What is LIDAR?
An excellent brief description can be found on this CSIRO web page.
NZ Experience
An interesting experience of use of LIDAR in orienteering mapping was recently posted on the NZ MapTalk’s Mapping forum, pages 38-39. The linkis in the sidebar on this page but more directly, head to Selwyn’s post of 7 June on the topic of Base map contours.
Finnish experience
In that post he mentions work by RouteGadget’s developer on automating orienteering map production from LIDAR sources. For those interested in LIDAR potential, this is well worth a visit. Find it on the RouteGadget Facebook page. (You might have to be a Facebook member to view).
USA experience
A 2005 article LIDAR Basemaps Come of Age by Greg Lennon of Quantico Orienteering Club, USA. The image upper right is from that article.
Australian experience
Best experience as at late 2017 is found on the Orienteeering Australia mapping pages.