Yukon orienteers explored previously uncharted territory during the mid-distance Yukon Orienteering Championships Wednesday night.

Athletes tackled the new Copper Ridge map, a years-long endeavor, which was only finalized this winter.

“It’s a novelty and it’s what we really look forward to,” said race organizer Afan Jones. “There’s a lot of excitement about running on a new map that’s something they’ve never seen right in their home community. It’s challenging because they’ve never run through this area before.”

Jones began planning the courses for last night’s race weeks out. He first starts with the beginner course, because it must be run along trails. He chooses a starting point – a central hub– and builds out from there.

For all four courses, he’s able to use only 36 controls, meaning a delicate weave of courses that intersect each other and share certain controls around the map.

Trevor Bray finds new maps exciting as they offer different challenges.

“It’s not very often that we get a new map, especially in the Yukon,” said Bray. “It’s always nice to be on a new map. After a while you get used to all of the features on the old maps.”

Intermediate course runner Annie Letendre also liked that the map was in a new area that she hadn’t run on before.

“It was fun,” she said. “It was good and challenging. Lots of hills.”

The Copper Ridge map was charted by some international talent. They were able to come and spend an intensive few weeks charting the terrain, time that the organization’s volunteers just don’t have available with all the programming offered.

This summer the Czech talent and a friend from his club will return to map another area which might be a contender for the 2018 North American Orienteering Championships, which will be held in Whitehorse Aug. 17 to 22, 2018.

The areas that will be used haven’t been finalized yet, said Jones. But the organizing committee will be looking to fine-tune their choices this fall.

Colin Abbott (35:57) won the 3.9-kilometre expert course, Forest Pearson (38:05) was second and Trevor Bray (47:23) was third. On the women’s side, Kerstin Burnett (44:43) was first, Pia Blake (54:36) was second and Sabine Schweiger (73:33) was third.

The final event of the Yukon Orienteering Champs will be held next Wednesday on the Long Lake map.