This is a mountain navigation course that can run with up to 4 people per instructor. 

This 2 day navigation course is designed for walkers looking to gain navigation experience and wanting a comprehensive course to hone their skills and improve their overall understanding towards safe mountain travel. It focuses on developing strategies and practical application, ensuring that participants leave with the confidence and proficiency to navigate in challenging outdoor environments and mountainous terrain. 

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This course offers more contact time, a lower ratio and the time to refine your skills so it is perfect for those wanting to develop a higher understanding of navigating and become more autonomous in the skills needed to be proficient in all conditions. 

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We will meet for day 1 in Langdale and use this area around the Langdale Pikes.  Day 2 is often run from Coniston and uses the mountains of Coniston Old Man, Swirl How and Wetherlam.  The course offers a mountain journey on each day for you to practice your skills and gain some summits.  It may be possible to offer a night navigation session to simulate poor visibility to help hone our skills at the right time of year.

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The areas have some good pathless and often boggy terrain, which can be 'featureless' and requires good contour interpretation and solid skills with pacing and timing on each leg.  We will take a progressive approach to building your navigation knowledge, developing your skills and putting techniques together to build solid strategies when out in the hills over a two day period.

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This course builds on basic compass use and we look to focus on bearings; how to take them and follow them accurately across open terrain.  Compass work is an advanced skill so two days allows us the time to build all the foundational knowledge and be progressional in our learning. 

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COURSE OUTLINE

Building on basics

Map types, choices and maps appropriate to terrain being travelled

Map Reading Skills

Understanding contour lines and terrain features in greater detail.

Distance Estimation and Pacing

Developing more accurate measuring skills.

Pacing techniques for varying terrains.

Fine-Tuning Compass Techniques

Compass use for precise navigation.

Following accurate bearings.

Terrain Association and Feature Identification

Enhancing skills in relating map features to actual terrain.

Identifying micro-features and subtle terrain changes.

Practical Navigation Exercises

Participants practice their improved navigation skills in outdoor scenarios.

Emphasis on using maps, compasses, and terrain association techniques.

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SKILLS COVERED:

Measure distances

Timing

Pacing 

Aiming off

Attack points

Intricate contours & ground interpretation

The compass and its features

Compass bearings & accurately following bearings across open ground 

Navigate away from marked paths 

Relocation tactics