain Bike Association. For maps or more information about WRRA visit the Mountain Bike Association's site at http://hillsboroughmba.blogspot.ca

Access: From Saint john access Moncton via Highway 1 East, which becomes the Trans-Canada Highway East. From Fredericton, take the Trans-Canada Highway East to Moncton. From Moncton, access Riverview via the Gunningsville Bridge. Turn left onto Coverdale Road, Highway 114. Follow Highway 114 for 54 kilometres. Turn right onto New Ireland Road. After 9.1 km, turn right onto Morrisey Road. After 1.1 kilometres, White Rock Recreational Area is on the right. However, there are several entrances to trails along this road.

Orienteering: Orienteering is a mix of cross-country running and mapping as well as compass navigation. It does not just require a degree of physical fitness, but there's a mental component as well. Orienteering New Brunswick promotes it as a sport for the whole family and see it as a great way to introduce children to mapping and the outdoors. Participants attempt to locate "controls" — orange and white flags measuring one square foot in area — using only a map and compass. Special events are held at night, using head lamps and some events require mountaining miking between controls. In the winter months, cross-country skis may be used to navigate between controls. Orienteering is becoming a more popular activity in this region but it has been better known in other places of the world for years. In Scandanavia, orienteering is taught in physical education classes and in several parts of Europe, supporters of the sport are advocating to make it an Olympic sport.

Upcoming events: For those looking to experience this sport for the first time, Orienteering New Brunswick hosts Learn to Orienteer events at city parks in Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John every fall. Experienced representatives from the organization will demonstrate how to use a map and compass and then send you out to locate a few controls. The provincial championships will be held in Mactaquac Provincial Park in October. For more information on the sport and upcoming events, email Heath Johnson at hj@orienteering.nb.ca or visit the group's Facebook page at www. facebook.com/orienteering.nb.