Nomad Challenge: Reading Topo Maps

June 23 2024 – USA: Some of our Nomad Overland Rally teams had a hard time with the second Weekly Challenge of the event — an exercise in reading topographical maps. This Challenge tested their basic skills in understanding how a two dimensional map represents a three dimensional world. Competitors needed to show they understood how to read the map and how to interpret the meanings of contour lines.

In addition to being able to recognize terrain features, the teams had to demonstrate a comprehension of the implications of those features for overland travel as they were faced with different route planning scenarios that asked them to select the “best” route option or the “fastest” route option on a specific map section.

Some of the teams are relatively new to working with paper maps while others are experienced rally navigators familiar with the “language” of maps — and this was evident in the points earned for the “Reading Topo Maps” challenge. Only two teams, Team 102 Havlik and Team 134 Fribley, captured the maximum available points for the challenge this week!

But the other teams will have a chance to catch up, as the Weekly Challenges span a breadth of knowledge areas that give teams with different types of experience and skills a chance to shine in their area of expertise.  

The Weekly Challenges are one of the four pillars of the event and competitors can earn up to 100 points each week for completing the Challenge questions online. The Challenges also provide a way for all the teams to stay engaged over the whole ten weeks, even when they are not out exploring on Overland Stages. Each Week’s Challenge focuses on a different aspect of overland travel or outdoor skills — sometimes the competitors will have to do something offline in order to answer the questions and other times they just need to respond to multiple choice knowledge-checks. The teams are always free to research answers or find tutorials to help them complete the tasks prior to submitting their Challenges and once each Challenge “closes” they can consult the “correct” answers and explanations — turning it into a defacto learning opportunity.