AROUND 50 young people took part in a junior orienteering three–day training camp based in Beechworth at the end of last month.

Run by Orienteering Australia from January 24 to 26, member Stanley's Leigh Privett who helped with the event said participants from 15 to 20 years old travelled from all states around the nation as well as one from Finland.

With sprint and exercises in the forest, Mr Privett said juniors trained with local maps at Mayday Hills, Chiltern Mount–Pilot National Park, Racecourse Creek, north of Beechworth and Eldorado.

"The Beechworth area is ideal and great orienteering country due to its complexity and having features such as granite rocks and cliffs," he said.

"The youth were coached by our national junior coach Natasha Key helped by four other senior coaching staff members.

"The aim is to give young orienteerers grounding in all aspects of the sport including bush and urban navigation, map reading, and relating terrain on the map to the ground they run over."

Mr Privett said the group gained skills and knowledge by being together in a friendly competition as they prepared for the next big challenge.

"Being in state teams they head to Kingaroy in Queensland's south east at Easter where 1500 other competitors will attend in groups from 12 to 90 year–olds," he said.

"It's a sport for all ages."