Courses
Navigation Courses
Navigation Courses - Walks for ML Qualification Seekers - Trek Planner - Hill Skills
Navigation Courses
New to navigation or just want to learn a bit more? What will you do if the visibility goes?
We can offer three levels of navigation course. Each is one day long and you can combine levels for a navigation weekend.
Basic Navigator
Topics Covered Will Include
- Understanding the nature of a map as a two dimensional plan
- Understanding map symbols, and scales
- Understanding the magnetic compass
- Orientating the map to the ground with and without a compass
- The use of linear features (e.g. paths and streams) as handrails
- The ability to judge approximate distances on both map and ground
- The contour system and the ability to match land forms to the map.
- Journey planning
- The basics of finding yourself when lost
Intermediate Navigator
Topics Covered Will Include
The ability to ‘break down’ a route into coarse and fine navigation i.e. when to use handrails and when to use more detailed techniques.
The ability to choose attack points and to use clear features en route to check that the navigator is on course.
Understanding the use of navigational strategies, like aiming off to hit a chosen point on a linear feature [e.g. bridge over a stream] or traffic light system [green section-easy: orange section- be careful: red- extreme concentration and care.] to adjust concentration levels to the difficulty of the navigation.
Understanding the physical and navigational factors affecting the choice of a route. Severity of terrain or vegetation, degree of difficulty of map reading and execution, and the ability to decide on an effective route in the light of the experience and navigational experience of the participants.
The ability to judge distance accurately.
Route cards.
Understanding the practice of simple relocation strategies when lost.
The ability to use a compass for accurate bearings and different types of compasses and their workings.
Understanding of the effects of fatigue and physical discomfort brought on by navigational activity in open countryside and/or extreme weather conditions, including recognition of the symptoms of hypothermia and hyperthermia and their treatment
Rules governing access to the countryside
Advanced Navigator
Topics Covered Will Include 
- Confidence in the use of the skills detailed in the 2 previous courses in open countryside or on hillside as well as in forests and mountain environments.
- The ability to use contours, to identify landforms and to utilise them as the prime method of navigation. (e.g. hill tops, valleys, ridges, spurs and knolls) This means forming a three dimensional mental picture from contour features and basing navigational decisions on this image. Ridges and valleys can be used as reliable handrails as well as the size and relationship of contour features used in micro navigation to distinct locations [eg. a series of knolls]..
- The use of macro and micro compass skills, distance judgment and continuous relocation (by frequent checking) in complicated areas as an integrated back up system to accurate map-reading. This involves the use of both map to ground and ground to map techniques, the selection of the right techniques for each situation and the integration of these into a navigational strategy.
- The ability to plan a safe walk or course in wild country in line with set criteria on duration, difficulty, and objectives.
An understanding of the special physical and navigational demands posed by high mountain and moorland terrain, poor weather conditions and the effects of fatigue and discomfort on decision making and execution of route. This includes the identification and treatment of hypo and hyperthermia.
Or why not do your Bronze or Silver certificates from the National Navigation Award Scheme. These are over 2 days and include a certificate on successful conclusion of a test, at the end of the course.
Walks for ML Qualification Seekers
Going for your Mountain Leader (ML) qualification and want a bit of practise to help you pass? Learn from those who’ve been through it and gained the award before you. It’s a tough qualification to get, but hopefully we’ll make it a little easier and give you the confidence to get through it.
Trek Planner
Russell has been trekking in the mountains of Nepal and from hut to hut in Norway living off cheese and crackers! If you don’t want to go crackers planning a big trekking expedition Russell can help you prepare. You may even wish to join him on his next trekking adventure- possibly to base camp of Mount Everest – keep checking the website for further details or give him a call.
