“Mountains Of The Moon”
World Masters Orienteering Championships, Cesana, Italy, Class M-40, Long Final
By Hans Egefalk
Ah, orienteering!
The long final was at Cesana, Italy, with the chair lift up to the starting area at 1,800 metres (6,000 feet). The course was at between 1,800 metres and 2,300 metres (6,000 feet to 7,700 feet). The place was Italy, but just on the very border to France, in the Alps in far northwest Italy. What a marvelous, absolutely murderous terrain and towards the end it felt like this would be the final orienteering competition for me. Not another one. Enough. Silly sport.
When I was lost, or didn’t know where I was, on control 13 and asked a few fellow runners where I was (think it was a Finn and a Norwegian), they just scoffed at me. Bastards. At the end I couldn’t think, couldn’t run, wouldn’t function, but merely staggered forward like a drunk searching for a home. What a course and how steep and at that altitude! But at least noone threw rocks at me.
Blue sky, not a cloud, at least 25 degrees C (low 80’s F) up there. Lots of controls to find and always steep climbs up or down with several ridges and valleys to get lost among when you stumbled among the rocks. There was neverending scenery and at times I lost focus on the orienteering and instead just stopped and looked at the view. Spectacular. My course was about five miles as the crow flies, which meant that I ran probably at least seven miles as I got severely lost on control 2, 13 and 16–and almost made it outside the map on No. 2.
Later in the day, recovering at the hotel down in the village and sipping a beer with my fellow orienteers, Mats and Hardy, I’d already forgotten the hardships. Strange.
Orienteering constantly gives you challenges and tells you that you can’t be too highly strung or believe you’re too good. Still, barely past the shower, a few sandwiches, a cup of tea or two, maybe a beer and a dinner, and I’m asking myself when I can get back for more.
More Information…
World Masters Orienteering Championships
– Photos by Hans Egefalk

Related News
![All-Weather Test Drive [2018 Chevrolet Trax]](https://i0.wp.com/getawaysforgrownups.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/20181008_102852.jpg?resize=85%2C69&ssl=1)
All-Weather Test Drive [2018 Chevrolet Trax]
October 24, 2018
Whitewater Rafting in West Virginia’s New River
September 24, 2018
Colorado Ski Country
September 24, 2018![Island of Hawaii [Open for Travel]](https://i2.wp.com/getawaysforgrownups.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/vLupH33.jpg?resize=85%2C69&ssl=1)
Island of Hawaii [Open for Travel]
July 31, 2018
Eat & Burn: Spartanburg, South Carolina
July 30, 2018
Sea Kayak Georgia
April 17, 2018
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Washington, D.C.
December 13, 2017
Hike Big Schloss
October 27, 2017
Fife Coastal Path: Hike from Kincardine to Leuchars
October 03, 2017![Autumn Escape to Beech Mountain, North Carolina [Update]](https://i2.wp.com/getawaysforgrownups.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/138.jpg?resize=85%2C69&ssl=1)