Right Way in a Day Navigation Course

This one day Navigation Course will introduce you to the fundamental skills of navigation and give you experience of using these new found skills in the beautiful Peak District. An initial, short, theory session in our training centre is followed by a full day out on the hills giving you plenty of opportunity to practise and gain advice and encouragement from our experienced instructors. By the end of the day you will have a solid grounding in map reading techniques and some experience of using a compass.
By making no assumptions about previous experience this course is equally suitable for complete novices and seasoned walkers who are looking for an introduction to formal navigation techniques.

Itinerary

9.30 am: Meet at Training Centre
As soon as everyone has arrived and had the opportunity to grab a coffee we will begin with a brief theory session in our training centre. During the session your instructor will introduce the navigation strategy that you will be using for the rest of the course along with some specific information about maps and compasses. The theory session ensures that everyone has the background knowledge necessary to fully participate in and understand the practical exercises throughout the rest of the day.
10.15am: Get ready to go walking!
Depending on the weather conditions and the previous experience of the group your instructor will decide on an appropriate location. We are lucky enough to have several routes that start from our training centre but on some occasions we may decide to drive to a different area. If this is the case it will typically mean no more than 15 minutes drive time.
10.30am: Start Navigating
From the moment your walk begins your instructor will begin to explain how to use the idea of a navigation strategy to successfully negotiate each section of your route. Skills will be introduced and practised steadily throughout the day. During the morning expect to focus on map orientation, accurate measurement of distance from the map, using timing to measure distances walked and recognising which features will make useful check offs and overshoots.
1pm (ish): Lunch
You will be eating lunch out on the hill so don’t forget your packed lunch. This is a good opportunity to practise new found contour recognition skills.
During the afternoon we will have the opportunity to move away from footpaths and onto more open moorland. Now your instructor will introduce you to taking and walking along bearings as well as using pacing to measure distances. Towards the end of the day you will typically be presented with a group challenge of navigating to a reasonable small target that cannot be accessed directly from a footpath. This will give you the opportunity to use a variety of the skills you have learned in a real-world situation.
3.30pm: Head back to Training Centre
As we begin to turn homewards you will have the opportunity for one last practise of anything you feel slightly less confident about. Alternatively just enjoy the countryside and the company!
4 - 4.30pm: Debrief
Over a final cup of coffee, your instructor will recap what has been achieved, give a few pointers about how to make further improvements and answer any questions you may have.
 
Inclusions
What's Included
🥤 Drink - Complimentary Refreshments
🧰 Equipment - Some equipment such as maps are provided
 
What you'll need
📋 Other - Standard hillwalking gear including good waterproofs and walking boots/shoes. A packed lunch and a drink are also necessary. We provide maps and have some compasses available to borrow or buy. Do bring your own compass if you have one.