Ideal for people who enjoy adventure and the outdoors. Orienteering involves navigating around a set course using a map and compass as fast as possible and one of our activities is weekly training sessions to help you learn and improve. We also run our Monday Night Runs and trips for Orienteering, Trail Running and Fell Running and invite people of all abilities to join us.
In 2024/25 we ran fun and affordable trips across England & Wales (a highlight for many) and will do even more in 2025/26 including hosting our own events and collaborating with other universities.
The club meets up regularly for:
Training - Wednesday Afternoon (Clifton Downs, Leigh Woods, Ashton Court or UoB campus so not far from city, equipment provided)
Monday Night Runs - Meet 6/7pm for approx 5-8km run with optional pub trip after
Socials - Varied and mostly non-alcoholic
Trips and competitions.
You don't have to commit to everything, pick the days of the week or activities you are interested in!
Our members cover the full range of ability and experience. Everyone is welcome!
We have two types of membership:
Free social membership lets you attend our Monday Night Runs and Socials! Remember, you can attend our introduction to orienteering training course for free in the first 4 weeks before having to buy our full membership to join our trainings and weekend events.
Full membership costs £15 for the year and gives you access to our training sessions, weekend events, PLUS 15% off at our sponsor Alpkit Bristol AND 15% off at our sponsor Ellis Brigham.
Monday Night Runs
We go for a relaxed run around Bristol every Monday evening at 19:00. Normally they end up being 5-8km, run at around 5:00-6:00 minutes per kilometre. The location of these varies, but we normally set off from Clifton Downs or the Suspension Bridge, and finish just after 20:00 at a different pub each week for a well-earned pint of beer or Coke. It's a great chance to have a chat with people and to get to know Bristol as the route changes every time. See the weekly email for the start point and route. MNR often includes a shorter or slower paced option, especially at the start of the year so everyone can be involved!
Wednesday Night Trainings
Our technical orienteering and navigation session is on a Wednesday evening. This takes place at 16:00 and moves to a new location around Bristol each week. It could be on Clifton Downs, Leigh Woods, Brandon Hill, Ashton Court or in the city itself. They're open to all members, whether you've orienteered for years and want to keep your skills sharp, or if you're completely new to the sport, so you're welcome to join us to learn or practice a different skill each session! Sign up to the weekly email to find out where we're meeting each week.
Local Events
The club competes in competitions most weekends (and some evenings) all year round. Bristol has access to several excellent orienteering areas within a few minutes of the city centre, of which we travel to by public transport when feasible, or we car-share if necessary. At local events there are courses planned for all abilities where the length gets longer and the navigation harder as you improve.
Weekends
Our weekends away are most members' highlight of the club. We attend events all around the country (including BUCS), often with students from other orienteering Universities, for two good-quality days of orienteering and often a social on the Saturday night. The club organises transport and accommodation so all you have to do is turn up. We try to keep costs as low as possible and weekends normally cost around £20-45.
The club competes in competitions most weekends all year round. But the highlight of the year is the BUCS Inter-University Championships, usually held in March.
The city of Bristol itself has access to four excellent orienteering areas within a few minutes running from the city centre. We're also seeing new urban maps added every year. Regarding transport to events, we normally arrange lifts with members of Bristol Orienteering Klub (BOK) which keeps the cost down. At competitions there are courses planned for all abilities where the length gets longer and the navigation harder as you improve. Total cost is normally well under £10.
See the British Orienteering Website for all fixtures throughout the year.
Captain - Cameron Hussey - Geography 2nd year
Treasurer - Alex Croft - Economics 2nd year
Secretary - Aina West - Geography 3rd year
Social Secretary - Laura Cassell - History 2nd year
EDI & Welfare Officer - Henry Hall - History 3rd year
Weekly Email
Our Weekly Email gets sent out every Sunday evening and contains all the information on what's coming up in that week - including Monday and Wednesday night training locations as well as a look ahead to our upcoming trips. This is the one to sign up to.
You can also;
Check out our website
Join our WhatsApp group
Check out or message our Instagram page
Or email us (orienteering.bristol@gmail.com)
Linktree to everything
We host socials at least once a month, often on a Tuesday evening, where we catch up and have (often quite silly) fun together! We are a really friendly group where everyone knows eachother and it's a great way to meet people and find community.
Some favourites from previous years include Hide-and-seek Sardines on Brandon Hill, orienteering-themed quizzes, three-legged races and meals together. We've also explored the Avon Gorge, done baking competitions and a pizza party with local running shops. Collaborating with other societies and annual events like the Backyard Ultra are also super fun.
There are of course also the social aspects of our trips and Monday runs which we all enjoy, it's just about getting involved. There's something for everyone and we are always coming up with new ideas!