NAVIGATION COURSES in the Brecon Beacons.
One and two day courses covering the whole range of navigation skills.
- Our NAVIGATION COURSES are highly structured, scheduled events that take place on specific dates (both weekend and midweek). They are open to anyone.
- These navigation courses will be of particular interest to people booking as individuals or on a strict budget.
- We guarantee that there will never be more than 4 clients per instructor on these navigation courses - sometimes less!
- Although each navigation course is a stand-alone event, the range has been carefully designed to offer a structured, progressive learning experience, suitable for everyone from total beginners to experienced instructors.
ONE DAY COURSES.
Map interpretation.
The ability to interpret a map is unquestionably the most important of all navigation skills... yet its importance is commonly underestimated and misunderstood. Far more than simple map reading, map interpretation allows you to read a map like a book, thus enabling you to get an amazingly detailed picture of the ground. Once you have been introduced to this simple yet effective skill, you will never look at a map in the same way again!
On this valley based course, we spend the first couple of hours indoors exploring the essential theory, then we put it all into practice during a physically simple but mentally challenging valley walk.
The perfect introduction to navigation, this course is suitable for all fans of the great outdoors, including the more experienced amongst you who are looking for a skills refresher or a confidence booster!
Poor Visibility Techniques.
Knowing how to cope with poor visibility is a vital part of navigating in the often misty British hills. Mountain weather can change at an alarming speed, and once the mist is down, even the easiest ground can become confusing and difficult.
On this moorland based course, we teach you a range of simple yet effective techniques which will allow you to find your way with confidence through the thickest weather. First, we strip away the complexities of compass techniques, then we show you how to estimate time and distance over any terrain with great accuracy. We also introduce you to some basic relocation techniques.
Some of the micro-navigation techniques covered rely on a good working knowledge of map work, so we strongly recommend that you have at least a basic grasp of map interpretation before attending this course.
TWO-DAY COURSES.
Mountain & Moorland Navigation.
On this, by far our most popular course, we strip away the myths and complications and teach you a range of simple, straightforward skills which can be used anywhere and in any conditions.
Basically a combination of our Map Interpretation and Poor Visibility Techniques courses, we use day one to introduce you to the art of map interpretation, which allows you to read a map like a book; then on day two, we teach you a range of compass skills, and show you how to estimate time and distance with great accuracy. We also explain the concept of micro-navigation, and teach you some basic relocation techniques.
The continuity gained by attending for two consecutive days means that we often cover more ground than is possible on two separate one day courses, making this a very cost-effective way of learning about navigation.
Relocation Skills.
Far from being the art of never being lost, effective navigation involves using a variety of skills in such a way that you can work out where you are when you think you are lost! On this course, we show you how to combine the basic skills in order either to work out your precise position, or to move safely to a point where you can do so.
On day one, we revisit the basic skills and show you the most effective ways in which to combine them; then on day two, we get you temporarily mislocated on a blank stretch of featureless moorland, and show you a range of options which will enable you to work out your position with confidence. We guarantee you'll never be lost again!
This course is the natural follow on from our Mountain & Moorland Navigation course, and we strongly recommend that you have a reasonable working knowledge of both map interpretation and poor visibility techniques before attending.