The sport of rogaining was born in Australia and it’s rapidly extending throughout Europe (Saint Michael ROGAINE de Grandvalira is the first to be organized in the Pyrenees). Rogaining is the sport of cross-country navigation where teams of two to five members travel by foot, and the objective is to collect the highest score finding checkpoints within a set time limit. No marks or tracks are established, the checkpoints can be visited in any order. 

It is similar to a long-distance mountain race where teamwork, strategy and knowing how to deal with the natural environment are key factors. The participating teams must plan the route between checkpoints and decide the visiting order.

Rogaining is an activity halfway between cross-country, raids and orienteering races, born in Australia more than thirty years ago. These are long-distance cross-country races, with a maximum length of 24 hours, but with shorter versions. Orientation is not a very important factor, since teamwork, strategic route planning and knowing how to face a natural environment, are the most determining abilities of rogainers. Rogaining is usually a day and nighttime competition, with teams of two to five members, that will travel by foot and use only maps and a compass. In a central base camp, the organizers offer hot meals and drinks, so that the competitors can get their strenghts back, change clothes and rest before continuing with the competition. 

The used map is also different to those of orienteering races: the scale is usually between 1:25.000 and 1:40.000, with great simplification of details and colours. 

The markers setting is done with visible objects, and the selection of route prevails acute orientation. In the long-duration races, the map is given to the teams two hours before departure so that they can choose their location strategy, order and rule out the checkpoints.