On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Husqvarna Group’s leadership team participated in an orienteering team building activity at the newly mapped Highland Lake Inn & Resort in Flat Rock, North Carolina. The weather was fortunately sunny and warm, with the predicted afternoon thunderstorms rolling in after the event ended.
For some, it was their first experience with orienteering–the sport (and art) of competitive land navigation. For others, it was a continuation of a lifelong pursuit, enjoying the thrill and challenge of finding one’s way through unfamiliar terrain using only a map and compass. Like Husqvarna itself, the sport of orienteering was born in Sweden and is now a presence in all four corners of the world.
After an introduction and crash course on map reading and land navigation, the race rules were explained to the group, who would participate in small teams–pairs, and in one case, a trio. The “classic” orienteering format was selected for this event, tasking racers to locate control flags in sequential order.
The course was broken into two sections. The terrestrial section was first, which consisted of thirteen controls placed around the property, ending at the dock, where a second map awaited which featured the remainder of the controls, most of which would be found on the perimeter of Highland Lake. Racers paddled in canoes and kayaks to each flag, and, after returning to shore, would locate a handful of remaining controls on their way back to the finish.
Results were read, everyone learned which Husqvarna product their team was named after, high fives exchanged, cold beverages enjoyed, and the expectedly animated discussion of how it all went “out there” marked the close of the session.
