SOMEWHERE in a forest near Bristol, a young man checks his map and compass and gets ready to run as fast as he can through the wood.

His aim is to run to various points around said woodland and open grasslands, before returning in a faster time than the many other men and women, young and old, pitted against him. A whistle sounds and off he goes, leaping over brush, fallen logs and frantically searching for a small square of fabric that marks the next waypoint.

Orienteering is a mix of cross-country running and navigation. The aim is simple - run as fast as you can between a series of waypoints spread out over a wide area. Competitors stamp a special pattern into cards at each waypoint to prove that they have found them, and the person who completes the course in the fastest time is the winner.

The sport has had a strong link with the Malvern area, for some years, mainly thanks to the Malvern Chasers Orienteering Club (MCOC). The club was formed at The Chase high school just over 21 years ago by teacher Berni Brickwell and several students.

Mr Brickwell had been involved with orienteering at his previous school in Cheshire and, when he moved to Malvern in 1980, he decided to set up a club at the Chase as soon as he and his family settled in their new home.

"I started the club in September 1981," he said.

"We affiliated to North Gloucester Orienteering Club, there wasn't an orienteering club in the area. We tended to orienteer in the Forest of Dean and go to events down there."

The original meeting of the club attracted eight or nine students, who had little interest in team sports.

"I couldn't see them taking part in team sports but they enjoyed the challenge of running and making decisions," Berni recalled.

"Orienteering really took off from them. It blossomed because the kids brought their friends along to try it out."

The club soon joined the Avon Schools League, which put on events suitable for the age range of those at The Chase. Sunday mornings would see the school minibus journey down to the Bristol area to compete, with considerable success.

"We were doing so well that somebody asked us if we'd put an event on in the Malvern area," said Berni.

A comprehensive map of the Castlemorton was drawn by the club for the event. This took several months and was printed by the school.

The event was staged as a league event for Avon Schools, as the first of several through the mid-1980s that The Chase would run. Subsequent meetings were held at Eastnor Park and Malvern Common through to the 90s.

In 1992, MCOC staged the first Herefordshire and Worcestershire Schools event.

"Of course, we won it, naturally!" Berni laughed.

The event started to grow and has been run at Eastnor every year since, stopping only in 2001 because of foot and mouth disease.

The future of orienteering at The Chase continues to look bright.

Berni said: "We've got the enthusiasm from junior schools, especially The Wyche. They come to The Chase with orienteering knowledge and skills and we've been able to continue and it's going well.

"It teaches you independence and decision making. If you get lost, you've got to relocate yourself. There's no reason why it shouldn't carry on."