News from Peak Navigation Courses

How to use a compass A compass is a simple and brilliant navigation tool.  At the very least it will have a needle that points north which will allow you to orientate your map and give you a rough indication of which way to walk.  If you have one designed for hill walking, mountaineering and orienteering then you will have "the full monty" and be able to use it for accurate map reading and navigation.  The compass used to illustrate this blog is a Silva type 4 Expedition (not the military version) and is a great all round compass. In this short feature I can't teach you all of the techniques involved in navigation but will show you how to use a compass to navigate across a short stretch of open moorland from a known point (where you are) to another point (where you want to go). Step 1: I want to navigate from the Trig Point 590m to Madwoman's Stones. Step 2: Lay the edge of the compass across the Trig Point 590m and Madwoman's ...

Peak Navigation Courses, Autumn programme 2014 1 st Steps to Map Reading and Navigation (Silver NNAS Day 1) Our “entry level” course suitable for the novice or those with plenty of experience who want to learn properly to navigate through fields and easy open moorland using a map and compass. (This course also forms day 1 of our Silver National Navigation Award Courses and is undertaken with “Moving onto Moorland” to complete the award).  Based from Foolow in The Peak District, a one day course costing £40. Dates: Saturday 6 th September Saturday 11 th October Saturday 25 th October Saturday 8 th November Sunday 23 rd  November Moving onto Moorland (Silver NNAS Day 2) This course is for more experienced navigators who already understand how to use a map and compass but want to progress onto moorland. The course introduces “micro” navigation techniques such as pacing and timing on a compass bearing. (This course also forms day ...

Hill Skills Courses in The Peak District Peak Navigation Courses have been accredited by Mountain (Leader) Training to provide the new Hill and Mountain Skills Courses. Learning Hill Skills on Eyam Moor Hill Skills will be run at weekends from our base in The Peak District, the weekends of 17 th & 18 th May   and   18 th & 19 th October. These are non-residential courses and cost £85, (though in addition you will need to register with Mountain Training for an additional cost of £20). The Hill Skills Course will teach you:   To read a map and navigate;  How to Plan a Walk; About equipment and clothing for hill walking;   The effects of weather in the hills; About the upland environment;  and   How to deal with emergencies. Learning Navigation Day 1             Saturday We meet at 9.30am in the village of Foolow, using the village hall as ...

Mountain Skills Course    – 2 nd May   Bank Holiday Weekend  24 th , 25 th and 26 th  May There’s quite a lot to cram into a weekend Mountain Skills Course, so we at Peak Navigation Courses are seizing the opportunity to spread the course over three days and ensure that course participants get the most from the course. Scrambling in Langdale Learning Navigation Based in Keswick, The Lake District, we have planned the following: Saturday The course starts at 10.00am with introductions and a indoor session about navigation. We then go out for a walk where we put our navigation skills into practice, identifying “contour” features, walking on a compass bearing and learn a bit about pacing and timing. We’ll move onto some steeper ground and look at techniques for safe movement on steep ground and easy scrambling. Mid afternoon we return to Keswick and have a session in a local equipment shop discussing and comparing different...

Hill Skills and Mountain Skills Courses Mountain Training (formally Mountain Leader Training) are about to launch two new awards: Hill Skills and Mountain Skills.   Peak Navigation Courses have been chosen as one of the first organizations to run these courses on behalf of Mountain Training. Unlike the other awards which are about leading others, Hill Skills and Mountain Skills are   about personal competence so that those new to Hill Walking and Mountain Walking can learn the basics of being safe in the hills or mountains, from qualified professionals . Mountain Navigation Both Hill Skills and Mountain Skills courses can be delivered over a weekend.   For Hill Skills, Peak Navigation Courses will run these in the hills of the Peak District.   For Mountain Skills, we believe that this course can only be delivered in genuinely mountainous areas so we will run these courses in The Lake District. Hill Skills and Mountain Skills a...

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, 1 st 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 ...

Each year, autumn sees an increase in people booking onto our navigation and map reading courses . We like to think that this is in preparation for winter where shorter days and the chance of poor weather can be more of a challenge if someone were to get misplaced in the mountains or on the moors. However the reality is that a significant number of people go out walking over the summer, enjoy it but get a bit lost. It’s this group that provide the majority of our autumn bookings. Introduction to Moorland Navigation Course Peak Navigation Courses provide a range of map reading courses and navigation courses from complete beginner to expert standard where people attend to refine or revise their skills.  Our Introduction courses both start with around 1.5 hours spent in the classroom (Foolow Village Hall) which is then followed by a walk taking in a range of landscapes that includes both open moorland and fields.  Both Introductory courses teach the basics of navi...

The only good point about the British “Summer” that we have been experiencing is that it’s been testing the navigation skills of those visiting the moors and mountains.   With all the low cloud, rain, drizzle and wind, visibility has been poor on more days than not. This is why it’s essential to know how to map read and navigate. Peak Navigation Courses provide a range of navigation training from the complete novice up to the expert wanting practice for undertaking Mountain Leader assessments. Peak Navigation Courses Autumn Programme is now available.

Well our Spring season ofMap Reading and Navigation Courses is drawing to a close.   This year we have put on additional courses due to demand and the positive feedback we have received has been great.   It’s been wonderful for us too, as ever making new friends and even learning a thing or two from our students. One of the highlights was discovering the compass that pointed south! Peak Navigation Courses are now running Hill Skills Courses based in the Peak District looking at a complete range of skills: Mountain Safety, Weather, Equipment, Navigation, GPS Navigation, Scrambling and Ropework. Photo’s of this years courses are also on the website.   Check them out to see if you are there.   If you have any pictures from your course that we could use, please send them in. With our other company, Sierra Nevada Guides we are also running Mountain Skills Courses based in Spains Sierra Nevada .   This course builds on the navigation you’ve lear...

Hill and Mountain Skills Courses Peak Navigation are keen to promote hill and mountain safety and enable people to enjoy getting out into the hills safely. Our hill and mountain skills training courses are available both for those new to hill walking and as a "refresher" for the more experienced. The courses includes: Mountain Safety, Weather and Equipment; Navigation, using a map and compass, route choice and using a GPS.  This 4 day course is based in The Peak District.  Details can be found on the Peak Navigation Courses website. The 7 day Mountain Skills course is  based in Spain's Sierra Nevada Mountains and additionally includes scrambling and some rope work. This is both valley based and hut based (1 or 2 nights) including ascents of Mulhacen and Alcazaba. Cost from £550 depending on your choice of accommodation and includes your pick up from malaga Airport and final drop off.  Further details can be found on our  website Sierra Nevad...

Intermediate Navigation, Kinder Scout - 17th March Eight students with two instructors from Peak Navigation Courses navigated around the centre of Kinder Scout locating many features including 5 aircraft crash sites. The chosen ascent up to the Kinder Scout plateau was via Crowden Brook which gave some entertainment on the final scramble. Pacing, timing, back bearings and contouring were all skills practiced on the day in addition to map and compass work. Hill skills and keeping safe in the hills are taught in addition to navigation. Peak Navigation Courses have courses at varying levels from basic through intermediate and onto poor visibility and night time navigation. We also run courses on GPS navigation . Mike and Jane who run Peak Navigation Courses are qualified International Mountain Leaders and British rock climbing instructors.

A ‘Quality day” Peak Navigation Courses are running a series of " Quality Days " to enable competent navigators to log up experience (possibly with the aim of progressing towards their Mountain Leader or Walking Group Leader awards). Last Sunday’s Quality Day was a full on 8 hours of exacting navigation off path on Bleaklow one of the peak districts most difficult to navigate areas. In addition to difficult navigation, we also looked at crossing steep ground and a river crossing. On route we passed the site (Photo) in the Upper Alport Valley where 3 scouts perished in a blizzard, poignant. You don't have to be working towards a qualification to partake in the quality days, it helps if you know how to use a compass and must definitely be up for a full day out in the hills! If you are planning on visiting and walking in the Peak District,Jane and Mike from Peak Navigation Courses are happy to advise on conditions, route choice, navigation, equipment and hill skills,...

Introduction to Navigation Course 10th March 10 students from far and wide attended last weekend’s Introduction to Navigation Course with Peak Navigation Courses . The first hour and a half was spent in the classroom learning the basics about maps, contour lines, grid references and how to use a compass before setting out on a five hour walk to put it all into practice. It’s so good seeing the smiles on people faces when they find themselves “spot on” using the compass and pacing to hidden sheep folds and stone circles. Well done everyone! Jane and Mike from Peak Navigation Courses are always happy to answer your questions about navigation, hill skills and equipment, even if you don't book a course with us!

Peak Navigation Courses have been the first step for many people who come to us, learn navigation and hill skills, then go on and become qualified Mountain Leaders. We have recently come across this good article about someone attending a Mountain Leader training course Both Jane and Mike from Peak Navigation Courses are fully qualified International Mountain Leaders and British rock climbing instructors. There is a profile of Jane and Mike on the Website. Jane and Mike are always happy to answer your questions about navigation and hill skills. You could always book onto one of our courses !