Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

From left: Emily Woodall, Jess Coker and Mark Lattanzi navigate a new 24-point orienteering course on the Mountain Lake Conservancy property in Giles County. The object of orienteering is to find as many markers (below) as possible on a course using maps and a compass.

The managing director of the Mountain Lake Conservancy wasn't lost or looking for a way out of the woods.

She was looking for routes to take her deeper into the forest and off the trails.

Woodall and two companions, conservancy activities director Jess Coker and Blacksburg-based adventure racer Mark Lattanzi, were attempting to locate and examine a set of orange-and-white orientation course "control" markers.

That's when Woodall spotted one off in the woods.

Orienteering is an international sport that involves using a topographic map and compass to find a set of "controls" that are often mounted on trees and visible from a limited distance. The object of the sport is to find all of the controls on the course as efficiently and quickly as possible.

Lattanzi has designed and constructed the new orienteering course for the public and Mountain Lake visitors.

"I like doing things around the community, and I thought his would be a great place to have a public course," Lattanzi said.

The Mountain Lake orienteering course has 24 control points, and can be divided into six individual courses of progressive difficulty.

The beginner course features four control points located on or next to trails and can be done in an hour.

The advanced long course uses all 24 control points on the mountain, some of which are located off the trails, deep in the forest, on mountain tops and in ravines.

All of the courses are open to the public and begin at the Mountain Lake recreation office, where a map is available.

"The appeal of orienteering is mental as well as physical," said Lattanzi, who has competed in orienteering adventure races around the world. "It's a bit like a treasure hunt. It's good exercise, and it's great for the mind because you are constantly looking at the map trying to figure things out.

"It's very engaging. You're out looking for something, and then when you find it, you get that acceleration. There it is! I found it! All by myself with a map and a compass!"

Participants must check in at the recreation office located in the front parking lot of the hotel. A parking fee is charged for nonguests of the hotel.

Participants should bring their own compass, snacks, water and proper weather protection.

More information is available by calling the Mountain Lake Conservancy recreation office at (540) 626-7121 or by visiting www.marklattanzi.com/mtnlake.