Novel Orienteering

[Wendles]

Having just found my first reference to orienteering in a novel; "Morell contacted, among others, the chairman of Hedestad's Orienteering Club and appealed for help in summoning volunteers for the search party." I wonder if anyone else has spotted our sport neatly injected into a plot

ps The novel is 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson (big clue there in the author's name!)

[jac]

I wonder if anyone else has spotted our sport neatly injected into a plot

A mention, but not quite part of the plot, in "Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow", by Peter Hoeg:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miss-Smillas-Feeling-Snow-Peter/dp/1860461670

I've never understood the Danish penchant for wandering around at night. Taking a stroll in pitch darkness. Nightingale expeditions in the woods. Insisting on gazing at the stars. Night-time orienteering.
You have to respect the dark. Night is the time when space simmers with evil and peril. You can call it superstition. You can call it fear of the dark. But it's ridiculous to pretend that the night is just like the day, simply without light. (p. 333)

[ic]

I seem to remember a discussion of the merits of different headlamps in Björn Larsson's Den Keltiska Ringen, with a powerful orienteering style lamp being deemed most appropriate for trans-north-sea sailing escapades.

[King Penguin]

You have obviously all missed out on the exciting adventures of Rocky Knoll and his family and friends.....

[Stodgetta]

I noticed that quote, too.
Have now read the rest of the trilogy - no more mentions of orienteering, but a really good read (was up till into the small hours finishing the third book on Sunday night, just couldn't put it down until I got to the end).
Shame that there will be no more Steig Larsson books

[NickC]

At least in one novel (may be two) an orienteer out training finds a body in the Wallender series.

[Silva Surfer]

You have obviously all missed out on the exciting adventures of Rocky Knoll and his family and friends.....

Are you by chance refering back to the halcyon days of ( Pete ? ) Martin and "The Borienteer"? - a class publication if ever there was one. I also had the ( miss ?! ) fortune of knowing that other very well known orienteering "nutter" Hilary Beck - for reasons best known to himself now only known by his middle name - did you know his father was a vicar ( or similar ) - little known fact no 68 !

[Alice]

There is a whole book of short orienteering stories - 'Murder at the 14th control'.
Pretty hard to find anywhere but a great read when you do!

[NFKleanne]

I have that book. It excellent, got it after reading on here. There is now a queue of people wanting to borrow it.

Also although not a novel, orienteering is mentioned in Martin Johnsons autobiography -of his memories of being dragged round events when he was younger

[Mrs H]

Yes he was a member of HOC - his mother was quite active although she was a better ultra distance runner than orienteer. We have archive results with him in.

I have a copy of "Murder at the 14th Control' It's a bit geeky

[ryeland of doom]

- did you know his father was a vicar - little known fact no 68 !

T'is true and his mother was one of my maths teachers.

[PKJ]

At least in one novel (may be two) an orienteer out training finds a body in the Wallender series

This happens in 'The Fifth Woman', at least. I guess the storyline needed someone who would repeatedly be out running in remote woodland on an October night.

And, thanks to google and Dunedin Orienteering Club, here is the passage.
On p4 of pdf

I haven't seen the TV version of this one, so I don't know how that handled the discovery of this corpse.

[Becks]

Miss Smilla has clearly never been to the Spring Cup, as in Smilla's Feeling for Snow she says she can't understand the Danish fascination with Night Orienteering.

And from today's Daily Mash:

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2425&Itemid=81&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailymash+%28The+Daily+Mash.+It%27s+news+to+us.%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

[sketchweppers]

I've been trying to remember this book for ages - my daughter got it out the library ages ago and I finally saw it again. It's a book of children's short stories - Like Mother, Like Daughter selected by Bel Mooney. One of the short stories features orienteering - 'Snow Globe Moment' by Shirley Knock. If I remember correctly it describes mum and daughter doing a 180 degree error whilst orienteering and having discussions about why mum and dad were divorcing!