Map Reading and Navigation Course

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Map Reading and Navigation Course

I’m constantly amazed at the frequency that I’m approached on Kinder Scout by people who are lost and want directions to get back down safely.  I don’t mind this but it usually happens when I’m running a navigation course!

Map Reading Course, Kinder Scout


People book onto our map reading and navigation courses for a variety of reasons, many because they have been “misplaced” and want to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.  Peak Navigation Courses offer a range of courses from absolute beginner to “master classes” designed to provide handy revision to experts in need of a challenge.


Our basic level course, 1st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation covers all the basics, spending about 1.5 hours in the class before heading out for a short walk putting it into practice.  A further session in the classroom over lunch helps us prepare a route card before heading up onto some local moorland to navigate with a compass.





Our Introduction to Moorland Navigation Course, though similar to the 1st steps course, spends less time navigation out of the village and through fields and moor time navigating across open moorland.

Map Reading Course
At the end of both the 1st Steps to Map Reading and Introduction to Moorland Navigation Courses, you will be able to cross short stretches of open moorland using a compass to navigate.  We then send you details of some practice courses we have prepared to go out and try it on your own.

Our “Intermediate” Navigation Course is designed for those who already know how to use a map and compass but introduces the concept of “micro-navigation” and strategies for precision navigation.

Night Navigation Course





Peak Navigation Courses also run Night / Poor Visibility Navigation Courses which introduces some useful strategies to cope with poor visibility when the mist comes down or should you be caught out and be coming off the hill in the dark. This is a 3 hour evening course in the winter months 6.30pm till 9.30pm followed by a debrief (pint) in a local pub!








I really must be more disciplined about taking Peak Navigation Courses business cards out with me.  If you’re from the group asking for directions to get off Kinder yesterday, give me a call!
Navigation "Master Class" Horse Stones, Upper Derwent

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