More than 162 students from eight different high schools around the Highlands and Sydney regions competed in the orienteering high school championships. 

Chevalier College had the largest cohort of students at the championship, with more than 40 students competing in either the easy, medium or advanced course. 

The event was set up and run by the Southern Highlands Orienteers. 

About 17 volunteers from the Highlands club set up checkpoints as well as maps for the course early on Wednesday morning. 

Southern Highlands Orienteers president Lyn Malmgron said this was the first time the school event had been held at Lake Alexandra. 

“Most of the students are used to park lands and this is far better because there is bush and they have to do a bit of navigating.”

Students had to navigate their way to a series of checkpoints in a specific order via a special map, once they arrived at the checkpoint they had to wave their timing sticks over the marker. 

“They [had] to make the right turns and go to each checkpoint in order,” Malmgron said.  

“Then the results all get sent to the computer and the students were ranked on their times.”

Students took part in one opf three different courses, the easy 1.2km course, the medium 2.8km course or the advanced 3.5km course. 

As well as a number of younger runners competing in an easy course, Chevalier College, the 2016 winners, was knocked for six by newcomers Hurlstone Agricultural High School.

Hurlstone took out podium places in all classes which resulted in their elevation to champions on debut.

The orienteering competition fit in with Chevalier’s school curriculum through the wilderness program. 

Wilderness is an elective PDHPE subject offered to students in Years 9 to 12.

It is an outdoor education based program that takes students away to beautiful wilderness areas to experience different outdoor activities.

Wilderness Studies focuses on developing what are loosely referred to as life skills.